


Think About Me

by supershadsy



Series: Think About Me [1]
Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zack Lives, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-05-29 14:36:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 87
Words: 365,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6380188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershadsy/pseuds/supershadsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>I believe that you really want me, but it's not easy just to give in. So, let yourself go, and let love begin.</i><br/>("Think About Me", Fleetwood Mac, <i>Tusk)</i></p><p>Zack Fair, recently promoted SOLDIER 1st-class and casual guitarist, is put in charge of training a fresh crew of infantrymen to become the new face of SOLDIER. Among which is Cloud Strife, a quiet man from Nibelheim who decides the only way to prove to his family and peers that he's strong is to join the military. His friend, Tifa Lockhart, doesn't need to be proven, however, so she follows him to escape the barren countryside and hopefully make a living. It's hard in Midgar when being poor is the norm, and Zack's girlfriend Aerith Gainsborough knows it, working in a flower shop and collecting church donations just to scrape by--but it's not so bad when you surround yourself with people to keep you company and keep you smiling, the more the merrier. </p><p>This is a story about falling in love with your friends.</p><p>(Setting is in the mid to late 90's, hybrid modern/FF7 world) <b>Now complete.</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

Cloud Strife stared out the window of the truck, watching the arid landscape of flat dust and tumbleweeds roll by as they rolled down the highway. _Ten miles to Midgar,_ he thought, chewing on his nails. _Ten miles until I’m at the headquarters. Ten miles until I start training for SOLDIER._

The radio, which had been humming along quietly, suddenly broke into static. The driver, Tifa Lockhart, huffed and punched at the dial. “Again?” she complained. “We should be picking up at least _something_ this close to the city.”

“Mmn.” Cloud scratched the back of his neck under the scarf he was wearing, and ran his hand back through his spiky, ice blonde hair, ruffling it as he went.

Tifa’s bangle bracelets jingled on the steering wheel as she rolled her fingers over the worn leather. “You know, I still--” she started loudly, then stopped, clicking her tongue. “You don’t have to friggin’...join the military to make a living.”

“I know,” Cloud replied, leaning his head against the window. _That’s not why I even joined, Ti._ The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. _I should’ve known this conversation was going to come up. Again._

With the radio off, the hum of the road beneath them permeated the air, shrinking Cloud into his Shinra infantry uniform. Side eying Tifa, her mouth was drawn, dark mahogany eyes narrowed at the road, occasionally flicking to the rear view. Her face was as pale and smooth as foundation could make it, but it didn’t mask her frustration. “I’m just _worried,_ that’s all,” she said finally, tucking a long strand of brown hair behind her ear. “SOLDIER isn’t easy, and you know what they--”

 _“I know,_ I know,” Cloud snapped. _Five miles to Midgar._ His teeth grinded together, fingers twitching in his palms. “Do you have a cigarette?”

“Uh…” She patted her leather jacket--soft, brown, and faded from repeated use--then shook her head. “No, I don’t." The edge dissipated from her voice, and she sighed, a hum in the back of her throat. As soon as the road became a flat line in front of her, she rested one arm on the wheel, and turned fully toward him. "I--oh, no, there aren't any in there, either."

Cloud automatically went for the glove box, popping it open only to have a half a dozen maps spill out. He fumbled to shut it, trying desperately to shove the accordion-folded pages back into their rightful place. “I told you, I’m just borrowing this since Dad’s truck’s in the shop. I’ve gotta take it back.” The sun crested over the horizon, and it forced her to right herself, fussing for the visor. When she flipped it down, it creaked and nearly fell off, only hanging down by a hinge, and she hastily slammed it back up. “Christ, might as well just sell this thing for parts…”

At last, Cloud managed to shut the glove box and he sat back, rolling his neck on his shoulders. “I’ll be all right, Ti,” he said. “I promise.”

“You’d better,” she replied, sneaking quick glances over to him. Now that the venom had dissipated from her disposition, he took the time to study her face more closely, absorbing every detail, right down from the shape of her eyes to the curve of her chin. _It’s going to be a while before I see you again._ “Oh, there’s the split. Is the entrance above or below the plate?” _I have some pictures with me, but I want to...remember you as you are. Right here._

“Cloud!”

He jumped. “Oh, s-sorry,” he said, looking ahead. She had slowed down as the highway split into either a steel bridge that crested over the high walls surrounding Midgar, or the muddled dirt road that stayed at ground level. “I th-think...I think above.”

“Okay.” The truck jerked forward, rumbling up the bridge and driving up above the city proper--hundreds of buildings lined the steel plate it sat on, while the biggest was Shinra Headquarters itself. A monstrous, multi-tiered skyscraper loomed over the rest of the city, glistening in the midday sun. The reflection from the panels and panels of glass windows nearly blinded Cloud as they rode on the curve of the bridge. _Incredible…_

“So, this is where you're going to be the next…” Tifa hesitated. “How long are you going to be stationed here?”

“I...dunno,” Cloud replied. “At least until I pass the SOLDIER exam, then who knows…”

She turned off at a highway exit labeled “SHINRA HQ: NEXT LEFT”, where the off-ramp did almost a complete 180, circling around the massive building. “Your mom’s going to miss you,” she remarked. The off ramp finished right in front of the main entrance, and as soon as she cleared it, she pulled over to the side of the road. “You should see when you can come home...after you get settled.”

“Yeah.” On the sidewalk, dozens of people in varying uniforms bustled by--many identical to the one he wore, but others were wearing the sleeveless turtlenecks indicative of SOLDIER. _That's 3rd class in red, 2nd in purple, 1st in black._ Cloud absently clicked at his seatbelt buckle, blue eyes fixed outside. _I wonder if I’ll see that 2nd from initiation again. He was really nice, and enthusiastic, and he didn’t let anything stand in his way._ He bit his lip to hide a smirk, imagining the man in his mind. _Dark hair, blue eyes, what was his name again? I think it was Zack--_

“Wait just a sec,” Tifa said, shoving the shifter into park. “Don’t head out quite yet.”

His thoughts dissipated as the seatbelt slid across his chest. Tifa smoothed her hands against her full thighs, not meeting Cloud’s eyes. “Call me sometime tonight when you get settled,” she said. “You can give me the number you have here then. I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier.”

Cloud blinked. “Hm? You didn’t--” But before he could finish his sentence, she had already scooted next to him for a cramped hug, both of her arms around his shoulders. Automatically, his hand went to her back, stroking the cracks in the leather of her jacket. _Ah._

“You’ll be fine, Cloud,” she muttered into his hair. Her tone had an odd lull to it, as if she were saying it more than just to him.

“I will,” he replied, nodding. Inhaling deeply, he found the scent of cigarettes, along with shampoo and an underlying minty smell embedded in her hair. _I’ll be okay. This way...I can be strong, for everyone back home._

_Including you._

He slipped from her grasp and opened the door, slamming it shut with a rattle. “Do you need any help?” Tifa called out the driver’s side window as he circled around to the truck-bed.

“No,” he replied, heaving a backpack over his shoulder and a duffle bag on his other arm. “I’ve got it.”

“Okay…” She tapped her nails on the rusting windowsill when Cloud walked by. _Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous. All you’re doing is making_ me _more nervous. I can do it, just let me go--!_

In the end, he just nodded and gave her a thin lipped smile. “See you,” he mumbled, turning on his heel to the entrance of the Shinra building.

One step, then another, then another, and despite Tifa’s head craning out the window, he didn’t look back.

The door to Shinra HQ opened heavy in his hand, and he shuffled to the front desk. He dropped the duffle bag at his feet. “Excuse me, I’m looking for--” he started, but the woman at the desk stopped him.

“Name please,” she replied curtly, barely looking up.

He huffed through his nose. “C-Cloud Strife, ma’am. Third division standard, stationed for SOLDIER prep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, reader! Welcome to another long form polyship fic by yours truly! We're going to have a good time with this one, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Just setting the stage right now, we'll be getting into the meat of things pretty soon. Next chapter, we'll meet some characters who are not dead in this universe! Isn't that nice?


	2. Reporting

“Hey, Aerith?” 

“Yeah?”

Zack Fair turned back from the bathroom sink with a mouthful of toothpaste foam. “My pager’s beeping, can you grab it?” 

“Yup--!”

He spit into the sink, running the faucet and rinsing his mouth.  _ Another day, another day.  _ He studied himself in the mirror and spiked the front of his long, dark hair up, face still burning with aftershave.  _ “Mr. Jones and me look into the future,”  _ he sang, smoothing the back of it.  _ “And we stare at the beautiful women…” _

“Here.” A slender woman with soft auburn hair high in a scrunchie handed his pager over his shoulder, standing on her toes to even begin to reach. “Put on a shirt or you're going to be late.”

“Thanks, sunflower,” he replied, spinning around and pulling her tight against him. Despite her raised eyebrow, she still hugged around his waist, resting her chin on his chest. With one arm around Aerith and the other clicking the pager, he kissed the top of her head. “Let's see...oh yeah, gotta bring my guitar today so Sephiroth can pass the ‘final inspection’.”

“Oh my God,” Aerith exclaimed, puffing out her cheeks. “I can’t believe he’s so fussy about this. I thought you were already good to go?”

Zack shrugged, hooking the pager around his belt loop. “Whatever. I  _ think  _ I sound good, and Angeal’s got my back.” He rolled his shoulders and shook his arms. “Whew--!”

“You nervous?” she asked, backing away from him, eyes grazing over him, studying his demeanor. 

“Eh…” He scratched behind his head.  _ Nope, no way. That’s what I  _ want  _ to say,  _ he thought, staring right into her bright green eyes.  _ But she won’t buy it. She knows better. Baby reads me like a book.  _ “I’m 1st-class now, so the first thing I got assigned to do is train some green lower ranks.”

“Good for you!” She kissed his cheek and gave him a wink, strolling out of the bathroom. “You’ll be fine. If you can do that whole initiation camp thing without a fuss, this’ll be the same deal.”

“Yeah,” he replied, following her out into the living room. He snagged a t-shirt lying on the couch and yanked it over his head, as well as a wrinkled plaid shirt to go over it.  _ If you would’ve told me I’d be 1st-class this time last year, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. It’s been a long time coming.  _ He bounced on his toes as he scanned the floor for his guitar case. “I’m pumped, but I’ve still got jitters…”

“It’s just another day,” she advised, leaning against the wall, right between the doors to the bedroom and the bathroom. “Once you get going, you’ll barely notice a thing.”

“Mmn, yeah.” Finally, he caught sight of the long, slim black bag and slung it over his shoulder. “When are you leaving?” 

“One.”

“Okay. Want to meet up with me in the practice room when you get out?” 

She nodded. “Sure, sweetie.” 

Zack grinned, then rushed right over to her to hold her by the face and kiss her on the lips--although it was hard to hold since his smile was so powerful. “I love you,” he said, gently squishing her cheeks.

Aerith giggled and did the same, and he allowed his face to relax so she could play with it, making his lips mush together. “Love you too,” she replied. “Now go, before someone pages you again.”

He let his hands run off her face and through to her arms, right to her fingertips before he finally let go. Jogging to the door, he spun around as he slipped through it, the slam echoing in the cement stairwell leading up to the surface. He whistled as he took the stairs two at a time to street level, sliding his case onto his other shoulder.  _ A little training with some new guys, play some guitar with Angeal and the others, not too bad for a Monday,  _ he thought, unchaining his motorcycle parked in the back of the alley. Its paint job was black, but it gleamed an eerie, dark green under the florescent light and the ceiling of the plate high above him.  _ Boy, what I wouldn’t give for some morning sunshine, though.  _

He straddled it and revved the engine, its whining echoing in the close corridors. He kicked down into first gear, spun out of the alley and onto the streets, wind snaking through his hair and fluttering his open shirt like a cape behind him.  _ “We all wanna be big stars, but we don’t know why, and we don’t know how…”  _ he sang to himself as he rode through the streets, through several alleys, and on through to a ramp that dove up through a hole in the plate. It shone bright light, like a portal to another world, and Zack clicked up another gear to burst through it.  _ “Woo!”  _ he exclaimed as he was greeted with a burst of fresh air, laughing into the wind.

The bike bounced in rhythm against the bridge’s connectors, and he weaved through the two lanes of traffic, keeping his speed up until he skated into the off-ramp to Shinra HQ. Down the ramp, around the corner, down into the parking garage, where he pulled into the front row, labeled “1ST CLASS”. “Damn, it’s good to be 1st class,” he said to himself, killing the engine and readjusting his guitar case on his back.  _ “But when everybody loves me, I’m gonna be just about as happy as I can be…”  _

Out of the garage, into the elevator, up all the way to the 42nd floor, out into the hallway, running down the steel corridor and around the corner to the 1st-class locker rooms. As he fished out the key for his locker, still humming, a voice beside him interrupted him. “You’re not in uniform yet?”

_ “Ack!”  _ he yelped, dropping his sleeveless turtleneck at his feet. “Don’t  _ do  _ that, Angeal!” 

He smirked, already in the black 1st class uniform, and leaned against the lockers with his arms crossed. “Your recruits are waiting for you already,” he said. “You’d better get down there.”

“I’m goin’, I’m goin’!” He stripped his shirts and forced his head through the turtleneck, attempting to unbutton his jeans at the same time. “So, what’s the scoop with these new guys?”

“Just run ‘em through some endurance training today.” Angeal handed him a clipboard, listing the names of all the recruits in Shinra’s standard typewriter print--but, the second page was handwritten with drill instructions. “I wrote you up some guidelines if you need help.”

“Thanks a lot,” Zack sighed.  _ Angeal Hewley, been here with me since day one. Hell, he’s the one I have to thank for getting me to 1st-class. He pushed for me and has kept an eye on me ever since I was just starting out, practically a kid. Not to mention he’s the one who came to me asking if I wanted to join Sephiroth’s band.  _ “Guessing you’ve done this before?”

“It was my first assignment as 1st class, too,” Angeal replied. “Something to get your bearings, so you don’t get called off on something big right away.” 

“Sure, sure.” His eyes skimmed the front sheet.  _ Anyone I know here?  _ he mused. Near the bottom of the list, his eye caught “STRIFE, CLOUD” in the midst of the list.  _ That looks really familiar. Cloud, Cloud… _

“You’ll have a break for lunch, then at around 5, you’ll be done with them. Take them over to the barracks on the east side of the building, then a 2nd class will take care of it.” 

“Got it.” He unclipped the papers from the clipboard, folded them twice over, and shoved them into the strap of his suspenders, causing Angeal to roll his eyes as he took the clipboard back. “Then, meet up with the band downstairs?”

“Yup.”

“What song are we doing at practice again?”

“That same Candlebox tune,” he replied, running a hand through his dark hair. “I think if you can live through Seph being a diva one more time, you’ll be locked in. I know Gen thinks it’s a good idea.”

“Yeah?”  _ Sephiroth, with that long, slick silver hair and his nose in the air all the time.  _ Zack tilted his head side to side, attempting to crack it.  _ I guess he’s not  _ so  _ bad, but...diva’s the right word for him.  _

“And you’re not a bad singer, either.” His lip twitched, and he winked. “But, don’t tell Sephiroth, heaven forbid.”

With a shaky chuckle, Zack rearranged his belt so it was square against his torso. “Okay, I’m good. I’ve got this.”  _ You’ve got this.  _

Angeal smirked, clapping his shoulder. “You sure do, Fair. Go get ‘em.”

Zack managed to grab him into a half hug before he could sneak away, slapping his back as well. “So, what’s on your plate today?” he asked.

“I’m hitting the specialized training room with Gen,” he replied, already almost out the door. He waved a hand in the air. “Later.”

As soon as he disappeared, Zack slid his guitar case in his locker, shutting it with a small click.  _ Angeal said that once you hit 1st-class, you only get put on high priority missions, and there haven’t been a lot of those lately, not since Wutai. So...it’s pretty cushy.  _ He adjusted his shoulder guards and jogged out into the hallway.  _ Can’t wait to get there.  _

The 42nd floor was home to an enormous indoor track, a glass dome at the top tinted green, but clear enough to let in natural light. The center was a mock shooting range, while the outside was a running track. Lined up in front of the track were a small group of people, all in the blue and moss green infantry uniform, talking among themselves as they waited for his arrival.  _ How many...ten? Fifteen? That’s not so bad. I guess only a few really make it to SOLDIER. That, or they gave me a small group on purpose.  _ His adrenaline kept him running, but as soon as he was close, he gave a shout. “Hey, guys!” he called.

Immediately, the group straightened and silenced themselves, shoulders back in a perfect line. “Whew, all right, everyone here?” he said, standing in front of them. He yanked out the list and counted heads.  _ Three, six, nine...fifteen, yup, they’re all here.  _ “All right, let’s get started!”

He clapped his hands together and surveyed them all. “I’m Zack Fair, 1st-class SOLDIER, and you guys are here so you can be where I'm standing,” he started. “It takes a lot of work and determination, but if you keep at it…” He winked and gave the group a thumbs up. “You can follow your dreams!” 

_ “Yes, sir!”  _

“Whoa, easy--a-at ease!” Zack stammered at the resounding chorus, waving his hands.  _ I don’t think I’ve ever been addressed like that, even by the 3rd classes…! That’s going to take some getting used to.  _ “So long as you’re training with me, just call me Zack.” His eyes scanned the group again, and fell upon a young man with spiked blonde hair, a little shorter than most of the others.  _ Hey, I think I know that guy. Wasn’t he in the initiation camp…?   _

_ (“STRIFE, CLOUD”)  _

_ Oh, yeah!  _ “Take a few laps around the track to warm up, then we’ll regroup,” he said, twirling his finger in a circle by his head. “We’re going to do a lot of endurance type stuff today, so don’t burn yourself out right away.” 

The group dispersed, taking off into a jog, but he caught the blonde man in the back of the group, holding him back by the shoulder. “Hey, you’re Cloud, right?” he asked, the other’s eyes wide. “Cloud Strife, from this past spring.”

His face curled into a small smile. “Y-yeah…!” he replied. “Zack!” 

“I thought it was you!” Zack slapped his back and ruffled his already messy hair. “Long time no see, bud, how’ve you been? C’mon, I’ll jog with you.”

The two started a slow jog around the track, bringing up the rear of the crew. “I-I mean,” Cloud huffed. “Haven’t been doing too much since then. Just...getting ready to come here.”

“Gotcha, gotcha,” Zack replied. “I get it. I mean, I was the same way when I first joined. Not much to do out in the country--you’re from Nibelheim, right?”

“Mmn.”

“Yeah, so you know  _ all  _ about that.” Zack chuckled, keeping his eyes at the front of the group.  _ “Oy, another couple laps!”  _ he yelled.

Cloud loosened the scarf around his neck, sweat already beading up around his forehead.  _ Yeah, I remember this kid now,  _ Zack thought, keeping Cloud in his peripheral.  _ He wasn’t the fastest, or the strongest, but damn, did he work hard.  _ “So, you  _ really  _ want to be SOLDIER, huh?”

“More...than anything,” he panted. “I wanna...be strong, and support my family back home…”

“Nice,” Zack replied. “Well, hang in there, and I’ll make sure you get to SOLDIER, all right? You and me.”

“R-really?” Cloud glanced up at him, his blue eyes shining up at him like beacons. “That’d...that’d be great…!” He smiled at him, starting out unsure, but slowly spreading on his face, like water soaking a towel. 

Zack nodded, winking at him. “Hell yeah. I’ve got your back.”  _ I remember him being kind of lonely at initiation...now that he’s here, I can take him under my wing, like Angeal did for me. Pay it forward, y’know?  _

_ “All right, everyone round up and stretch!” _ Zack called, pointing to the center of the track. He patted Cloud on the shoulder. “Go on with the others, we’ll catch up once I give the next set.”

“Sure!” Cloud’s smile still lingered on his face as he waved and jogged over to the rest of the group.  _ Keep it up,  _ Zack thought, fishing out the drill sheet and running his finger over Angeal’s handwriting.  _ Keep that smile on, and...you’ll make it.  _

_ I’ll make sure of it.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Zack and Aerith! We're still setting the stage for right now, but boy, I love writing Zack already. Him and Aerith are cute. Him and Cloud are cute! Don't worry, we'll be getting a taste of the other 1sts soon enough, including the "diva" mentioned here, hehe.
> 
> We're going to catch up with Tifa next chapter, I believe. Stay tuned!


	3. Searching

Even after she dropped Cloud off at Shinra HQ, Tifa found herself wandering the streets of Midgar under the plate, hands shoved into her jacket pockets.  _ It’s so grim under here,  _ she thought.  _ I know HQ is above, but...is he really going to be okay here? _

_ This is as good a chance as any to see if I can find a way to stay here in Midgar.  _

A pair of children barely reaching her thighs scurried around her, laughing in their dirty t-shirts and skinned knees.  _ Cloud was the only one keeping me back in that backwater town, if you can even call it that. I’m tired of living in the middle of nowhere, being the little “poster girl” and dressing up in some trashy outfit just to pander to tourists.  _ Her lip curled at the thought of it.  _ I’m not a girl anymore, I’m a grown woman, and I can make my own damn choices. And this might not be glamorous, here under the plate, but… _

_ It’s a start.  _

The one storefront that stood out amongst the grungy buildings was a window that was completely filled with flowers, so many that it was nearly impossible to see inside. Tifa gravitated toward it immediately, eyes drawn to the bright purples of violets, the pinks of carnations, reds of roses, and a crop of sunflowers that desperately craned toward the ceiling, hungry for sunshine. The sign hanging on the door was turned to “OPEN”, therefore she hesitantly opened it, jingling a bell as she stepped in. 

“H-hello?” she called tentatively, still surrounded by greenery. Her nostrils were assaulted by the rich smells of pollen and floral scents, and she had to cover her face with her jacket.  _ So many flowers…!  _ “Is...anyone here?”

“Oh!” A chipper voice manifested from behind the sunflowers, and revealed itself as a petite woman in a floral print dress, a watering can in her arms. “Hi there!” she greeted, rushing over to the counter, swinging behind it and putting her elbows up. “Can I help you?” 

“Er…” The woman’s energy was more than she expected, and combined with all of the foliage, her senses were thoroughly overwhelmed.  “I was just...wondering...ah…”

Despite Tifa’s stuttering, she waited patiently, watching her with huge green eyes, an emerald hue that seemed to pierce right through her.  _ She’s...pretty. She looks like the type to work in a place like this.  _ “Um...are you hiring?” 

She smiled, then shook her head. “Sorry. This store only has a few employees as it is, and business is really shaky,” she replied, tapping her nails on the countertop. “We get bursts, but otherwise, it’s quiet. Are you new to the city?”

“Sort of,” Tifa said. “M-my friend is in the military, and he just got stationed here, so I wanted to see if I could find some work and...you know, stick around here.” Her hands played with the bangles on her wrists, clicking them underneath the sleeves of her jacket. 

Her eyebrows perked. “Is he SOLDIER?” she asked.

“That’s what he keeps saying he  _ wants _ to be. I don’t know much about it--”

“Oh, my boyfriend’s 1st-class, that’s why I asked.” She cocked her head, her ponytail swinging from one shoulder to the other.  _ I have no idea what that means. Different ranks, I guess. Cloud didn’t talk about that much…  _ “What’s your name?” 

“Um...T-Tifa,” she replied, more delayed than she intended, and she felt her ears burning. “Tifa Lockhart.”

She smiled at her, using her whole face, eyes nearly slits by the force of it. “I’m Aerith!” she exclaimed, thrusting her hand out for her to shake.  _ Ah--!  _ Tifa took it gingerly, while Aerith shook it with such a force that she almost banged their wrists on the counter. “I haven’t had anyone in here today, and probably won’t for the rest of the day, so I might as well make new friends while you’re here!” 

“Y-yeah…”  _ She’s enthusiastic.  _ Tifa bit her lip, chewing on the inside of her cheek.  _ It’s...kind of cute.  _

“But really…” Aerith sighed, her eyes flicking behind to where the front window was. “This isn’t necessarily the ‘land of opportunity’. Under the plate sucks. But, it’s always been home to me, so I make it work.”

“I can tell,” Tifa replied. “To be honest, I just wanted an excuse to get out of my hometown. I’m from Nibelheim, and there’s...nothing there, either.”

“Ah, I get it,” she said, tapping a finger against her lips. “Well...maybe I can give you a hand.” She leaned far over the counter, enough for her small breasts to peek out of her modest neckline. “You see that cross street over there?”

Tifa tilted her head to match Aerith’s angle, bumping her hair lightly in the process. “Yeah?”

“Keep going that way, take a left at the first major intersection-- _ not  _ the alleys, there are a few of them along the way--and go down two or three blocks. There’s a bar down there, and I  _ think  _ they’re looking for some more hands.” She locked eyes with her again. “You’re over 21, right?”

“Yeah, actually.”  _ Barely. My birthday was just a month ago… _

“Good. Just tell Barret that I sent you, give him a big ol’ smile, and you should be set. I know just about everyone between Sectors 4 and 5...” Aerith giggled. “Anyway, you’re cute enough, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Th-thanks,” Tifa mumbled, looking down and twirling a lock of hair in between her fingers.  _ After constantly getting hit on back home...when this stranger, this woman calls me “cute”, it actually feels sincere.  _

“If you want to  _ live  _ down here, I don’t know if I can help you,” Aerith continued. “My boyfriend and I live in a tiny,  _ tiny  _ basement unit in the back of Sector 5, and even  _ that’s  _ pricy for what we make.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If you don’t mind living in the back of your truck for a while, you can make it work, I guess.” 

Tifa snickered, the sound escaping her before she realized it happened. “I’ll...figure it out,” she said. _I think all this pollen’s making me lightheaded,_ Tifa thought, sniffling. “W-well, thanks a lot for the tip.”

“Sure!” Aerith jogged around the counter to stand face to face with her, a few inches shorter.  _ She’s like a little fairy.  _ “Come back and let me know how it goes if you can, okay?”

“Y-yeah, I can.” Tifa’s arms wrapped behind her back, and an anxious smile crept through to her lips. “I-I’ll see you later.”

Aerith nodded and waved. “Bye-bye, Tifa! See you soon!” 

She found herself rushing to the door, the bell ringing wildly as it slammed shut behind her.  _ That...was unexpected. That whole thing was unexpected.  _ Her hand was over her mouth as she looked both ways and jogged across the street, her bangles jingling in her wake.  _ What did she say? This cross street over here, then to the next major intersection… _

She kept her eyes peeled for help wanted signs in windows, but her current path led her to boarded windows, more shoddy residences, and the occasional person digging through a dumpster.  _ None of the other places around here are like that flower shop,  _ she thought, head bobbing every which way.  _ Was it just a weird mirage in this dark city?  _ A stray dog whined at her feet, and she chose to ignore it, picking up her pace.  _ Damn it, I should’ve brought my Walkman. I should’ve brought cigarettes. Why did I come so ill-prepared? Was I so concerned about Cloud that I just...forgot?  _

She fished for her wallet inside her jacket and opened it discreetly against her full chest.  _ I didn’t bring much gil with me either. When I find a corner store, I can  _ maybe  _ get a pack and a lighter. But, first, I should find this bar… _

It was easy to see the intersection Aerith had spoken of, as it it was bustling with cars, and the section of the plate had windows to the world above, shining sunlight to rival the fluorescents.  _ Take a left.  _ She ran across the street, eyes wide and alert for the bar in question.  _ She didn’t give me a name,  _ Tifa thought.  _ So I’ll just...have to guess. A couple blocks, huh?  _

_ (“You’re cute enough…”)  _

Her face twisted, and raised her fingers to her mouth, nibbling on her already short nails.  _ I’ve never met anyone who’s been so nice to someone they’ve just met. Especially in the city. Hell, I can barely look people in the eye sometimes, and then there she is… _

_ She was pretty.  _

She shook her head and kept walking, crossing another alley when she spotted a flickering neon sign just on the inside of the alley flashing “BAR”.  _ Wait...is that it?  _ There was no entrance on the main street side, just a series of clouded windows that was nearly impossible to see through. Indeed, on one side window there was a “HELP WANTED” sign, covered in dust. Circling back around the alley, she noticed the grungy sign above the storefront, reading “7th Heaven” in a curly script.  _ Must be.  _ She cupped her hand around the front door, peering around for a sign of life.  _ Do bars even open this early around here? It’s too hard to see...I think there’s a light on… _

Heavy footsteps could be heard on the other side, and Tifa jumped back as a huge, broad shouldered man with sunglasses perched on top of his short, natural hair threw open the door nearly in her face. “The hell…” he muttered, first looking around at his eye level, then down toward Tifa. “Huh? Don’t just stand there, lady. If you’re gonna come in, come in.”

She nodded, shrinking her shoulders inside her jacket and scurrying in, the smell of old alcohol and cigarettes hitting her like a freight train. It was soaked into the dark wooden floors, the bleak, tacky wood paneling of the walls, and the faded pleather of the bar stools. A TV mounted up behind the counter was showing soap operas, which a man in a trench coat was watching intently, hovering over his drink. “Unusual to have anyone here before 4,” the man muttered, taking his place behind the counter with a crease in his forehead. “‘Cept for this guy. Want a refill, Vinny?” 

The man he called “Vinny” shook his head, long dark hair sheathing his entire face. “Whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes, then refocused on Tifa. “What can I do you for?”

His stature was intimidating, but his accent and speech patterns were rooted in a comforting dialect, like grass that could only survive through cracks in the city sidewalk. Therefore, Tifa’s anxiety didn’t present itself in her voice. “Are you...Barret?” she asked.

“Yup.” He stiffened, just slightly as he was wiping down a glass with a cloth. It was then that Tifa noticed that one of his arms was a prosthetic. “Who sent you?”

“N-no one,” she answered immediately. “W-well, I guess Aerith, but…”

“Aerith? Little flower girl?” He bellowed with laughter, his whole posture relaxing. “Shit, I haven’t seen her in ages. She used to pedal flowers door to door when she was a kid, wagon and everything. Grew up right here in the slums, bit older than my kid but...she’s a gem.” He set down the glass with a heavy  _ thunk  _ on the counter and crossed his arms. “So, why’d she send you to this dump?”

“I saw...the hiring sign in the window,” Tifa replied, jerking her head over. “I’m looking for a job.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow and looked her over, up and down--Tifa instinctively wrapped her jacket tighter around her chest as to not draw attention to it. “Here I thought you were a tourist, with that little country accent you’ve got going there.”

“What? I don’t...have an accent.” Her sentence trailed as she finished it, the drawl of her vowels lingering in her mouth.  _ At least, I never noticed it. Damn it.  _

Barret snickered. “Anyway, you got a resume?” 

_ Shit!  _ “No,” she replied, patting her jacket down. “You can take my number down, though--”

“You over 21?”

She paused. “...Yeah.”

“Do you know how to make drinks?”

“A few.”  _ I’ve never mixed a drink in my life.  _

“Do you think you can handle your own if a customer gets rowdy?” 

She squinted at the barstool. 

_ (“Heeeyyy, pretty lady!” He was practically drooling, eyes only on her low cut top, revealing a hefty amount of cleavage. “Don’t mind if I do…” _

_ His calloused fingers wriggled at her chest, all up until she punched him in the stomach with a growl. “Back off!” she shouted, the hat she wore tipping forward, and she straightened it, frowning. The rest of the tour group stared wide eyed as the man stumbled backwards. “A-and that goes for everyone else too--!”)  _

“Yeah,” she confirmed with a nod. “I can handle myself.” 

Barret smirked and inhaled sharp through his nose. “Great. You’re hired.”

“Wh-what?” Tifa’s arms fell to her sides.  _ Just like that?  _ “That’s it?” 

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he said, gesturing to the rest of the bar. “When can you start?” 

“Hang on,” Tifa said, holding a pointer finger out. “What’s the catch? I’m  _ positive  _ this isn’t the sort of interview you’d just give anyone.”  _ Is it because of my tits?  _ she wanted to say, but thought better of it. 

“Well, if flower girl sent you here, that’s a good start.” Barret gestured with his arms to the rest of the bar. “Besides, do you see anyone else working? It’s been months since I’ve put that sign up. Bunch of kids want to pick up some extra gil, but can’t work late nights...had a lot of turnover lately. If you can stick around a while, it’ll be good for the both of us.”

Tifa nodded slowly.  _ I still feel like there’s going to be some sort of catch.  _ “Fine. What am I...getting paid?” 

He meandered to the cash register and clicked a few numbers in, the resonance from metal clinking against metal echoing in the mostly empty bar. “30K a week,” he answered. “All under the table. Nothin’ goes to those Shinra bastards.”

“Uh-huh.”  _ That’s it?  _ She swallowed to try and hide the disappointment on her face.  _ I don’t know if I’ll be able to pay rent with only that.  _ Her heart stopped in her chest.  _ Speaking of which…  _ “Hey, you wouldn’t...happen to know of any apartments around?” Her voice turned up as high as it would go at the end of her sentence, and her stomach sank right into her shoes.  _ Shit, shit, I shouldn’t have said anything--! I mean, he knows I’m new in town, but with no place to live, either? Red flag, red flag, stupid Tifa, stupid stupid stupid-- _

Barret chuckled, only furthering her embarrassment. “Where’re you from?” he asked.

“N-Nibelheim.” 

He whistled through his teeth. “That’s a ways.” 

An excruciating silence followed this, only punctuated by the arguments of the soap opera and the occasional sip from the only other customer.  _ Why, why did I even mention that?!  _ Tifa screamed at herself, her throat beginning to burn.  _ Who’s even going to give a job to someone who doesn’t even have a place to live? Given what I’ve seen around here, maybe it’s not unusual...but that wouldn’t fly back home. You’d get thrown out instantly.  _

At last, Barret spoke. “How are you with kids?” he asked.

_ What?  _ “Uh, I did some babysitting back home…” she answered. 

He made no attempt to acknowledge her, for Barret had already stepped out from behind the counter and squared himself in front of a dark staircase.  _ “Marlene!”  _ he called, voice echoing so loud that the other customer’s shoulders jerked. 

“Coming, Daddy!” 

He bent down to his knees as a young girl in a pink jumper bounded down the stairs, her brown bob bouncing against her shoulders. Her arms opened up wide, and Barret caught her, lifting her up and perching her on his shoulder. Immediately upon seeing Tifa, her eyes grew wide and she waved. “Hi!” she greeted.

Her smile was infectious, and Tifa couldn’t help but return it. “Hi there,” she replied. “I’m Tifa.”

“Nice to meet you, Tifa!” Marlene’s voice was bright and a touch piercing, but charming all the same, and her toothy grin was enough to grant a kiss on the cheek from Barret.  _ She can’t be any more than five. What a sweetheart… _

“This place used to be an inn years ago,” Barret said, adjusting Marlene on his shoulder. “There’s two rooms upstairs, and one in the basement. The basement’s for me, and she gets one, leaving one room free.” He cleared his throat. “It’ll cut your pay a bit, but if you keep an eye on my girl, the extra room’s all yours.”

“Really?” Tifa blurted. 

“Daddy,” Marlene said, cupping her hand around his ear, but still speaking loud enough to be heard. “Does that mean Tifa’s going to be my new babysitter?” 

“Only if she says so.” Barret winked over at her. 

Tifa’s smile lingered on her face long enough for it to ache watching the two of them.  _ It’s like his whole demeanor shifted once Marlene showed up. Something a little softer.  _ “I guess it’s settled, then,” she replied. “I’ll take it.” 

“Yay!” Marlene squirmed in Barret’s arms, prompting him to ease her down. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she scurried over to Tifa’s side, hugging her knees. “I hope we can be good friends!”

_ Again, making friends two seconds upon meeting them. Must be my lucky day.  _ “Me too,” she replied, kneeling down to her level. She noticed even “Vinny” had turned on his barstool to witness the moment, although his expression was impossible to determine. 

“When can you start?” Barret asked. 

“Tomorrow,” Tifa replied. “I’ve still got to settle things back at home…”

“Fair enough.” The door opened behind them and a couple walked in, prompting Marlene to whisk out of the way behind the counter, completely obscured by it. Barret followed suit, strolling back and bringing out a napkin and a marker, scrawling down on it. “Here’s my number, in case you have any questions,” he said.

“Sure thing,” Tifa replied, taking the napkin and folding it up into a neat square before slipping it into her jacket pocket. “Thank you so much--!”

“Don’t mention it.” He nodded, a furrow returning to his brow. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah…!” Tifa began walking backwards, a bounce in her step, until she was almost to the door. “Hey, is there a corner store around here?” 

“Couple blocks down on 5th, place that sells beer and cigarettes.” Before he turned back to the wall of glasses behind him, she could see the ghost of a smirk on his face. “Guessing you need one or the other.”

_ Well...he’s got a point.  _ “Thanks.” 

The door clattered shut behind her, and she scooted over to the wall, sighing heavily and holding her hand out in front of her. It quivered, no matter how hard she tried to keep it still. “Jesus,” Tifa muttered, shoving it back into her pocket.  _ This way more excitement than I was hoping for,  _ she thought, half skipping down around the alley and back onto the main street.  _ A job and a place to live all in one go, this must be some kind of miracle…! Not to mention a couple friendly faces.  _

_ (“See you soon, Tifa!”)  _

Aerith’s voice rang in her ears once again.  _ Yeah, once I get settled, I’ll stop by again.  _ She bit her lip, staring up at the plate in thought.  _ I wonder...if I should let Cloud know. I don’t want him to think I’m here to babysit him. I  _ know  _ he can do this on his own.  _

_ But, I wonder if he knows that, too.  _

Tifa shook her head.  _ I’ll just play it cool when I call him, no big deal. Right now, I just need to find that store, grab a cigarette, drive home, and start packing… _

She chuckled to herself.  _ Who knew I was going to be starting a new life here as well?  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I were that lucky moving into the city. Aerith can be a bit of a miracle worker with her connections. Tifa successfully survived her gay moment back there, but she's got a big storm coming in the future. Don't know how much more we'll see of Barret in the future, but he's there! I'm sure you can guess who "Vinny" is--for the record, he's wearing the exact outfit he sports in FF7. He's just a set-piece in this work for now. I put more effort than I probably needed to into analyzing the worth of gil--Tifa is making barely minimum wage here, but full time and under the table. 
> 
> Next chapter, we catch up with Zack and the rest of the 1sts!


	4. Rehearsal (I)

“Okay, guys, you’re free to go!”

Zack stared proudly at his crew, most of them doubled over and panting as they shuffled out of the track, Cloud in the back of the line. “Nice work, Cloud!” he exclaimed, ruffling his spiky blonde hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

He glanced up and smiled, as much as he could manage. “Yeah--! Wait, you’re not coming down to dinner with us?” he asked, coughing into his hand.

“Nah, I gotta run,” he replied. “Things to do, people to see, places to go, all that jazz.”

Cloud chuckled. “Yeah...as a 1st, you’re probably...pretty busy.”

 _You could...say that, I guess,_ he thought. “It’s not so bad,” Zack chose to reply. The rest of the group had already almost vanished out of sight, so he pushed Cloud ahead of him. “Go on, follow the others, or you’ll get lost--!”

Cloud stumbled forward, and with a half-hearted wave, disappeared along with the rest. Zack, in the meantime, took the opposite door, heading back to the locker room.

“How’d that song go again?” he muttered to himself as he stripped his uniform. _“I’ll never know, I’ll never care, I’ll never believe my people, I’ll tell you what I say…”_ He hummed the melody wordlessly, pulling his wrinkled plaid shirt around his shoulders and immediately rolling the sleeves up. Yanking his guitar case out, he scanned the inside of his locker--a spare uniform, his sword standing tall in the back, a mirror, a picture of him and Aerith taped to the door, a sweatshirt, and a baseball hat. After a second’s hesitation, he swiped the hat and mashed it backwards on his head, checking himself out in the mirror. “I’m cool,” he muttered.

He slung his guitar case over his shoulder, slammed the locker shut, spun the combination, jogged down the hall. _Not like I need to know the lyrics that well anyway, it’s Sephiroth singing._ He slid past the elevator, scuttling backwards to slam the down arrow, and bounced on his toes as he waited. _It’s his band, after all. He has the final say. Which is why I’m still not official yet._ The door slid open, revealing a couple people in pristine, black suits, and he ducked into the back of the elevator, hitting “3” as he went. _I’ve got this. I’ve got this, I know the riff, I’ll be--_

“Zack Fair.” The voice jolted him out of his thoughts, light in pitch but sharp in tone. “SOLDIER, recently promoted 1st-class. Why aren’t you in uniform?”

He stood as tall as he could while being backed up as far against the elevator walls as possible. “Well, you know, it’s shift change, and I just got done--”

The person with wavy, reddish hair turned on one heel, smirking. “I’m teasing you,” she said, her warm eyes dancing with amusement. Her companion did not choose to acknowledge either of them. “How have you been, Zack?”

“Cissnei!” Zack barked out a laugh out of relief. _One of the Turks, a for-hire intelligence agency that Shinra absorbed recently. They know everything, whether you want them to or not._  “Jeez, I’ve been fine, but you sure had me going for a sec…”

“It’s important to always be on alert,” she replied, crossing her arms over her neatly arranged tie. “How’s Aerith? You two still doing well?”

“Oh yeah, totally! We make the most of what we have, y’know?”

Cissnei smiled with a small nod. “That’s good.”

The elevator rang for the 10th floor, and she began to step out. “We should get drinks sometime,” she said. “See you.”

“Bye!” Zack saluted her as the doors closed. _I think she says that every time we see each other, and it...never happens. Isn’t that how it goes?_

 _Ping!_ The 3rd floor arrived, and as he could squeeze through the doors, he could hear the erratic cacophony of the drum kit through the walls. _They’re already warming up,_ he thought, a grin on his face as the hollow cement walls echoed his footsteps. _Man, I’m pumped, I’m pumped!_

It was easy to simply follow the sound through the hallway, through to a door with a gridded glass window, only seeing vague shapes inside. Zack burst inside with little hesitation, slamming the door behind him. “Hey! Am I late?” he asked.

“Right on time,” Angeal said, seated behind the jet black drum kit. He rattled his sticks against the snare, sitting forward on the stool.

 _Angeal on drums, solid as ever._ He walked up through where a couple metal folding chairs were set up, and unloaded his guitar case, unzipping it to reveal the sky blue Telecaster inside. _Hey there, honey._ He threw the strap over his shoulder, pulling the pick nestled in between the strings and popping it into his mouth. “Plug into the same amp as last time?” he asked, reeling out an auxiliary cord.

“Over here.” The bassist in a red leather jacket and feathery brown hair jerked his head over beside him, before turning back to his own amp. _That’s Genesis. He doesn’t really say much, and he’s always buried in some book. Angeal says they grew up together._

“Thanks.” Zack plugged into the second amp, nestled right beside the drum kit, and let the cord string out as far as it would go, right to the mic stands. “There’s that--whoops!”

He fell back into the last member of the band, who spun around, long silver hair wrapped in a pony tail. “Watch it,” he grumbled, readjusting his black guitar around his shoulder. _And then there’s Sephiroth._ “I hope you’ve memorized the tune by now.”

“Sure did,” Zack replied, edging the volume knob up on his guitar. It hummed with fuzzy feedback until he muted the strings with his palm, stepping back.

“Play the riff,” he commanded. His electric, blue green eyes pierced down at Zack’s guitar, lip curled in contempt.

“Jeez, jeez, okay.” Zack steadied his hands over the fretboard, taking the pick out of his mouth. Behind him, Angeal sighed loud enough to hear over the static of the amps. _Sure, I get it, he’s picky about it, but give me a break…!_ Zack breathed out and began to play the short riff of the first--several picked notes, a slide up, and a hammer on. It was out of time at first, but after the next few times over, it fell into rhythm.

Sephiroth nodded as he played, positioning his own hands over his guitar, and mimicked the riff, picking up the speed just slightly. Zack followed suit, rocking left and right on his feet the more he played. _This isn’t so bad. It’s never that bad._ The tinny tap of the high hat rang out in time with both of them, Angeal watching as he kept time. “So?” he said, eyeing both of the guitarists through the cymbals. “Are we ready?”

“Yeah,” Sephiroth replied, eyes shooting over. “Gen.”

“Yup.” He finally turned around, twisting the volume on his bass and walking over in front of the drums. The rhythm he played was simpler than the guitarists, but laid a deep foundation, in lock time with Angeal. _They barely even have to look at each other,_ Zack marveled as Sephiroth passed him, making his way over to the mic, front and center. _They just...feel it._

_That’s awesome._

“One…” Sephiroth’s voice boomed through the pre-amp. “Two...one, two, three…”

On “four”, Angeal cracked his stick over the snare, and Genesis snapped the string he was on before muting it, letting a split hair of silence ring through the room. In the time, Sephiroth took a deep breath, and began to sing: _“Oh, you...it’s for you._

 _“Only you, it’s for you._   
_I’ll never know, I’ll never care, I’ll never believe my people, I’ll tell you what I say._ _  
_ I’ll never lie, I’ll never try, I’ll never cry for you people, I’ll push you, push you away…”

The more he sung, the deeper he sunk into the music, and more importantly, the less he watched Zack. He took the opportunity to wander around him, careful not to step on any of the cords littered on the floor, letting his hands settle into a rhythm. _Yeah, yeah, this is what I came here to do._ He caught Angeal’s eye, only for a split second, and he winked at him through the kit, sending a surge of confidence through him. Zack felt a burst of laughter bubble up inside him, and he struggled to keep it down, muting it through his face.

 _“Yes you lonely people, keep on begging--”_ Sephiroth shuffled around the mic so he could still sing, while facing Zack behind him. _“--beg for more…!”_

 _The chorus--!_ He slid his fretting hand up and down the board while Angeal played a fill, and focused on Sephiroth’s hands, making sure he mimicked them properly. _I remember it, I just want to be sure, especially since now he wants to watch._ The first chord was on, and so was the second, and the third, as Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and sang:

 _“And I’ll cry for you, yes I’ll die for you,_   
_Pain in my heart it is real._   
_And I’ll tell you now how I feel inside,_ _  
_ Feel in my heart it’s for you…”

He brought the neck of his guitar up on the last word, and brought it down in time for the top of the bar, relapsing into the riff from the verse. With a nod, he turned fully back to the mic and continued to play, leaving Zack to shuffle back to him, lifting his pick hand up to give a quick thumbs up to the rhythm section. _I got it!_ Angeal smirked, while Genesis shook his head, beginning to wander back to his amp. _This song isn’t that hard, after all. I’ve been practicing it at home with the tape they gave me. There are some other things on there that sound a_ lot _more complicated, but stuff like this I can handle._

The song flowed along until the end of the second chorus, where Zack found himself playing the rhythm riff by himself. Sephiroth cranked the volume on his guitar and began to solo, running his fingers over the higher end of the fretboard. “Nice!” Zack exclaimed aloud despite himself. _He hasn’t soloed the last couple times I’ve been here._ He took little notice of him, his bangs falling into his face while he focused down at his guitar.

Zack switched to the chord progression to back him up, and his eye caught a chain with a single, black feather hanging off it on the headstock. _A feather…_ He whipped his neck to Angeal, who had a set of feathers hanging off the bass drum--both white with black at the tip. Genesis also had a black feather hanging from his bass headstock. _Wonder what that’s all about. I never noticed it before…_

Before he had a chance to think anymore about it, Sephiroth was already at the mic, flying out of his solo and right into the outro riff. _Shit--!_ Zack fumbled on the fretboard for a second, quickly muting himself so he could get his bearings. Ducking out of Sephiroth’s line of sight, he chose to analyze Genesis’ fretboard, catching up within the bar. _Whew. Please don’t notice that._ But, much to his relief, Sephiroth kept his back to him through the end of the song:

 _“And I’ll lie for you as I die for you,_   
_Pain in my heart it is real;_   
_And I’ll tell you now how I feel inside,_ _  
_ Fuck you, it’s for you.”

Angeal hit a cymbal to signal the end of the song, and only the hum of amps filled the air while Sephiroth turned on a heel to address the group. “Not bad,” Angeal said. “I don’t think we’ve done it the whole way through with Zack here.”

“It could be tighter,” Sephiroth sighed, while Genesis walked back to his amp, flipping the next page of his book. “I still don’t know how I feel about this set-up. It feels too busy.”

“Seph--” Angeal started.

He ignored him, fixated on Zack. “It’s a good thing you’re good at picking up slack when you drop,” he said, eyebrow twitching. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

“Y-yeah, well,” Zack said, swallowing. “I’m good on my feet. Listen, I really have been practicing--”

“Not enough, if you missed the outro,” he scoffed, flicking his head to move his bangs out of his face. “How am I going to know you can carry your weight when we actually rehearse original tunes?”

“I _can_ do it!” Zack exclaimed, gesturing with his hands and twanging against his guitar. “Will you just _relax?”_

“Don’t tell me to relax! This is _my_ band, and it’s going to be _exactly_ how I want it!” Sephiroth was almost in Zack’s face, close enough for him to smell cigarettes on his breath, and a strange floral scent around him before he jerked away. He proceeded to pace around the drum kit, muttering under his breath.

“Seph, give it a rest,” Angeal sighed, crossing his arms. “You--”

“We were doing _fine_ without another guitar player!” Sephiroth interrupted. “We all know each other’s style, we don’t need...an _outsider_ coming in and--”

 _“Sephiroth.”_ Genesis’ voice cut through his tantrum, without even turning around.

He straightened up immediately, eyes wide. _That sure shut him up,_ Zack thought, also staring at Genesis. His shoulders heaved up and down from a sigh, but still didn’t face the group. “Weren’t you complaining the other day about how ‘December’ didn’t sound full enough?”

Sephiroth bit his lip. “Maybe.”

“Or how it’d be great to have someone who actually wanted to harmonize with you?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So? Zack is right here.” He had clicked off the amp and was noodling on the fretboard, as indicated by the low slap of strings. “He’s picking things up really fast, and I hear he can sing, too. I don’t see the problem.”

Sephiroth clicked his tongue. “But--”

“But _nothing.”_ His voice was just as stern and flat as before. “Stop being a dick and get over yourself for once. We could use a fresh face anyway.”

Sephiroth opened his mouth, then shut it again with a pout forming on his lower lip. _Shut fucking down,_ Zack thought in awe, looking between Angeal (who was hiding amusement under his hand), and Genesis, who had _still_ not moved away from the amp or addressed the group. “W-well,” Sephiroth started, his nose wrinkling. “Fine. You’re in.” He unplugged his guitar with a screech of feedback, leaned it up against his amp, and fished a lighter out of his jean’s pocket. “I’m going to have a smoke…”

He stormed out of the room, ponytail swinging behind him, and he slammed the door, rattling it on its hinges. “Uh…” Zack uttered. “Holy shit…”

“Don’t worry about him,” Angeal said, shaking his head. “His ego is the size of this whole fucking city. He’s just afraid of you stealing the spotlight.”

“What, me?” Zack barked laughter. “I’m just a scruffy country boy. I’m not the one who looks like he was plucked from fuckin’ N’SYNC. Jesus, that hair…”

“He washes it with three different kinds of conditioner,” Genesis added, turning his head just enough for Zack to see him smirk. “Truly prettier than the rest of us.”

“Yeah,” Zack agreed. “Hey, man...thanks for having my back there. I really don’t mean to kinda... _intrude_ on your crew--”

“Don’t...even worry about that,” Angeal interrupted. “He’s just talking out his ass like usual. Isn’t that right, Gen?”

Unfortunately, he was still pouring over his book. _“Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess…”_ he muttered, then jerked up to address Angeal. “Hm?”

He chuckled. “Nothing.” He tapped each of the drum heads with his sticks. “Once Princess gets back, we can run that one again--”

The door burst open. “I heard that,” Sephiroth grumbled, tossing his ponytail back over his shoulder, looking only mildly irritated. He barely looked at Zack as he resituated his guitar, scrambling for the cord.

“What, did you eat the cigarette, or what?” Angeal commented, invoking a startled choke from Genesis.

 _“You_ shut up,” Sephiroth groaned, pointing to him, then whirled around and pointed to Zack. “And _you…_ ”

He paused. Zack raised an eyebrow and pushed his neck out. “Yeah…?”

“Don’t fuck up,” he said finally, then strummed a chord. “All right, let’s do it again…”

* * *

 

Zack readjusted his hat, wiping sweat from his brow. “Damn, my fingers are going to be stiff tomorrow,” he said as he stretched his fretting hand.

“You’ll build up callouses,” Sephiroth said, doing the same. “Soon enough, you won’t feel anything.”

“Hey,” Angeal said, pointing to the door. “Isn’t that your girlfriend?”

“Huh?” He whipped around to see a shrouded figure in the window, but he recognized the high ponytail and the scrunchie. “Oh, Aerith--!”

He almost tripped over several wires on the ground before he thought to take off his guitar, leaning it up against Sephiroth’s amp before making his way over to the door. Zack threw it open with a huge grin, arms open. “Babe!” he greeted.

Aerith wiggled her fingers in a wave. “Hey,” she replied, kissing his cheek. “How’s everything going?”

“Great!” He slipped an arm around her shoulder and guided her in. “Guys, this is my girlfriend, Aerith.”

All three of the others nodded, with Angeal giving a salute with his stick as he stood up and stretched. “Guess this is as good of a time as any to stop,” he grunted, arms high above his head.

“Already?” Sephiroth said, pulling his pager out of his back pocket. “Shit, it’s 8 already…”

“I hope you boys are being nice to Zack,” Aerith said, eyeing Sephiroth in particular. He challenged her look for only a moment before returning his attention to packing up his guitar. “He’s just a puppy, after all.”

“Really, babe…?” Zack whispered through his teeth, staring at the ceiling. _That connotation is just going to follow me everywhere, isn’t it…? When she calls me that, it’s cute, but--_

“He sure is, you’ve got that right,” Angeal remarked. “You should’ve seen him when he was just a 3rd-class.” He winked over at him. “So much energy…”

“I believe it--!” she said, bumping her hip against Zack’s.

He sighed, ran a hand down Aerith’s back, then made his way back to his guitar, unplugging it from the amp. _Oh, well._ “So, for next time, we’ll polish up that one, and maybe work on ‘December’…?” Sephiroth suggested.

“That one’s a bit complicated,” Genesis replied, picking up his book and holding it in front of his face as he walked his bass over to its case. The cover read “LOVELESS” in large, capital letters across the front, as well as a silhouette of a woman in white. “What about ‘Come As You Are’?”

Sephiroth scoffed. “You just want the bass riff,” he said, latching his guitar case open. It was lined with soft, bright pink faux fur. “Fine, we can do that.” As he laid it carefully down into its place, he spared a glance over to Zack. “You heard those?”

“Uh, not that first one,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck. It tilted his hat up, and he mashed it back down. “But I’ve heard ‘Come As You Are’ on the radio--”

“Angeal,” Sephiroth commanded, nearly clipping Zack at the knees when he lifted his hardcase up. “Get him a tape with the songs we’re working on.”

“Sure thing.”

“We play Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Weekends if necessary.” Sephiroth flicked his hair back. “Same time, same place. The gear stays here, so you can come down and practice while we’re not here.”

“You can just leave it?” Aerith asked. She had backed against the far wall, arms crossed. “No one wanders in and steals stuff?”

“This is Shinra,” Genesis mumbled, managing to put everything away with one hand. “Chock full of military personnel, _and_ chemically engineered military personnel. I don’t think that’s a fight the average person wants to take.”

An uncomfortable silence settled around them as Zack readjusted his guitar case on his shoulder. _That’s one of the “perks” of SOLDIER--getting mako injections at each rank to increase your strength. No one really tells you what it is, but the fact that I ran the training group ragged today while I barely broke a sweat should say something._

“I’m heading out,” Sephiroth grunted after he adjusted his jacket. “I’ll get hell if I don’t stop by and see Kadaj before the night’s out…”

“Your biggest fan?” Angeal remarked with a chuckle. “Good luck.”

He swatted the air in semblance of a wave and rushed out, the door clicking behind him. “Seph’s got three kid cousins, for all intents and purposes, and they practically worship him,” Angeal clarified. “1st-class and cool band leader, you know. He pretends to be annoyed, but it’s just another ego stroke.”

“Huh,” Zack said. _Another piece of the puzzle._ “Well, we should get going, too. Ready, babe?”

“I’ve been waiting on you,” Aerith said, pushing herself off the wall with her back. “Good night, boys.”

“Yeah, see ya!” Zack echoed.

“Take care, you two,” Angeal said, situating his jacket.

For once, Genesis decided to look up from LOVELESS and acknowledge them. “Bye,” he said simply.

Aerith snaked her arm around Zack’s as soon as they cleared the practice room door. “They seem like a crew,” she commented. “So it’s Angeal, Sephiroth, and--”

“Genesis,” Zack finished for her. “They’re...all right. They don’t know me that well, ‘cept for Angeal, so it’ll take some time.”

“Well, at least you sound good together.” They rounded the corner, and Zack guided her down the back stairway, leading straight into the parking garage. “I was listening a bit before you noticed me.”

“Really? Thanks!”

“I’ve always wanted to hear you with a group.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before they got to his motorcycle. “Sunflower, could you go under the plate home?”

“Why?” He mounted the bike and wheeled it out of the parking space beside her. “Don’t you want to see the last of the sun?”

“You drive too fast,” Aerith huffed. She walked around to swing her leg over the seat, then hesitated as her dress fluttered at her legs. “Oh, _shit_ , I didn’t change, either--!”

Zack’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as his eyes wandered through the front of her dress. It was a simple floral pattern _(it looks like my mom’s couch,_ he mused), but it fit her petite frame snug through her waist, billowing out at her knees. _I can’t wait to get my hands under there…_ “Just...er, tuck it around your legs?” he suggested.

She rolled her eyes and held her dress against her backside, throwing her leg over the back of the seat and sliding right up against Zack’s back. “All right, I’m all set,” she said, tucking the center of the dress under her thighs. She slipped her arms around his waist and muttered up into his ear. “Let’s ride.”

“Oh, _honey.”_ He revved the bike and peeled out of the parking garage, taking the downward slopes into the slums rather than the ramp above the plate. The bike hummed loud, echoing against the plate and the buildings as he rumbled through side streets, between alleys. “So, how’d your day go?” he asked her, patting her thigh.

“Pretty good,” she replied. “I met a cute girl at the shop today. She was looking for work, so I gave her a couple tips.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “She didn’t come back during the day, though…”

“Aw, that’s a shame,” Zack replied.

“It is! She was so pretty, and she had the cutest voice…”

“Do I have competition?” he teased, turning around the corner. He stuck his tongue out at her in the side mirror, and she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t call it that,” she replied, pinching his stomach. “Anyway, how were the new guys?”

“Good, I gave ‘em a good workout.” Zack took a sharp turn into the alley of their apartment, cutting the engine to roll it into its usual spot. “Oh, you remember that kid I met at initiation? Cloud Strife?”

“Kind of?” She whirled off the back of the bike, immediately handing his guitar case back over to him.

“Blonde hair, all spiky, pale with blue eyes…” Cloud’s face was clear in Zack’s mind, but he struggled to describe him, snapping his fingers as he reached for his keys. _She never saw him, so that makes it harder._ “He was from way outside the city, he’s from the countryside like me--”

Her eyes widened, nearly glowing in the florescent light from around the stairway. _“Oh,_ him! Yeah, I remember, now! The chocobo!”

Zack burst into laughter as he unlocked their door. “Yeah, yeah! The chocobo!” He snapped the light on and walked backwards in order to talk straight to Aerith’s face. “He’s in my prep program! You’ll have to meet him sometime when you stop by!”

“Oh, yeah?” She tossed her purse back along where he had laid his guitar case, right on the couch.

“He’s such a sweetheart,” Zack continued, resting his arms on her shoulders. His energy danced them in small circle beside the coffee table. “I really want to take him under my wing, you know, get him right up to 1st-class, like Angeal did for me. He’s got a real good heart, and I--”

“Listen to you--!” she giggled, squeezing his middle. “Does this mean _I_ have competition, too?”

“What?” Zack exclaimed. “Aw, c’mon--h-hey!” Before he had a chance to think too much,

_(bright blue eyes shining up at him like beacons)_

_(“Zack!”)_

she yanked him down by his shoulders, peppering his face with kisses. _You always keep me on my toes, sunflower._ He found himself giggling as she edged him around the couch, toward the bedroom. _That’s why I love you._

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” she commented, poking his cheek. “Will you kiss me?”

“Absolutely.” Zack’s smile lingered on his lips as he bent down to kiss her, once, and then again and again as they backed into the bedroom. _Absolutely._

* * *

 

_Ring...ring…_

Cloud twisted the cord of the barrack’s telephone in his fingers, head against the wall. _Pick up, pick up,_ he thought to himself, blocking the chatter of the other soldiers out of his mind. _Tell me to call you when I’m done, and don’t even pick up. It’s been a couple hours, even--_

As soon as he finished the thought, the line crackled. _“Hello?”_ Tifa’s voice was out of breath, as if she had ran to the phone.

He sighed and swallowed, toe tapping on the inside of his socks. “H-hey, it’s me.”

_“Cloud--! Sorry, I just got home. How was everything?”_

“Good.” His twisting on the phone line became more frantic, and he pressed the receiver harder against his ear. “Um...I’m pretty tired.”

_“Yeah, I can imagine.”_

A pause on the line. _I’ve never been that good on the phone,_ Cloud thought, hearing the feedback of his breathing on the line. _I’d rather write a letter, so I can organize what I want to say. Or just...be there._

 _“So…”_ Tifa said slowly. _“Did you meet any new people?”_

“K-kinda,” he replied, staring back at the bunks. Several sets were jammed together, and most of the other infantrymen were talking among themselves across beds. “I didn’t recognize anyone from my division.”

_“Oh, really? That’s too bad--”_

“O-oh, wait--!” he exclaimed suddenly, jerking his head up from the wall. “I did know someone! Zack!”

_“Zack…?”_

“He was a 2nd-class back in training, but he’s 1st now! H-he’s my…” _Friend? Well, I guess...he is._ The thought made him smile, and he bit it back. “He’s like my commanding officer. He’s helping train us for SOLDIER.”

_“Oh, that’s cool!”_

“Yeah. He’s really cool.” His speech grew faster and bounced the more he spoke. “We were running for an hour, and he didn’t even get tired. He kept with my pace during drills and made sure we were all doing okay. I think most of the people here are from Midgar, so having someone from the countryside was nice. I think he said he was from Gongaga--”

_“Cloud.”_

He stopped himself short--he had garnered some attention from a couple soldiers on the closest side, and he closed himself back into the wall. “S-sorry,” he mumbled.

 _“No, it’s okay,”_ Tifa assured. _“I’m glad there’s someone there you can talk to. You know, being away from home and all--”_

“It’s fine,” he said, pulling on the back of his hair around his neck. “I’ll be okay.”

_“I know.”_

Cloud yawned, leaving another space in the conversation. _I wonder what we’ll be doing tomorrow. Zack said to wear workout clothes instead of our uniforms, so probably more endurance training. “Hey, what’s the number there?”_ Tifa asked. _“I want to get it down.”_

“Oh, uh…” He squinted at the scrawled printer paper taped just above the phone. “493-555-9717. The extension’s 39.”

 _“9...7...1...7...extension...39,”_ she repeated. _“Got it.”_

“It...goes right here, so just ask for me,” Cloud said. “If...you need me.”

 _“Yeah.”_ A clatter could be heard over the line. _“Well, I’ll let you go. You probably need to rest up, anyway.”_

“All right.”

_“I’ll call you again during the week, okay?”_

“...’Kay.”

_“...Good night, Cloud.”_

“Night.” _Good night, Tifa._ He kept the phone pressed against his face until the dial tone pierced his ears. Reluctantly, he hung it up and shuffled around to the second bunk from the end, throwing himself on the creaky mattress.

_(“You’ll be fine, Cloud.”)_

_(“Hell yeah! I’ve got your back.”)_

Cloud blinked his eyes closed and wrapped himself in the thin sheet, even as light filtered in from the far door. _I can do it, I can do it._

_Tifa…_

_...and Zack._

_I can do it._

He let their voices in his mind’s eye lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st-class SOLDIER shenanigans are always fun to witness. In this world, there aren't any real antagonists, so Sephiroth is just a guy with pretty hair and an ego to match. And maybe the beginnings of a god complex. This is really showcasing the mixing of worlds I'm doing here...hopefully it's not too distracting! Today's rehearsal song is ["You" by Candlebox.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCtga1OJ9I4) Aerith loves to tease, but she's also very perceptive. Very, very perceptive...
> 
> Also showing the signs of crushes pretty early on, but we'll let them simmer for a while. According to my notes, we're going to hang out with Zack and Cloud next chapter!
> 
> EDIT 4/22: Changed the in progress song that Genesis talks about. While I love "Your New Aesthetic" by Jimmy Eat World, and the album it's from was released in 1999, I think it carries too much of a 00's alt-rock sound to be appropriate. So, they'll work on "December" by Collective Soul instead. I'm always serious about the music involved with these works!


	5. Visits

Cloud wasn’t accustomed to seeing Zack out of uniform--he had dressed like the rest of the group in just a t-shirt and shorts, dog tags hanging from his neck--but it made him feel at ease, especially combined with how he continued to carry conversation. “...So then, I go out to the post, and there’s this kid, she can’t be more than 15, and she goes up to me like ‘Stand back! I’m not afraid of you!’” Zack laughed and ripped off another bite of his sandwich. “She friggin’ jabbed at me with a wooden sword, so I pretended to go down, all dramatic.”

“Oh my God,” Cloud replied, munching on a chip. “That sounds wild…”

“It was fun, she was feisty.” Zack peered over at Cloud’s tray, then took the extra sandwich he had piled on his and moved it over to Cloud’s. “You need to eat, bud.”

“Huh? N-no, I’m okay,” he insisted, staring at his mostly empty tray. “I’m not really that hungry anyway…”

“Dude, you’re going to waste away! Eat!” Zack lifted up the sandwich he’d laid on his tray and shoved it up into his face, standing up to lean over the tray. “You look like a chocobo, and you eat like one too…”

“Okay, okay--!” Cloud swiped the sandwich from Zack’s hand and nibbled at it, feeling his ears burn red. _Chocobo, like those birds people raise for racing. I’ve only seen them a few times._ He blinked up to see Zack leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and a lazy smirk on his face. _I’ve never had a nickname like that before…_

“I can’t have you passing out when we’re doing drills,” Zack said, digging into his food again. “I’m still running you guys pretty hard.”

Cloud nodded, taking another small bite, so much that it was nearly entirely bread. _That’s for sure. My legs are starting to ache in the morning before we’ve even done anything. The others complain about it all the time, but they’re so much faster, too. At least he stays behind with me._

“Mm!” he exclaimed, sitting back up. “You got a pen on you? Nah, probably not. I’ll be right back.”

He scooted out and jogged over several tables over, where a group of Turks were having their lunches. _He’s always...so nice to me,_ Cloud thought, watching him chat with them, his whole body animating gesturing as he spoke. _Maybe it’s just because he knows me from before, but I don’t see him really hang out with the others he’s training._ He bit his lip. _Guess I’m lucky._

“Okay!” Zack plopped back into his seat and clicked the pen he had retrieved, scrawling down something on a scrap piece of notebook paper. “Here, I wanted to give you my number. I don’t stay overnight here that often, since I’m living with my girlfriend. So, just in case you run into any trouble.”

He spun the paper around and slid it over to Cloud--Zack’s hand was thin and angled, and he had put an exclamation point after his name. “Th-thanks,” he said. _There are two numbers here…_ “What’s the other one for?”

“Oh, that’s my pager. It’ll just go to a voicemail, but in case it’s an emergency and I don’t pick up at home.” He unhooked it from his belt and wiggled it before putting it back. “All SOLDIER 2nd and up have one.”

“Cool.” He smoothed out the paper and let his hands fall into his lap under the table, fingers twisting together. “Ah, I’m not that great on the phone, just...so you know…”

“Aw, don’t worry about that,” Zack assured, running his hand back through his dark hair. “I can do most of the talking if you want.”

Cloud nodded, a low chuckle in his throat. “A-all right.” _His number, and his pager._ He looked up at him, a smile on his face that he couldn’t repress. “Thanks, really.”

Zack returned it tenfold, and it nearly blinded him. “Don’t mention it,” he replied, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “We’re friends, yeah?”

_He’s really touchy…_ “Y-yeah…!” Cloud could feel the heat on his face, and hope Zack didn’t take much notice. “I just, well, you’re 1st-class and everything, and I d-didn’t--”

“Really, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to be so shy.” Zack pushed his tray away, completely empty, and stretched his arms up. “Say, do you want to come sit in on band practice?”

Cloud stared, blue eyes wide. “You’re in a band?” he asked, mouth dropped open.

“Yeah, I play guitar!” Zack winked as he stood up, spinning his empty tray on one finger. “It’s me and a few other 1sts. I’m sure you’ve heard of Sephiroth, it’s his band.”

_Sephiroth…! He was the 1st recruiting when I signed on. I didn’t even realize he was stationed here._ Zack wandered off to put his tray away, and Cloud followed suit, even though the sandwich was only half eaten. “Yeah. I didn’t know he played guitar too…”

“He’s better than I am. He can do all that solo stuff.” Zack mimicked a guitar with his hands and chuckled. “So, what’ll it be? You coming?”

“S-sure! If it’s okay…”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Zack assured, lacing his hands behind his head as he walked. “If Seph makes a fuss, I’ll vouch for you.”

Cloud nodded, his heart rising up to his throat. _This is too good to be true. I get to sit in on a 1st-class band practice and see him play._ Some of the others noticed Zack leaving and followed them out of the cafeteria, but Cloud stayed close to his side, matching their footsteps in time. _I really...thought I was going to be all alone here._

_Looks like I lucked out._

* * *

 

Aerith adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she rounded the alley that was home to 7th Heaven. _Let’s see if she ended up getting the job,_ she thought, smiling to herself as she yanked open the door. _I can’t see why she wouldn’t, and I’ve got time to kill while Zack’s at rehearsal._

_And look, there she is…!_

The bar was quiet, per usual for a Wednesday afternoon, with a couple patrons at the far side, a huge gap at the center, and the ragged regular in his usual seat, hunched over his drink. To her delight, Tifa was behind the counter, measuring liquor carefully in a glass. The door opening immediately drew her attention, and her hands jerked, spilling a little on her wrists. “Hi!” Aerith greeted cheerfully, skipping right over to the counter.

“O-oh, hey--!” Tifa said, easing the glasses down behind the counter where she couldn’t see. “J-just...give me a minute, I’m trying to make something…”

“Sure, sure.” She scooted into the seat right beside the regular. Dipping her head to try and peek beneath his sheath of hair, she flashed a grin. “How are you, Vincent?”

“Mrph.” He grumbled and nodded.

“You know him, too?” Tifa asked, finally setting a glass on the counter and sliding it over to him. “Here, try this.”

Vincent passed his current drink (nearly untouched) and tried the new one, taking a tentative sip. His eyes flicked up, and Aerith watched as Tifa gripped the counter when he met hers. “Better,” he grunted. “I’ll keep this one.”

Tifa sighed with relief. “Oh, thank God.” Her entire body slumped as she leaned on the counter closer to Aerith. “Fifth time’s the charm, huh?”

Vincent said nothing, choosing to brood over his cocktail. Tifa shrugged and rested her hands on her hips. “So, what brings you over here?” she asked.

“I wanted to see how you made out!” Aerith exclaimed, elbows on the bar. “It looks like you got hired, anyway. You didn’t come visit again, so I got worried.”

“Oh!” Her eyes darted as her face flushed a shade of pink. “Yeah--well, obviously.” She flicked her bangs with her head and smoothed them right back into place with one hand. _Cute._ “Barret let me stay in the room upstairs too, so I got that squared away, too.”

“Oh, good! Where is he, anyway?”

“He’s up with Marlene--er, his daughter.”

Aerith giggled. “Marlene’s a sweetheart. I’ve met her once or twice.”

Tifa’s lip twitched up into a smirk. “You know everyone, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh! I’ve lived in this city my whole life. You get to know everyone.”

“But...Midgar’s pretty big…”

“Well, all the important people, anyway.”

Aerith took a moment to let the silence sink in around them, keeping her emerald eyes directly on Tifa. She didn’t take the bait, shuffling away precisely a second after her gaze fell on her and wandered to the sink. _It’s been awhile since I’ve had this effect on someone,_ she thought, eyes falling on a boombox perched between two liquor bottles. _Not since Zack, in fact. He did charm me, but...I charmed him as well._ She stared at the ceiling to hide her smile. _Ah…_

_“It was a blue letter she wrote to me…”_

The song from the radio cut through her thoughts. _“Silver words she told, wanna be…”_ she murmured, then leaned forward. “Hey, is that Fleetwood Mac?”

“Huh?” Tifa spun on her heel, blinking. “Uh, it’s just the radio…”

“No, the song.” Aerith listened more carefully, analyzing the rhythm section and the guitars backing. _Yeah, it definitely is._ “I just love the band, that’s all.”

“Want me to turn it up?” Tifa asked.

Vincent grumbled, low enough that only she could hear him. _Maybe not._ “No, no, it’s okay.”

With a tug down of her t-shirt, she made her way back over to her, even though it rode back up right around her midriff as soon as she moved. “I was tired of the TV, and this station is the only one he’ll let me put on.”

Aerith nodded, unable to take her eyes off her face. _Her features are so soft, all around. I’ve never seen eyes that color before, that shade of brown. They’re warm._ “What do you like to listen to?” she asked.

“I like pop stuff, mostly,” she replied. “And hip-hop, too--”

“Hey, lady!” One of the customers called from the other side of the bar. “Gimme another beer, will ya?”

Her eyes flicked from Aerith, then back over to them. “Yeah, I’m coming--!” She bounded over to the other end, grabbing a mug on the way to the tap. With a stretch, she wrenched her attention away from Tifa over to the TV squinting at the tiny timestamp on the bottom corner. _How long will it take to walk over to Shinra from here? I should get going soon…_

_But, I want to stay and chat with her more._

“Say, lady, how much did ya pay for that rack?” The voice was rowdy and echoed, perking not only Aerith up, but Vincent as well. _Oh, no._

_“Watch it,_ or I’ll have the owner kick you out.”

Tifa hustled back to Aerith, arms crossed over her chest. “Gotta start getting used to _that,”_ she muttered, a scowl etched on her lips. “As if I didn’t get it enough from grown men when I was a teenager…”

“Gross,” Aerith said, making a face. “No matter where you go, there are always catcallers. The best way to deal with them is just not to give them the time of day.”

Tifa nodded. “Right. B-bet you’ve...had to deal with that...a lot, huh?”

Aerith raised an eyebrow. _Funny, she has an accent that comes out when she’s fumbling. Didn’t she say she was from the country?_ Amused, she tried to push. “Because I’m pretty?”

“Well, y-yeah,” she replied, fussing with her bangs once again. “You are…”

With a giggle, Aerith shifted in her seat, her legs swinging below the stool. “Thank you, sweetie.” The endearment fell out of her mouth before she realized it. _Too strong, too strong._ Nonetheless, Tifa smiled back, and although it was nervous, it was still genuine. “It’s tough, but I’ve managed.”

“Tifa!” Barret thundered down from the stairs around the corner. “Go on and take a break--oh, if it isn’t the flower girl!”

She wiggled her hand in a wave at him. “Hey there,” she said. “I thought I’d stop by and check on your newest employee.”

“Oh, so you’re friends with Tifa, already?” Barret chuckled. “Course you are, you’re friends with everyone. Can I get you anything? Tifa, why didn’t you offer her a drink?”

“I--I was, I just--” She floundered as Barret barked with laughter, and made a vain attempt to disappear in with the liquor bottles on the back wall. _Poor Tifa._

“No worries, I was getting ready to head out,” Aerith said, winking at her. “I’m meeting up with my boyfriend on his way home from work.”

“Ohh,” Barret said with a nod. “You still with that SOLDIER kid? Fair, or something--”

“Zack, yeah,” she corrected. “He just got promoted to 1st-class, too. He’s a keeper.” She kept Tifa in the corner of her eye as she recovered, her face still several shades of red. “Tifa?”

“Hm?” she squeaked, eyes wide.

Aerith flashed Tifa her brightest smile, along with a wave. “It’s good to see you! I’ll stop by again sometime.”

“O-okay…!” She waved back, but it was somewhat delayed, as if she were in a dream. “See you, Aerith.”

She spun around on the barstool and nearly skipped out, swapping her purse to her opposite shoulder as she bounced out the door. _What a cutie,_ she thought to herself, smiling up to the plate above. _I think I’ll have to make this a regular part of my day._

_For now, it’s time to catch up with my hot-shot sunflower…_

* * *

 

Truth be told, the _real_ reason Aerith never had any trouble with Shinra security, was that she knew about a back passage under the plate. It was by the smoking area, and while there was almost always someone in uniform having a drag, they never gave her any trouble. Today, it was a 2nd-class, just flicking his lighter. “Excuse me!” she chirped, whisking by him.

“Hey,” he said, smoke billowing from his mouth. “You have permission to get in this way?”

She struggled not to breathe it in as she replied. “I’m here to see my boyfriend, Zack Fair, 1st-class.” She waved, one foot in the door. “It’s okay!”

As soon as she was inside, she gasped for air, briskly making her way to the stairwell. _I’m glad Zack stopped smoking,_ she mused as she climbed the stairs to the 3rd floor. _It makes me sneeze and feel awful. Plus, all his things smelled so smokey, and I had to force him to throw out shirts that were yellowed with it._

The band could be heard easily from the outside, and after a moment trying to peer in, she opened the door very, very slowly, slipping in without making a sound. It wouldn’t have made a difference--the distortion from the amps and clatter from the drums was significantly louder than her entrance, so much that none of them looked up when she entered. Genesis, Sephiroth, and Zack were all turned toward Angeal’s drums as if in a trance, with Sephiroth soloing smoothly in the foreground. _Must just be having a little jam,_ she thought. She went to take a seat in one of the folding chairs, but found one of them surprisingly occupied. _Who might this be?_

She took the seat beside the blonde man, utterly absorbed in the music they were playing. _Spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, really pale. This must be the chocobo Zack was going on about._ She followed his gaze, unable to pick out who he was watching the most. _I bet…_ She scooted her chair a little closer to him, close enough for her to whisper into his ear. “Who’s your favorite?” she asked.

_“Gh!”_ Cloud jumped nearly a foot in the air, startled so much that Aerith could see his pupils dilate as he whipped around to her. “A-ah, you scared me, ma’am…”

_Do I look old enough to be a “ma’am”?_ Nonetheless, she smiled at him, noting the angles around his cheeks and chin. “I’m sorry--! I thought you might’ve noticed…”

“No, ma’am,” he said, eyes avoiding hers and focusing on the group, still playing to themselves. “I was just...watchin’, and I didn’t see you--”

“You don’t have to call me that,” she interrupted. “Just call me Aerith.”

“Oh--! Y-yes, m--” He cut himself off, huffing and staring down at his hands, which fidgeted in his lap. _That’s two people I’ve flustered today,_ she mused. _I must be on a roll. This seems to be for a different reason, though._ “S-sorry. I’m Cloud, third division, in the SOLDIER pilot.”

_So formal...and shy. But, he’s definitely the one._ “Don’t worry,” she tried to assure. “You know, you sound a lot like my boyfriend did when I first met him. That cute drawl.”

Cloud scratched the back of his head, pouting a little bit. “I wouldn’t call it cute, ma’am.” He froze. “A-Aerith.”

She giggled and shook her head, looking back up to the band. They had wandered around--Sephiroth stepping back to the mic to sing, Genesis with his back against him, and Zack on the far end, still focused on his guitar. Sephiroth noticed her first, eyeing her before singing again:

_“When I say that I don’t have a gun,_   
_No, I don’t have a gun,_ _  
No, I don’t have a gun…”_

He repeated the lyric a few more times, before turning back around, mimicking the bass riff, and finishing off with a long chord that vibrated along with Angeal’s cymbal roll. “Nice!” Zack exclaimed, his fingers sliding on the fretboard audible through the amp. “We should do more jams like that!”

“Maybe,” Sephiroth said. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind it…”

Aerith clapped, catching the attention of the rest of the group. “Oh, hey, sweetie!” Zack called, waving. “When’d you get here? Oh, Cloud, that’s my girlfriend--”

“He knows,” she interrupted with a smirk. “We were chatting while you were playing.” She poked her own cheek with a finger. “He really does look like a chocobo. The hair does it.”

“Right?” Zack agreed, unplugging his guitar. “Aw, but you shouldn’t tease him too much…”

Cloud had slid down in his seat, arms crossed and determined not to make eye contact with anyone. _I can tell._ “I’m fine,” he insisted, despite his very red ears. “I’m just not...used to the attention…”

_“Anyway,”_ Sephiroth proclaimed loudly, scowling at the peanut gallery. “That's enough for today. We’ll do more of the same next time.”

“Sounds good!” Zack’s guitar was already packed up, saddled on his back as he stood tall in front of Cloud and Aerith. “What'd you think? Was I cool, or what?”

“You were cool!” Cloud answered immediately. _It's like he doesn't see anyone else when he looks at him,_ Aerith mused as Cloud smiled up at Zack. _Hm…_

“Thanks!” he beamed, holding a hand out to Aerith. “I already know you think I'm cool.”

“Are you sure?” she replied, taking it and immediately lacing her fingers around his hand that dwarfed hers. “I don't know if ‘cool’ is the right word.”

“Well, I'm cool enough to be your boyfriend.” He flashed a grin, it's brightness rivaling the fluorescents in the harsh, cement room. _Mm, it's hard to say no to that smile. It's the one I fell in love with…_

“Yo, Zack.” Angeal rose from the kit, circling behind him. “If there's anything you’d want to play, just bring it in and we’ll give it a listen.”

“We don't need anymore covers,” Sephiroth grumbled, zipping up his leather jacket covered in chains and belts.

_“I_ still think we should work on LOVELESS,” Genesis said. “A concept album based on this work would be a big hit--”

“How about we wait to solidify more tunes before we go into that,” Angeal sighed. He ducked his head down to shake it, only visible to her and Zack. _Ah, band politics. This'll make life more interesting._

“Sure, I'll think on it,” Zack replied with a nod, then glanced behind him. “Cloud?”

Cloud had managed to sneak all the way to the door before he was noticed. “O-oh, I was just...going to head back to the barracks,” he replied, with a thin lipped smile.

“Heading back already?” Zack rushed over to him, Aerith in tow, and put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from going out the door. _As if he weren’t stopped already,_ she remarked to herself. “Why don’t you come hang out with us for a while? Come over to our place!”

“Sweetie,” Aerith said, squeezing his hand. “I don’t know if our place is ready for company. Plus we don’t have any food.”

“We have food at the house!” Zack shook Cloud a little, and the latter didn’t seem to know quite what to do with himself because of it.

“Do you call canned sauce and instant ramen ‘real food’?”

“Would you _please_ take your domestic concerns _outside,”_ Sephiroth groaned.

“Fine, fine.” Zack shuffled the two of them outside, hands on their backs. “See you guys, Friday.”

“I-I don’t mind, if that’s all you have…” Cloud muttered, jumping a little as the door slammed behind them. “The cafeteria food here isn’t exactly gourmet either.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Zack insisted. “We can order pizza from that place over in Sector 4, large cheese for 600 gil, I’ll even pick it up!”

“Okay, hot shot,” Aerith teased, wrapping her arm around his waist. “I’m guessing you didn’t bring the bike.”

“No, I walked. Why?”

“Because then this would be _really_ fun.”

It took him a moment, but then he laughed. “Oh, yeah.” Zack had lead them to the elevator, finally taking his arm off Cloud’s back to hit the call button. “Say, you know how to ride, Cloud?”

“Ah…” He scuffed his foot against the cement floor. “I used to ride dirt bikes back home, so kinda--”

“Nice, nice.” The door opened, and they shuffled in. “Barracks are on 35, right? I always forget.”

Cloud nodded as he hit the button. “We’ll let the 2nd know you’re coming home with me, shouldn’t be a problem. Who do you got up there?”

“Er...I think his name was Luxiere?”

“Oh, that guy! Yeah, we were in the same division for a while. He’s a good guy.”

Aerith nestled herself in the crook of Zack’s arm as they spoke, biting back the smirk on her lips. _Cloud is starstruck. There’s no other way to put it, look at how big his eyes are when he looks up at him. And he’s being_ really _chatty. More than usual._

“...But yeah, this’ll be fun,” Zack said, kissing Aerith’s head and breaking her out of her thoughts. “Haven’t had company in a while. We’ll have pizza, play some video games, maybe watch a movie...it’ll be great!”

Cloud nodded enthusiastically, and when the elevator reached its destination, he nearly leaped out of it, already en route to the barracks. “See, even Cloud’s excited,” Zack chuckled, reaching down to lace his hand with Aerith’s. “What do you think, babe?”

“I think it’ll be fun,” she replied, standing on her toes. He replied with meeting her halfway, a kiss on her lips. _I’m excited too,_ she mused. _We’ll see where this goes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's really gay, I don't make the rules. 
> 
> Please picture Sephiroth as the stunningly beautiful, yet stunningly disinterested face of SOLDIER. I had fun letting Aerith flirt with Tifa, and there's going to be a lot more of that in the future. Looks like Vincent is going to be sticking around as a staple of this bar. Since we're too early in time to give anyone my 00's era emo/alt-rock tastes (like Zelos from _Jumper_ ), I bestow my love of Fleetwood Mac onto Aerith. The song on the radio in the bar is ["Blue Letter"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Ddl52hbaM). Like they mentioned last chapter, the band is jamming over ["Come As You Are" by Nirvana.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqN0ZOEO9oI) Cloud's just a shy country boy, and Zack and Aerith are a lot to handle for him--he only barely manages with Zack because he admires him so much.
> 
> If anyone's interested, there is a [meta blog](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com) running for this fic--I brainstorm ideas, write flashes, and generally have fun. Feel free to keep an eye on it!
> 
> Next chapter, we'll hang out at Zack and Aerith's apartment!


	6. A Night In

The trio clambered into the apartment--Zack in the lead with the pizza box, followed shortly by Aerith, and finally Cloud with his hands in his windbreaker pockets. “Go on, make yourself at home,” Zack said, strolling back into the kitchen. “It isn’t much, but it’s something.”

“It’s okay,” Cloud mumbled, looking all around. The apartment showed its age, with the paint cracked on the walls and water marks on the ceiling, but every inch of it was covered with knick-knacks and personality. A couple glasses were out on the coffee table, along with a scattering of papers and a cassette player, headphones hanging off the edge. _It’s actually pretty cozy,_ Cloud thought, glancing back to the tired, green couch and the set of doorways. Between the kitchen and what he assumed to be the bedroom was a framed picture of Zack and Aerith against a lush, green field, covered with flowers. Both were grinning and giving a peace sign to the camera.

“Cloud, do you want something to drink?” Aerith asked at the refrigerator. A whiteboard marker was taped to the door, and scrawled in blue ink was “MILK!” with a huge scribbly underline underneath it. “We have...well, water, some flat soda, beer…”

“We have some juice mix, don’t we babe?” Zack asked, fishing out paper plates from the cupboard.

“I’ll, ah…” Cloud scuffed his feet, feeling glued in place. “I’ll just have whatever you guys are having…”

“Beer it is,” Aerith said, fishing out three cans, then turning to Zack, her ponytail swinging against her back. “I assume that’s what you want.”

“Sure,” Zack said, kissing her forehead. “Oy, Cloud! Take off your shoes, stay awhile!”

“R-right…!” Cloud scuffed off his boots at the door and eased himself down on the couch, the cushions so worn he nearly sunk down to the frame. _They’re the same type of people,_ Cloud mused, staring at his hands. _Easy-going, sunny, kind. It’s really nice…_

“Here you go, champ.” Zack handed a plate over the back of the couch with a pizza slice on it, the cheese melting off the sides. He whisked around and sat right smack in the middle of the couch, pushing Cloud over to the far side. “Ah, thanks…”

Aerith arranged the beer cans on the coffee table before sitting on the opposite side of Zack. “You always have to sit _right_ in the middle,” she complained, jabbing him. “Cloud has barely any room to sit!”

“He’s fine, look at all the room he has!” Zack gestured, then tugged at his shirt sleeve. “Just shove me over if I’m crowding you, okay?”

“Okay,” Cloud said.

Zack cracked open his beer and took a long drink. “Wanna see what’s on TV?” he said, sifting through the papers on the coffee table.

“Sure,” Aerith replied, manifesting the remote from inside the couch cushion.

“What? How’d you know it was there?”

“I put it there last night. Figure we’re always losing it in here, might as well keep it there on purpose.”

“Aren’t you clever,” Zack chuckled, nuzzling against her cheek, and Cloud smiled as he watched. _They’re...cute together._ He ignored the pang in his chest, choosing instead to muffle it with a bite of his pizza.

Aerith turned on the TV--the sound was audible, a pop, then a high, electronic whine before the picture came into focus. “Oh, God damn it, Zack, did you leave the Genesis on _again?”_

The screen was paused on a colorful, jungle-like background, with a blue hedgehog in the foreground, waiting patiently for a player. “I’m really stuck on this part!” he exclaimed, getting up and fishing for the controller in front of the TV. He stopped to put his hand on the console as well. “It’s not hot, it’ll be fine.”

“That can’t be good for it,” Aerith said, dubiously eyeing him as she sipped her beer.

“It’s fine! Sheesh!” He plopped back down, controller in one hand, and gestured with it to Cloud. “Do you play video games?” he asked.

“Huh? No, not really…” Cloud shifted in his seat. “There’s a place back home that has a bowling alley and arcade, but I was never any good.”

“Dude, you had an _arcade?”_ Zack whistled through his teeth. “Lucky you.”

“W-well, there were only two lanes for bowling,” he explained, staring at his pizza for comfort. “And there were only a couple arcade cabinets. I think the only one that worked was Asteroids...I usually played pinball…”

“I’m no good at pinball,” Zack said with a mouthful of food. “I keep--I get too twitchy on the flippers, then I lose it.”

“Remember that time,” Aerith interjected, a hand on his arm. “We went to the arcade in Sector 3? You were so _hell bent_ on that one machine--”

“Oh my _God,_ it ate my gil!” He tossed the controller into Cloud’s lap to free his hands, and he caught it clumsily. “I put in 50 gil, and just _gone._ I smacked it, pressed the coin return, nothing. I ended up putting another 50 in and _then_ it went through, and I just wanted to beat it.”

“You did though,” Aerith added with a grin.

“I did! I got, what...4th or 5th on the high score board? And we got a ton of tickets from it, too. I bought Aerith one of those giant stuffed animals--”

“Mm! I still have it! It’s in the bedroom…” Aerith jumped up and whisked herself off, skipping until she disappeared behind the door. “I think it’s in the closet…”

Cloud took a small drink of his beer, the bitter taste skating down his throat, and leaned over to Zack. “How long have you...been together?” he asked quietly.

“Hm? Year and a half, I think?” Zack replied. He stared at the ceiling as he thought, fluffing the back of his hair. “Something like that. It’s been a while.”

“That’s great,” Cloud said.

“Yeah.” Zack glanced back down to him and grinned, their sets of blue eyes meeting. “She’s...really great.”

His smile was infectious, as Cloud caught it too, although it reflected, as the moon reflects the light of the sun. _She’s lucky,_ he thought, while they held eye contact for longer than necessary. _She’s lucky to be with someone like you…_

“Found it!” Aerith called, darting back out. She had to carry the stuffed animal in both arms, and its yellow, fluffy body nearly dwarfed her. “It’s a chocobo!”

Zack finally looked away from him, craning his head all the way back on the couch. “Hah! That’s what you get for a thousand tickets!” he exclaimed.

“It was _two_ thousand!” Aerith replied, spinning with it in her arms.

“Still!” Zack looked back and forth between the plush and Cloud. “I swear, the resemblance is _uncanny.”_

In the middle of another swig of beer, Cloud elbowed him. “Hey…!” he protested.

Zack jabbed him back, going as far as to grab him around the shoulders and rub his head with his knuckles. “I only speak the truth, buddy!”

 _“Zack!”_ Cloud swatted at him, but his efforts to break free were half-hearted at best. In his struggle, he caught a mix of cucumber melon and aftershave--a combination that rushed straight to Cloud’s head. _Or, maybe it’s just the alcohol. It’s still nice._

“You weirdos!” Aerith teased, yanking Zack off Cloud and into her lap. “Boys can never play nice, can they?”

“Aw, c’mon…” Zack whined, his legs kicking up as he fell back, and he pouted up at her. “We’re just-- _ah, ah! Hey!”_

Immediately, her hands dove to his stomach, tickling him until he squirmed upright, holding his middle. “Too bad _I_ don’t play nice either,” Aerith said with a wicked grin.

“Terrible!” Zack said in a hushed voice, then kissed her cheek. “Absolutely terrible.” He kissed the other, still carefully guarding his stomach.

“Thank you,” she replied, tapping his nose. “Now, are you going to finish whatever level you’re on, or what?”

“Oh, yeah!” He patted the couch, eyes scanning all around. “Now, where the hell did I toss that controller…”

“Right here.” Cloud held it up by the cord, dangling just in front of his face to hide his grin.

Zack grabbed it, tossing it in the air and catching it with one hand. “Thanks, man,” he said, leaning forward and gripping it. “All right, Sonic, let’s go…”

He unpaused the game, and made the hedgehog run forward through a couple loops, then down a steep decline, picking up massive speed all the way through. “Oh, I visited the girl I met the other day,” Aerith said, curling her knees up to her chest. “She ended up getting work at 7th Heaven.”

“Nice,” Zack said, the TV screen reflecting in his eyes. “That’ll be fun for her. The vampire still skulking around there?”

“Don’t call him that,” Aerith snapped. “But, yeah, he’s still there.”

“Vampire?” Cloud asked.

“Oh, just this guy,” she explained. “Vincent been a regular at that bar for years, kinda rough looking, and he never gets up from that one seat. I think he’s just been through a lot. He’s always nice to me.”

“Who wouldn’t be nice to you, babe?” Zack said. “You were the girl who sold flowers from a cart in the slums. Always with a smile, I bet.”

She giggled, squeezing his thigh. “You give me too much credit,” she said, then sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees, hands clasped together. “She was really cute…”

“You’ve mentioned that,” Zack said, then leaned over to mutter in Cloud’s ear. “Aerith loves pretty girls.” The moment that he broke his focus, however, he sent the blue hedgehog straight into an enemy, rings spewing everywhere. “Oh, _c’mon!”_

“I do!” She rocked back and forth on the couch. “I think I could sway her, too. She seems like the type to be gay and not even realize it.”

 _Oh._ Cloud’s mouth suddenly felt very, very dry. “Really…” he murmured.

Aerith leaned forward. “I hope I’m not weirding you out, Cloud,” she said, a smirk on her lips. “I understand it’s not everyday you hear someone talk about winning over another girl with her boyfriend.”

“Er…” Cloud managed to utter. _I guess that’s true..._

“I just think that love shouldn’t have any limits,” she continued. She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and began to loosely braid it. “Who knows, though, it might just be wishful thinking…”

“I think you could charm anyone,” Zack said, pausing minutely to kiss her temple. “You charmed the hell out of me.”

“I did. But you’re easy, sunflower,” she replied. When she ran out of hair to braid, she skimmed her fingers through it, undoing each wave carefully. “Anyway, it’d be nice to have another friend around. Even if she doesn’t want to kiss me.”

“That’s the spirit,” Zack said, idly. On the TV, Sonic blazed past a signpost, spinning it until it showed his likeness. “Bam, there we go, finally!”

Cloud’s fingers itched, and he found himself reaching into his pockets. _Right, they’re in my windbreaker._ His eyes flickered across the room. _No ashtray. Must have to go outside._ “Uh, I-I’m going to go have a smoke real quick,” he said, standing up and strolling to where his brightly colored windbreaker lie in a heap. “Just...outside?”

“Yeah,” Zack said. “Hey, I’ll come with you. That alley ain’t fun alone.”

He fished out a lighter and his pack, shoving it into his pockets. “Y-you don’t have to,” Cloud insisted. The beer in his stomach prevented him from protesting further, especially when Zack’s passing pat on his shoulder heightened the fuzzy sensation from it.

“C’mon,” he said simply, leading the way out of the apartment. “You can go ahead and do the next level if you want, babe.”

The controller was already in her hands. “Are you _sure_ you want to give me that privilege?” she said. “Okay…”

Zack led Cloud back up the stairs and out into the alley, a wind shooting through the narrow passage and sending goosebumps across his bare arms. _Should’ve just brought the jacket. Isn’t is summer? It should be warmer than this._ He pulled out the pack as Zack leaned against the building, crossing his arms, and offered it to him. “Hm?” Zack said. “Nah, not for me. I’d get hooked again in the first drag.”

Cloud pulled out a cigarette for himself, shaking a little as he flicked the lighter. “You used to smoke?” he asked.

“Yeah. It was easy to pick up. Everyone smokes where I’m from. I’m sure it’s the same for you, in Nibelheim.” He sighed and rolled his fingers against his arms. “That apartment isn’t really smoking friendly, basement and all. Aerith gets sick from the smoke, so...I gave it up.”

“Huh.” Cloud nodded slowly, taking a long drag. The smoke filled his lungs, and he held it in until he felt light-headed, then let it all out, smoke snaking out of his nose and mouth. _I wonder if I could give it up. I can usually make a pack go pretty far...although this is my second one for the week, since I’ve been so strung out lately._

“I ain’t gonna judge you for it,” Zack said, a twang coming out in his voice. “But I know I feel a hell of a lot better now that I’ve stopped. I think the mako screws with it too, so when you get to SOLDIER, you’ll have to be careful of that.”

“Right.” Cloud dropped his hand from his mouth down to his side, the cigarette glowing faintly in the eerie dark of the alley. _Mako is supposed to make you stronger, all SOLDIER have it._ A trickle of smoke escaped from his nose. _“When” I get to SOLDIER, he said…_

“You’ll do all right, don’t worry too much,” Zack assured, shifting his weight on his feet. “Hell, Sephiroth’s _the_ poster boy, best of all of us, and he’s into all sorts of shit like that.”

 _“What?_ Really?”

“Can’t say for myself, just what my friend Angeal tells me.” He winked at him. “Now that I’m in the band, I might be able to experience that for myself.”

“Yeah.” Cloud took another drag, the cigarette steadily burning down to the filter. “He seems really cool…”

“Eh? I guess,” Zack replied. “He’s something, that’s for sure. Tough as hell, prettiest 1st-class this side of Midgar.” Cloud snickered at this. “What, I’m serious! Have you seen his eyelashes? God…”

Cloud shook his head

_(I’d give anything to look that pretty)_

and flicked the cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his foot. “Hey...does it bug you? When Aerith talks like that?” Cloud asked quietly.

“Like what?”

“Um...about other girls.”

“Oh, _that._ Nah, not really.” He reached and scratched the back of his neck under his hair. “I mean, as long as she’s got a place for me in her heart, and lets me know what’s going on, that’s all that matters.” Zack gave him a lazy smile, eyes wandering over him. “You all set?”

“Oh, yeah.” Cloud coughed the extra bit of smoke left in him, swallowing hard. “L-let’s go back in.”

“Cool.”

Cloud clutched the pack in his pocket as he followed Zack back down into the apartment, eyes fixed on his feet. _I haven’t...told anyone about_ me, _ever,_ he thought. “Hey, how’d you do?” Zack asked as soon as they entered.

Aerith shrugged big and pointed to the screen. “Oh, what? Game over? Baby…”

“Sorry, sweetie. Maybe now we can turn the poor thing off?”

“I guess so…”

Cloud continued to wander back into the kitchen, toward the corner with the trashcan, beside a sink filled with dishes. _I’d probably get kicked out of Shinra if I mentioned it, anyway. But...if she likes girls, and he’s okay with it, then maybe…_ He pulled out the now crumpled pack of cigarettes, staring at them as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. _Maybe I’ll have a safe place here. With them. With him._

_(don’t get your hopes up,_

_he’s got a girlfriend, and why would he have his sights on you?)_

“Cloud?”

“Be right there.” He sighed through his teeth. _It’ll be all right. I can deal with it._ He unclenched his hand and let the pack drop unceremoniously into the trash. _What he doesn’t know...won’t hurt him._

When he came back into the living room, Zack was flicking through channels on the TV. “Want to watch a movie or something?” he asked. “We don’t have cable, but we have a few videos down under there--”

Cloud was already on his way to take his seat beside Zack, somehow sitting closer than he was before they both got up. “Whatever is fine,” he replied. He yawned wide and sunk back into the couch’s worn cushions.

“Hey, hey,” Aerith said, pulling Zack’s hand with the remote away from the TV. “I forgot this was on tonight…”

“What, you want to watch The X Files? Babe…”

“What?”

“Remember last time…”

“That’s only because it was a marathon, and it was midnight before we went to bed…”

“I just don’t want you to have nightmares.”

Their voices and the ones of the TV melded together as Cloud’s eyes grew heavier and heavier. _I don’t mind what we watch. Just being around them...is good enough. It reminds me of_

_(sitting on opposite ends of the couch at the beginning of the night, chip bags and soda cans strewn between us as the VCR started up, straining the TV that’s already 20 years old)_

_being_

_(by the end the static woke me up, and we were half asleep on each other’s laps. “Ti?”_

_“Mmn?” She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Ah, sorry…”_

_“It’s...okay.”)_

_home._

He closed his eyes as Zack and Aerith’s voices hung around him. “So, when are those two gonna get it on?” “Probably when Scully actually believes in the paranormal.” “So...never?” “We can only hope, sweetie.”

* * *

 

Zack yawned and stretched his arms out. “Shit, it’s gotten late. We gotta get--” He stopped just as he looked beside him. “Oh…”

“Hm?” Aerith peered beside him. “Oh…”

Cloud had managed to nestle himself right in the crook of Zack’s arm, and was sound asleep with his arms crossed around his chest. “You are a good pillow, dear,” Aerith teased, poking his stomach.

He chuckled. “I guess maybe.” _I’d hate to wake him up,_ he thought, watching his chest rise and fall, his face absent of worry or anxiety. _Kid looks like he doesn’t get enough sleep as it is._ “I’ll just...let the recliner out.”

With a grunt, he leaned Cloud back against the other side so he could wriggle free, and tiptoed around the couch, pulling the lever on the outside arm. Creaking, the footrest sprung up right beneath his legs, jerking them at the same time. Cloud only readjusted in his sleep, groaning as he curled up against the armrest. “There you go, bud,” Zack muttered, bending over with his hands on his knees.

As he lingered, his eye caught an earring on his ear--a silver wolf, with a ring in its mouth. _Huh. Never noticed that before._ He reached out, almost to touch it--

“Sunflower?”

He flinched, stopping halfway. “Yeah?” he said, tilting his head to the side.

“You coming?”

“Yup.” He stood up fully, just as she snapped the light off, flooding the living room with darkness. Zack let his eyes adjust before beginning to walk backwards. “Sleep well,” he whispered, smiling to himself before retiring to the bedroom. _Sleep well, Cloud._

* * *

 

If it weren’t for Cloud’s internal clock, he might not have woken up without the break of daylight in his eyes, for the mild light from the tiny windows didn’t give much begin with. Nonetheless, he crinkled his whole face and blinked blearily at his surroundings. _Ah, I really fell asleep. Christ, I’m so stiff…_

He tried to stand up, but tripped over the footrest--something that wasn’t there before. _Someone must have put it up for me,_ he thought as he tried to kick it back in. It unfurled back out as soon as he cleared the couch, and he waved his hand at it. _I wonder if it was Zack…_

Stumbling across the living room, he pushed open the door of the bathroom, shielding his eyes from the sudden light that assaulted his senses. _Just...I’ll wash my face, then maybe have a smoke…_ He hung his head over the sink and winced. _That’s right. I chucked all my cigarettes._ He cranked the faucet all the way, although the more he turned it, the water pressure didn’t increase. _Guess I’ll just try coffee then--_

When Cloud blinked back at the mirror, Zack’s soaking wet face popped up over the shower curtain behind him. “Morning!” he exclaimed.

 _“Shit!”_ he yelped, gasping as he whirled around, gripping the sink for stability. _Of course, the light was on--! Stupid, Cloud…_

“Good morning, Cloud!” Aerith shuffled the curtain just enough to poke her head through, also soaking wet with a sunny look. “How’d you sleep?”

“G-good…” The curtain was only a cloudy, translucent plastic, and if he looked hard enough, he could see the outlines of both of their bodies pressed against each other. He forced his eyes up to Zack’s face to be safe. “I-I...I-I didn’t--”

“Man, you were out like a _light,”_ Zack continued, slicking back his wet hair, all of the spikes gone out of it. “No use taking you back, then.”

“Oh, don’t keep the water running,” Aerith interjected, reaching out to point to the faucet. “It kills the water pressure.”

“A-ah, s-sorry,” Cloud stammered, fumbling to shut it off. “I’ll just...I was...ah--”

“Did you need to shower?” Zack asked. “We’ll be done in just a few minutes--”

“I-I’ll just...wait ‘til we get back on base.” His heart pounded in his chest as he tensed and unclenched his hands at his sides. “S-sorry…”

“No worries!”

Cloud shut the door tight behind him and leaned against it, with his hand over his mouth. _The light was on, of course someone would be in there--!_

_(Zack’s really strong)_

He waited for his breathing to relax before he pushed himself off the door with his back,

_(broad shoulders with a toned chest)_

wandering into the kitchen, past the refrigerator, right to the sink.

_(what would it be like to take a shower with him)_

Cloud ran the faucet, splashing ice cold water on his face, making him gasp.

_(hot wet pressed up against him like she was)_

_“Stop,”_ he sputtered to himself, wiping the water dripping from his mouth off his chin with his hand, then the rest of his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. _That’s the last thing I need to be thinking about all day…_

The bathroom door clattered open, and while Aerith disappeared quickly into the bedroom, Zack puttered around with a towel around his waist, peering around. “Oh, hey!” he said when he spotted him. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Hm?” His abs weren’t as chiseled as Cloud imagined, but they were still prominent, and it was trying to keep his eyes up if Zack’s weren’t such a clear shade of blue. Still, he hesitated on a mole just at his collarbone before he was able to reach his face.

“Did you want to take the bike with me over to base?” Zack asked.

Cloud swallowed. “Er…”

_(arms wrapped around him with the wind in your face)_

He shook his head slowly. “N-not today. Maybe...some other time.” _I’ll probably get sick, anyway, with my luck._ He bit his lip. _Someday, though…_

“All right, that’s cool,” he replied, snapping at him to end with a point. “Start getting ready then, because we’ll leave pretty soon.”

“Got it.” _Not that I’ve got much to do, considering I slept in my clothes._ As soon as Zack walked off, Cloud made his way back into the living room, slipping his windbreaker back on. Amongst the his shifting, he could hear muffled giggling behind the bedroom door, and he struggled to discern who it was coming from. _I thought I’d be able to tell from pitch, but now I’m not sure. He’s got a different cadence to it._

_Ah, listen to me. I thought I wasn’t going to get my hopes up._

He stared at the ceiling, shaking his head a little. _Well, at least I’m awake now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was tough to get going, but it came together the more I wrote. Aerith is pretty open about being bi and poly, whereas Cloud is...not. Setting up a tiny bit for something I want to explore in the future, can you guess what it might be? Cloud is really, _really_ pining for Zack, and trying super hard not to get his hopes up. He's definitely going to regret quitting smoking cold turkey, though. Zack just doesn't know any better right now. 
> 
> Let's see, I believe next chapter, we'll catch up with Tifa.


	7. Distance

_ Ring...ring...ring...ring...click. _

_ “Hi, this is Tifa. I can’t come to the phone right now, so please leave a message. Thanks!”  _

_ Beep.  _

Cloud breathed into the receiver for a moment, then hung up the phone, clattering in his ear. His shoulders heaved as he sighed.  _ I haven’t been able to get a hold of her at her house,  _ he thought, rubbing his temples.  _ She keeps trying to call while I’m out, and I miss it… _

“Strife! Roll call!” 

His head pounded at the barking shout. “Coming…!” he called back, staring at the phone.  _ Tifa…  _ he thought, backing up.  _ I hope you’re okay.  _

_ I want to hear from you soon… _

* * *

 

Tifa traced the phone cord along the edge of the wall, snapping it into the very loose plug in the corner of the room. “There,” she grunted, rocking back on her heels and standing up.  _ Now I have my own line. Hopefully since I’m right in the city now, the bill won’t be too expensive.  _ She glanced around the dark, wood paneled room. It was largely bare, save for the small bed, a nightstand, dresser, and a bulb with a frosted glass shade hanging from the ceiling.  _ I need to get a better bulb for that thing,  _ she mused, wandering directly underneath the dim light.  _ It’s barely 30 watts, I bet-- _

“Tifa!” Marlene poked her head through the door. “Whatcha doin’?”

Her bright, perky voice pushed a smile to Tifa’s face. “I’m just setting up my phone,” she replied. 

A red dog stuffed animal in tow, she toddled right over to her and hoisted herself on the bed, hugging the dog in both of her arms. “Oh,” she said. “Are you gonna call people?”

“Probably,” she replied.  _ I keep trying to call Cloud, but I forgot already when his breaks are, so I keep...missing him. I should just give him this number, but...that might complicate things.  _

“Like who?” Marlene asked, rocking back and forth. 

“Well, my dad back home,” she said. “And I have a few friends, too.”

“Who are your friends?” 

_ I forget, kids are always full of questions.  _ “One of them lives around here. He’s in the military.”

“Oh!” She squeezed the stuffed dog close to her chest. “Daddy doesn’t like the military. He says they’re a bunch of…” She paused, furrowing her brow as if to choose her words carefully. 

_ I can guess, judging from Barret. Granted, I’m not a big fan, either, but...  _ “It’s okay,” Tifa interrupted. “My friend Cloud is really nice. He stands up for the people he cares about, and he’s in the military, too. He wants to be SOLDIER.” 

Her head rested against the dog’s, thinking carefully. “He’s not mean?” Marlene inquired.

Tifa shook her head with a little smile. “Nope.”

Her big, brown eyes scanned the floor as she tilted her head to the side, her bobbed hair shifting with it. “That’s good,” she said simply.

_ (“Cloud!” The wind burned her cheeks as she stood at the edge of Mt. Nibel, her bright pink jacket barely enough to keep her small body warm. “Don’t follow me! Go home!” _

_ He shook his head vigorously. “I won’t let you go alone!”) _

“Yeah, it is--”

_ “Tifa!”  _ Barret’s voice echoed from downstairs.

_ “What?”  _ she yelled back, automatically standing up. 

“You’ve got a visitor!” 

Marlene gasped, jumping up as well. “A visitor!” she parroted, grabbing her hand. “I wanna see, I wanna see, too!” 

“Okay, okay!” Tifa giggled as Marlene dragged her out of the bedroom, down the pitch black stairwell and out the door, back into the main bar. Barret was stationed at the far side, simply nodding to the closest edge to them. Tifa followed his line of sight, all the way one seat from the edge, and she found Aerith, in a denim jacket and another floral top, waving with one hand. Her hair was braided all the way down her back, bright pink scrunchie holding her hair together, and a pink carnation was tucked behind her ear.  _ Aerith…!  _

“Flower lady!” Marlene exclaimed, running right to her side. 

“Hey, kiddo!” she replied. “Is Tifa being nice to you?”

“Uh-huh!” she said, swinging her whole body back and forth, the stuffed dog clutched tight against her. “Do you have any flowers today?”

“Sorry, I don’t.” She reached behind her ear for the carnation. “I only have this one, but you can have it.”

“Yay!” She spun it between her fingers before putting it behind her own ear, running behind the counter over to her father. “Daddy, look!”

“C’mere, lemme get a good look--!” He scooped her up into his arms, kissing her cheek. “That flower’s almost as pretty as you are.”

Marlene giggled in his arms, her face a bright pink, and Tifa watched from a distance, a smirk on her face.  _ They’re always so sweet together. He keeps saying that he can’t wait for me to be able to work by myself, so he can spend more time with her… _

“How’s it going, anyway?” 

Tifa jerked her head back to Aerith, clear that she had been watching her for more than just a moment. “N-not too bad,” she replied, walking just behind the counter to stand in front of Aerith. Glancing between the two empty seats beside her, she cocked her head. “Oh...Vincent isn’t here yet.”

“I’m sure he will be,” Aerith remarked. “You’ve gotten used to him, huh?”

“Er, I guess…”  _ Is not feeling terrified every time he opens his mouth qualify?  _ “I kinda have to.”

“Right.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I’m on my way to pick up Zack.” Behind Tifa, Marlene scooted past and bounded back up the stairs, and Aerith’s emerald green eyes followed her until she disappeared. “This is on the way, so I might as well. Hey, didn’t you say you had a friend in the military? Training for SOLDIER?”

“Yeah, I...do,” Tifa’s feet shifted, and she readjusted her bangs, twirling them once between her fingers before letting them fall back against the side of her cheek.

Aerith rested her chin in one hand. “What’s his name? My boyfriend doesn’t know  _ everyone,  _ but he’s training a pilot group right now, so he might have some idea.”

_ That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.  _ “Well…” Even though it was apparent that she wasn’t wearing any makeup, Aerith’s complexion glowed, even with the rare blemish or freckle dotting her face.  _ I...can’t  _ not  _ tell her.  _ She sighed. “His name’s Cloud. Cloud Stri--”

_ “Cloud?” _ Aerith leaned forward. “Blonde, skinny, blue eyes, really pale, really shy?”

_ Great.  _ “Y-yeah, that’s him.”

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, spinning a little in the barstool. “He’s in Zack’s group! Hell, he was just over to our place a few days ago. Small world, huh?”

“Y-yeah,” Tifa replied, her toes curling in her boots. “Listen, you--”

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell him. We can all get together and--”

_ “Don’t,”  _ Tifa snapped, adrenaline flooding her chest just as soon as Aerith’s expression dropped. “I-I...sorry, it’s just...I haven’t told him I’m here yet.”

“Why not?” 

“Well…see, I moved here  _ right after  _ he got stationed. I don’t...want him to think that...ah…”

“What, that you can’t trust him?” Aerith attempted to finish.

“No, no.”  _ It’s not a matter of trust. It never has been.  _ Tifa bit her lip.  _ Although, it might be now.  _ “Like...he’s trying to do this thing on his own, and if he knows I’m here, that I’ve been here from the start, well…”

“Hm, I think I get it,” Aerith said, scooting forward on the seat. “Still, you ought to just tell him.”

“I’m  _ going  _ to,” Tifa insisted with a small frown. “I’ve just...gotta find the right time. I keep missing him when I try and call.”

“Oh!” Aerith suddenly dug into her purse, fishing out a folded up piece of paper, sliding it over to her. “Before I forget, there’s my number,” she said. “But, you really should let him know. I don’t think he’ll be mad at you.”

Tifa stared at the paper, blinking at the phone number as she slowly reached for a napkin under the bar.  _ Her handwriting’s so loopy,  _ she thought, her fingers scanning for a pen. “I mean, I don’t think so either,” she replied, her voice trailing off.

As Tifa pulled out her pen, she was very aware of Aerith watching her every move--the way she held it, how she pulled at the napkin so that it wouldn’t wrinkle when she wrote. “You care about his feelings,” Aerith stated. 

“Of course I do,” she muttered, signing her name at the top of the napkin. “We’ve known each other for almost ten years.” She slid it over to her. “Th-that’s my number. I  _ think, _ I just set up a new line…” 

She grinned back at her, barely showing her teeth. “I didn’t even have to ask,” Aerith replied, taking the napkin between two fingers and tucking it into the breast pocket of her denim jacket.  _ I just kind of...gave it to her, didn’t I?  _ Tifa watched her eyes, and she swore Aerith winked at her, very, very slightly. “I’m guessing you and Cloud aren’t dating, or else you would’ve already mentioned it.”

“No, we’re not.” Despite the steadiness in her voice, she felt the anxiety rise to her face, heating her cheeks.  _ Not that I haven’t thought about it before.  _

_ (it crosses your mind every time he smiles, doesn’t it? _

_ Really smiles, not that half-assed excuse of a smirk… _

_ The one that fills his whole face, when once you’ve seen it, _

_ everything pales in comparison…) _

Aerith giggled. “Lucky me,” she muttered, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. 

“Wh...ah?” Tifa stammered, her heart slamming in her chest as she was jarred from her thoughts. 

“Nothing,” she replied, patting the bar. “I should go meet up with Zack.  _ You  _ should call your friend. And me, when you get a chance.” She scooted off the barstool, swinging her braid over her shoulder. “Later.”

“B-bye,” she said, watching her hips swing as she reached the door. She paused at it, turning her head to the side and down at the floor, then came rushing back to the bar, stopping herself with the counter. 

“Hey,” she said, most of the unabashed confidence absent from her face. “I’m not too much for you, am I?” 

_ Too much?  _ “N...no? What’s that supposed to mean?” Tifa asked.  _ She’s forward, sure...I’ve never been _

_ (flirted with) _

_ talked to like she talks to me before. But too much?  _ She found it hard to take her eyes off her face.  _ No, I don’t...think so.  _

“I don’t know,” Aerith replied, her posture relaxing. “I can’t help myself sometimes, that’s all. Okay!” She flashed another smile and bounded back out toward the exit. “Call me!” 

“S-sure--!”  _ I hope you’re ready to do a lot of talking,  _ she thought, but didn’t say,  _ because I’m not that great on the phone.  _

She watched as she flung open the door, running smack into Vincent as he entered the bar. Stepping out of the way, he held the door for her as she apologized and disappeared into the street. He towered over her--whether it was because he was so tall, or she was so short, Tifa couldn’t tell, but he sauntered to his usual spot, elbows on the table. “The usual?” Tifa asked.

He glanced up to her.  _ I don’t think his eyes are actually red,  _ she thought as she held her breath,  _ but they damn sure look it.  _ “What happened?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

“Huh?” 

He sighed. “You’re red.” 

_ Ah.  _ “It’s...nothing,” she dismissed, whipping her head to the other side of the bar. “Barret?”

“Yeah?” he replied, leaning against the taps.

“I...need to go make a phone call,” she said, vaguely gesturing to Vincent. “Can you…?”

“Sure, sure,” he said, picking up a couple bottles as he made his way over. “I’ll take care of ol’ Vinny, here. Make it quick, though.” 

Tifa nodded, jogging out from behind the counter and back up the stairs into her room. The paper with Aerith’s number was clutched in one hand, while the other was over her mouth.  _ My heart’s racing,  _ she thought, shutting the door behind her and racing to the bed, immediately picking up the phone. The dial tone buzzed in her ear as she held it on her shoulder, picking up a small address book beside her bed.  _ I’ll have to put this one in with the rest,  _ she thought as the paper fluttered beside her thigh.

_ (“Lucky me.”) _

She bit her lip and shook her head. Book in her lap, her finger rested on the second number on the page: 

_ Cloud - 493-555-2000 _ _   
_ __ _ 493-555-9717 ext. 39 _

Tifa’s thumb automatically tried to dial “2” after “5”, but she hesitated, repeating the numbers aloud. “Nine seven one seven…” she muttered. 

_ Ring… _

_ “You have reached Shinra Military. If you know your party’s extension--”  _

“Yes,” she said to herself, lifting the phone back off her face to dial. “Three...nine.”

The automated voice cut itself off to silence, then rang again.

_ Ring...ring...ring… _

Her knee bounced as she stared at the ceiling.  _ Don’t tell me I’ve missed you again,  _ she thought.  _ For Christ’s sake, we’re living in the same city, but it feels like we’re further apart than we ever were.  _ Her free hand tangled itself in the curled phone cord, twisting it around her fingers.  _ Come on… _

_ Ring...ring...ring… _

She was a half second away from hanging up when the line clicked.  _ “Shinra, division three,”  _ the deep voice answered. 

Tifa pursed her lips.  _ That’s not him.  _ “Hi, is Cloud there?” 

_ “Cloud?”  _

“Er, Cloud Strife.” Her hands balled around the cord, the plastic squeaking in her grip.  _ I don’t even know his title there. He never really told me. Probably because he doesn’t care, unless it’s SOLDIER.  _

_ “Uh…”  _ There was some chatter behind the voice.  _ “He’s probably out on drills right now. I can take a message?”  _

“Um…”  _ He doesn’t have this number yet, so even if he tried to call, no one would answer anyway.  _ “N-no, it’s okay. I’ll just...try again later.”

_ “All right. Try around 6.”  _

“Okay, thanks.”

The line clicked again, and Tifa slowly lowered the phone back to its receiver.  _ I’ll...try again. Later.  _ She picked up the paper, smoothing it out against the address book, placing it right under Cloud’s numbers.  _ Then...maybe I’ll try this one.  _

“Tifa!”

_ As soon as my break comes around.  _ “Coming!” 

She snapped the address book shut, tossing it back on the bed before heading back downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better way to create some space than with Aerith flirting with Tifa? Everyone here has a crush on someone, but heaven forbid they ever talk about it with them. Marlene is a sweetie. Notice how Aerith was pretty open and forward with Cloud about herself, but a hair tentative with Tifa--she actually has personal stake in this matter, with her. 
> 
> All right, _now_ next chapter we'll catch up with Cloud and his division. Thanks for reading!


	8. Face To Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains one (1) LGBT slur that is addressed as such.

_(“Yo, Cloud!”_

_Zack jogged up to his side. “So, when am I going to take you out for a spin?” he asked. “Shame they keep you here to mix with the other standards on the weekends.”_

A ride with Zack. _“Well, it’s not for the whole day,” Cloud replied. Zack’s bright eyes and equally bright smile were blinding, and he had to avert his eyes. “I signed up for morning duty, so I get off around 3…”_

_“Not bad,” he said. “I can pick you up after that, we can tool around.” He put an arm around his shoulder and gestured out with his free hand. “There’s a lot of open road once you get past Midgar, and not just desert, either.” He squeezed his shoulder before letting him go. “I just love the wind in my face when I ride, don’t you?”_

I’ve never...really ridden a bike like that. I never got a chance. _“Yeah,” he agreed anyway._ To get a chance with you, that’d be...that’d be awesome. _He smiled to himself--)_

“Hello...earth to Strife…”

Cloud shook his head, sitting up in his cot to one of the other infantrymen, stocky with ginger hair, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. “Maybe that’s why they call you ‘Cloud’,” he remarked, crossing his arms. “Your head’s always up there.”

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. A couple of others were behind him, but most of the small division were in their own bunks, chattering among themselves. “Sorry,” Cloud mumbled. _Most everyone’s pretty okay here,_ he thought as he stared down at his scratchy linen sheets. _But this guy’s pretty rash…_

He snickered at him, wrinkling his nose. “So, like I was sayin’, we’re going out to 7th Heaven tonight to grab some beers and girls,” he said. “You comin’?”

“Well, I…” _I’d really rather not,_ he thought as his tongue curled back in his mouth. _I guess if Zack came with us, maybe, but it’s probably just going to be noisy and crowded, and I don’t want to get drunk or get a date anyway…_

“What, come on!” he insisted, jabbing his shoulder. “Don’t be a faggot, man--”

_“What was that?”_

Zack’s voice echoed sharp through the doorway, eyes narrowed as he surveyed the group. “Who said that?” he asked again. The entire barrack had gone dead silent, and even Cloud held his breath as he walked through, making eye contact with every other soldier in the room.

“S-sir…!” The offender stood as straight as he could, shoulders back, but a twitch in his eyes.

Zack whirled on him, easily a head taller, hands on his hips. “You treat your fellow soldiers with _respect,_ you hear me?” he said, voice sharper than a knife.

“Y-yeah,” the infantryman chuckled nervously. “I-I was just--”

_“I don’t wanna hear it.”_

Cloud held his arms, elbows in his hands as he watched the scene unfold. _I’ve...never seen him like this before,_ he thought, desperately trying to breathe normally to quell the anxiety building in his chest. _I guess you don’t get to 1st without being a little firm…_

_(I could never do that,_

_I’m too soft…)_

Zack huffed hard through his nose. “I don’t want to hear that kind of language from _anyone_ here, understood?” he said. There was no reply, only silence, and he cleared his throat. “I _said,_ am I _clear?”_

The barracks echoed with their shout: _“Yes, sir!”_

“All right,” he sighed, then pointed to the infantryman. “You. Out on the track. I’ll deal with you in a minute.”

Eyes wide, the man nodded and darted out as if his tail were between his legs. Zack shook his head, and made eye contact with Cloud for the first time since he’d walked in. He gave him a little nod before talking. “Okay, back to what I came in here for--you guys know about the semi-formal comin’ up?”

A murmur rustled through, but Zack continued. “Big wigs throw one every month in the ballroom, military only, one guest per person, so you can bring a date. Some dancing, some free food-- _nice_ free food, not just the cafeteria crap. It ain’t bad for what it is.” His expression slowly softened the more he spoke, relaxing back into its normal demeanor. “It’s a good chance to mingle with everyone, including those who are already in SOLDIER. I’ll be there with some of the 1sts, so don’t be shy--” He glanced right at Cloud as he said this, and it jolted his heart. “--come stop by. Next Friday, got it?”

To the mixed response, he nodded, flashing a grin around. “All right, carry on.”

As soon as chatter rose back to the group, he circled back to Cloud’s cot and sat on the edge of the bed across from him. “You okay?” he asked.

“I-I’m...fine,” Cloud replied, running a hand back through his hair, right near his ear. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to--”

“Stop that,” Zack said, grabbing the closest part of him he could, this being his right calf, and shook it. “You think I’m going to sit back and let someone call you shit like that? No way. No way. It ain’t right.”

“Yeah.” _It’s not the first time I’ve been made fun of,_ he thought, _but it’s one of the first times anyone’s stood up for me like_ that. “You were really intense…”

“I do what I’ve got to do,” Zack said, retreating his hands into his lap. “Listen, really, if he--or _anyone_ gives you trouble, just let me know, okay?”

“Okay.” _You’re the best, Zack, you really are…_ “Hey, um…” Cloud started. “What are you...doing tonight? Some of the guys are going out--”

“Unfortunately, I’ve got homework this weekend,” Zack replied, sticking his tongue out with disdain. “I’ve got some study guides to get ready for you guys, which means I get to pour over a half dozen books about yay thick...” He demonstrated with two fingers, holding them a good five inches apart.

“Ah…” _Shoot._ “That sucks…”

“I wish I could go out and have fun with you guys,” he sighed. “You should go, though. I don’t think it’d be a bad idea.”

“You think so…?” Cloud shifted, scratching his shoulder, leaving red marks on his pale skin. “I don’t know...I mean, if that guy is--”

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” Zack chuckled. “I’ll run him so hard, he won’t be able to do anything but drop his ass in bed.”

Cloud laughed, just a stutter in the back of his throat, but it pleased Zack enough for him to get up. “Keep your chin up, bud,” he said. “I’ll catch up with you sometime this weekend, sound good?”

“Yeah, that’d be...that’d be great,” Cloud replied with a nod. _Hang out with him on the weekend. Then there’s that formal, too. I want to...spend as much time with him as I can._

Zack clicked his tongue in the side of his teeth, winked, and gave a two fingered salute just to him before announcing to the group. “All right, I’m outta here, don’t party too hard!”

A chorus of “bye”s and “see ya”s echoed behind him, and Cloud found himself shuffling through his duffel bag for a change of clothes. _I guess...if Zack says it’ll be okay, then...maybe I will be._ He stripped his plain t-shirt, tacky with sweat, and exchanged it for a fresh one with a little more color. _Anyway, if it’s not too far from base, I can just head in early._

As he changed into his jeans, his focus faded, and he payed more attention to his mind’s eye than the foreground. _Although, he’ll probably bring Aerith to the semi-formal,_ he thought, the scene playing out in his head. _Maybe...I can call Tifa and ask her to come with me, if she picks up for once. That way it wouldn’t be weird that I’m alone. All four of us..._

“Strife!” Another infantryman, already changed, was the last one in the doorway. “We’re heading out. You coming with?”

“Yeah,” he replied, sliding on his already tied sneakers and throwing his dog tags around his neck. “I’ll be right there.”

* * *

 

“You’re here late,” Tifa remarked to Vincent, wiping down a glass with a cloth. Her eyes kept focused on the windows outside. “Don’t you have someplace to be?”

“Friday night,” he mumbled. “It’s going to be busy. And rowdy.”

“Yeah, so?” _He always comes and goes at the same time, like clockwork. Except for tonight, apparently._

He didn’t reply, but fished out a small velvet bag and tossed it on the table. It jingled when it hit, and Barret gravitated toward it. “Thanks,” he replied, walking around Tifa to open the register, dumping all but a few gil pieces into the drawer. Then, he tossed it back across the bar. “Appreciate it.”

“You didn’t even count that,” Tifa remarked under her breath, looking back and forth between them.

“Don’t need to,” he replied. “Vinny always pays on time, and pays what he owes.” He glanced up at the door, then groaned. “Great, here they come, fuckin’ Shinra rats…”

_How can you tell?_ were the words on Tifa’s lips, but as soon as the group came in, she felt no need to. Some of the men were still wearing the standard scarves, others with dog tags on their necks. “You take this side, I’ve got the other,” Barret muttered, both hands on the counter.

She threw her towel back into the sink behind her and placed the glass beneath the counter, nodding. _This is my first really busy night,_ she thought, taking a deep breath. The soldiers chattered among themselves, each of them taking a seat at the bar until they all were filled. The uniting feature between all of them, Tifa noticed, was their wide eyes, clean and round faces, still clinging to what was left of adolescence. _They’re all kids, practically,_ she mused. _You can join as early as 16, and it took a lot to get Cloud to wait until he did._

She cleared her throat. _I’m glad he did._ “Wh-what can I get you, boys?” she asked the group immediately in front of her.

“Uh, whatever’s on tap,” one answered.

“Yeah, same.”

“I’ll take one too.”

She nodded, counting heads. _Well, that’s easy._ Grabbing three mugs off the rack, she yanked on the handles of the taps and poured three beers, clutching them all close to her chest. As she turned back to the bar to set them down, the soldier closest to Vincent jabbed his arm. “Hey, you’re who they call the vampire, right?” he teased. “Climbed outta your coffin to visit us mortals, huh?”

Vincent reached into his pocket and threw a heavy looking, triple barreled gun onto the counter, hitting the surface with a loud _clunk._ “Don’t,” he grumbled.

_“Fucking shit--!”_ One of them nearly jumped into another’s lap, huge eyes staring at the gun for a moment before Vincent sighed and put it away.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Barret, who shouted across the bar. “Vinny, don’t scare the kids,” he said.

His only response was to sink deeper over his glass. _He’s going to need a refill soon,_ Tifa thought, already getting another tumbler ready. _Or I imagine he’ll want to. Christ, a triple-barreled gun? Who the hell needs that? Who just carries one around?_

“Lady! You missed me!” A stocky man in the middle of the bar flagged her down. “Get me a rum and coke, will ya?”

She nodded, her body moving in automation. Another tumbler, halfway with ice, a splash of rum, maybe a little more. To the soda machine, finish off the rest with Coke, a stirring straw, and she slid it over the counter. “Damn!” the man said, dropping the gil on the counter. “You’re fast, pretty girl!”

Tifa offered him a humorless smile and continued on, grabbing a couple bottles off the shelf. _That one’s just easy. And popular._ She scooped ice into a shaker, poured the liquors over it, then added a sugar cube and began to shake it. _This fucking thing that Vincent likes is something else._ Still shaking with one hand, she grabbed another tumbler and tossed it in front of her, straining the drink into the glass. She swapped the glass in front of Vincent with the fresh one, dumping the old one back into the sink. _There, that’s taken care of._

“Another round! Another round!” The boys closest to her had drained through their beers, growing louder by the second. _And it starts again._ She whisked away their mugs, exchanging them for new ones, back to the taps, cranking the handle to pour more of the foaming, amber liquid across the three mugs. The cacophony of noise settled around her like a drone as she slung the mugs over to the boys, and they gleefully drank deep. _Kids…_

“Tifa,” Barret shuffled behind her. “Let’s switch. The other side is quieter.”

“Okay.” She left her station and made her way to the other side of the bar. Granted, it was less crowded--less people fighting for space on the counter, plus the drinks seemed to be going down slower. _That’s a relief._ She scanned everyone’s drinks--from more mugs of beer to a glass of clear soda at the very end--before leaning against the counter. “Boy,” she muttered, looking off to the side, then finally turning to the person in front of her. “What a--”

She froze.

There was no mistaking the crown of blond hair, icy at the tips and darker toward the roots, or the thin face, or the watery, blue eyes.

“T-Ti?” Cloud stammered.

It was clear he had been staring for a while, his eyes huge with his hand on his drink, and Tifa’s heart plummeted down into her stomach. “C-Cloud…!” she replied, gripping underneath the counter for support. She instantly regretted it, feeling wads of chewed gum beneath it. “I didn’t--um…!”

“You’re...working here?” he said. His voice was barely loud enough to discern in the crowd, but somehow her ears had siphoned out the tones, able to pick it out.

“Ye...ah,” she drew out. _Crap, crap. Of_ course _he’d show up. Just my fucking luck._ Her eyes were drawn to the dog tags around his neck, barely able to make out his name stamped on them. “N-not too long ago…”

He nodded, taking a sip of soda through the tiny stirring straw. His eyes darted across the table, and his shoulders were drawn in, making himself as small as possible. _Then again, he doesn’t like crowds like this. God, you look so tired, Cloud._ “Is...that why you don’t answer when I call?” he asked without looking at her.

“Cloud…”

_“Ey, another round! Make it shots!”_

The shout startled Tifa, but Cloud winced, rubbing his temples and dipping his head down to the counter. She leaned over to him, a hand cupping his arm. “Are you okay?” she asked, close to his face.

“My head fuckin’ hurts,” he groaned, barely lifting it to look at her. “I shouldn’t have tossed my cigarettes…”

“You _what?”_ she exclaimed. “You quit cold turkey? Cloud…”

“I know, I know.” He pouted when he managed to fully lift his head, and despite his pain, Tifa found it endearing. “I dunno, I just…”

“It’s probably better for you,” she remarked.

“I know, that’s the idea.” He continued to hold his head in one hand, along with a fistful of hair. “Just--”

“Oy, lady bartender--!”

“Just a minute!” she called across, then returned to Cloud. “Listen, my room’s upstairs if you need a break from all this. Just around the corner--”

“You have a _room?”_ he replied.

_Shit._ “Y-yeah, we can...talk about it later.”

“Mm.”

He took one more sip of his soda before slipping back off the barstool, but was stopped by one of his companions. “Hey, where’re you going? I think the others want to hop to another place soon…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cloud mumbled, shaking him off. “I’ll...catch up later.”

Tifa watched him as he shuffled across the room, behind his merry compatriots, around the corner and over to where the stairwell lie. _At least he can relax up there,_ she thought, relief relaxing her forehead.

But only briefly.

On his way, Cloud was stopped cold in his tracks--a gold, prosthetic claw, ornamented and glinting in the dim light, grappled his bare arm. _Oh, fuck. Vincent._ He whipped his head down to him, eyes wide with fear, and Tifa made a leap over to the other side.

“T-Tifa...Tifa said...she said I could go upstairs,” Cloud managed to say, his lip quivering.

“Vincent!” she barked. “It’s fine, let him go! He’s my friend.”

His glare was palpable, even when it shifted over to her, but he lifted each finger off one at a time before completely withdrawing, allowing Cloud to scurry up the stairwell. _Jesus fucking Christ,_ Tifa thought, and almost said this, but the way Vincent’s shoulders rose and dipped, she chose not to. _Makes me wonder if what he said_

_(“So...what do you do for a living?”_

_Silence._

_“Y...you’re here all the time, m-might...as well...get to know you.” Tifa’s toe tapped rapidly against the grime covered floors._

_He looked her dead in the eye. “I kill people,” he said.)_

_was true._ A shiver ran through her. _Unsettling as it is._

_“Hey! Lady!”_

She whirled around, her long hair swinging with her. “Coming!” _Even if Cloud gets to relax, I sure don’t._ Her eyes flickered to the door, opening to more people by each passing moment. _Hopefully things quiet down soon…_

* * *

 

Adrenaline still coursed through Cloud as he finished climbing up the stairs. _Jesus, what the hell kind of bouncer was that?_ he thought as he reached the top. He held his hand out in front of him, grimacing at how it shook. _He looked like he would have ripped my arm off…_

_Anyway...so, Tifa’s..._ living _here, now?_

There were two doors to choose from, and he hesitated to pick the correct option. _Did she follow me here? I never thought she liked the city that much, so…_ His hand swayed from one handle to the next, completely undecided. _Damn it, which one?_

A light clicked on in the door to the right, and a small figure poked its nose out. “Is that you, Tifa?” a little girl asked, before rubbing her eyes and looking up. “Oh.”

“S-sorry,” Cloud replied. “I’m her friend, she...she said I could wait in her room for a while.”

The girl studied him for a moment as he made his way to the opposite door, it creaking as he opened it. “You’re Cloud, aren’t you?” she said.

He froze in place. “Y...yeah?”

She toddled to his side, keeping her eyes fixed on him. “She talked about you,” she stated.

Cloud knelt down to be at her level, and she instantly reached out for his dog tags, turning them over in her hands. “What...did she say?” Cloud asked.

“That you were friends.” The dog tags clicked together between her small hands. “And you were gonna be SOLDIER.”

He nodded. “That’s right,” he replied with a smirk, so faint it barely touched his face. “What’s your name?”

“Marlene.” She dropped the tags, jingling at his chest. “Aren’t you scared?”

He shook his head. “I want to protect the people I care about.” _So, I_ can’t _be scared._

“Daddy says that Shinra doesn’t protect anything,” Marlene said suddenly. “He says they’re gonna take people’s money and...and…” Her head dipped down as her voice fell to a whisper. “Other bad stuff.”

“Well, that’s not what I want to do.” _I hope her dad doesn’t say those things to her face, and that she’s just_ really _observant._ “It’s late, you ought'a get back into bed,” he said softly.

“Okay.” Her eyes wandered across the floor, then she looked back up at Cloud with a shy smile. “Tifa was right. You are nice.”

She disappeared into her room without another word. Cloud stood up, a hand over his mouth as he wandered to the opposite door. _At least I can make good impressions on little kids,_ he thought as he flicked on the dim light. _A kid isn’t going to call me…_

_(“Don’t be a faggot, man--”)_

_...that._ He winced to himself, and sat on the edge of Tifa’s bed, the springs creaking beneath him. _Guess it’s no secret that Shinra’s shady, in some respects. But, there are people like Zack, who tells you to follow your dreams, that you have honor in being a soldier--no, SOLDIER._ Hands clasped in his lap, he bit his lip. _If there are people like him, it can’t be all bad._

_I’d...follow him anywhere._

“Cloud?” Tifa’s voice called from downstairs. “It’s calmed down, if you want to come back out.”

* * *

 

Tifa was already back behind the bar when Cloud shuffled back down the stairs, swiping her bangs out of her face with her hand. He took his seat at the opposite end of the bar--now only with a handful of people at it, and immediately sighed. “Sorry,” he said.

“What are you apologizing for?” Tifa said, raising her eyebrows. _And yet, I’m not surprised that’s the first word out of his mouth._ “I should be the one apologizing...sorry about Vincent, first of all. He’s a little tense.”

“I noticed,” Cloud replied, side eyeing him down the bar. Much to Tifa's relief, Vincent didn’t return it.

Tifa fished out his soda from behind the counter, the ice now completely melted. “I can get you another one, if you want,” she said.

He shook his head, taking a sip from the stirring straw. “It’s still cold. It’s fine.” Cloud stared into the glass for a moment, stirring absently. “I wish you would’ve told me you were here.”

“I…” Tifa sighed, pulling a lock of hair from behind her ear just to tuck it back behind again. “I d-didn’t do it just because of you.” _Wait, that just sounds--_ “I mean, you were _part_ of the reason, but I just…” She huffed, collecting her thoughts. “I’m just so tired of Nibelheim. There’s nothing there.”

Cloud nodded, barely discernible. “Yeah.”

A pause. _So many times, I have to drag what he’s really feeling out of him,_ Tifa thought, leaning forward against the counter. _I wish he’d just_ tell _me._ “I know you wanted to do this on your own. That’s why I didn’t tell you right away.”

“Yeah.”

_“Cloud.”_ A bite in her voice jerked his head up. “Talk to me.”

His lips parted for a moment, before he retreated to look back at his drink. “What do you want me to say, Ti?” he said. “I am…”

She watched his lips move, but his voice was lost in the hum of the bar. “What was that?” she asked, leaning far enough so her entire chest was collapsed against the bar.

“I’m glad you’re around,” he repeated. His gaze weighed heavy on her, heavier than she’d felt it before, and she managed to catch a twitch in his lip, turning into a very small, but noticeable smile. “That’s...yeah. That’s it.”

_That’s it, huh?_ Tifa sighed out her nose, shaking her head down at the table while her hair hid her own smirk. “All right,” she said.

“Are you doing okay here?” he asked. “You haven’t had any trouble, have you?”

“N-no, ‘course not.” She snickered, playing with the bangles on her wrists in front of her. “I’ve got a job, a place to stay, and there’s even this girl that comes and visits me every other day, just to say hi.”

“New friend?”

“Yeah. I think you know her. Her boyfriend’s in SOLDIER...Zack?”

His head shot up. “Zack Fair?” he exclaimed. _That sure got his attention._ “That means...you met Aerith.”

“Yup, that’s her,” she chuckled, Aerith’s face flashing in her mind’s eye. _Big green eyes, and that smile…_ “She...sure is something.”

“I know,” Cloud replied. “She’s nice, though. Have you met Zack yet?”

“Nope. She always visits me on her way to pick him up.”

“He’s really cool. I think you’d like him.” His face had lit up, but a thought cross it that made him bite his lip. “Hey, I, ah...wanted to ask you about something…”

“What is it?”

He gripped his glass with both hands, knuckles white against his already pale skin. “There’s this...this thing coming up, that Shinra’s putting on. Kind of like a...semi-formal thing…” The more he spoke, the more his head dipped, and his drawl started to become more prominent. “I was...gonna just go with Zack, but he’s bringing Aerith, so I was wondering...especially since you’re here...if you...ah…”

“Oh, hell, Cloud,” Tifa interrupted, unintentionally mimicking his accent. “You want me to come with you?”

His brow furrowed in frustration, but he nodded with his eyes closed. “Yes, Tifa. I do.”

_God._ “When is it?” she asked.

The door rattled behind them. “Next Friday, I think,” he said. “I mean, if you can’t get the time off--”

“Hey, Barret!” Tifa hollered across the bar. “Can I have next Friday night off?”

Barret crossed his arms with an eyebrow raised. “I’d rather you didn’t,” he grumbled. “What, you got a date or something?”

“Er…” She shot a look over to Cloud, in the middle of taking a long drink of his soda. _Of course. But, that’s what it is, isn’t it?_ “Yes.” She choked back a lightness in the back of her throat. _Would you look at that, Cloud Strife managed to ask me on a date. Never thought I’d see that day come…_

Barret sighed, stepping closer to the counter, where a man with long silver hair in the signature SOLDIER black uniform had taken a seat. “Fine, fine,” he replied, eyes flickering between Tifa and Cloud. “You’re doing a double Saturday, then.” He addressed the customer. “What do you need?”

“Shot of the hardest thing you can get me,” he said, dropping a handful of gil pieces on the counter. “And a lemon slice.”

Barret took the money and turned back to the rows of bottles, while Tifa returned to Cloud. “How fancy is this thing?” she asked, heart drumming in her chest. “Do I have to wear a nice dress or something? Cloud?”

His attention was drawn to the SOLDIER. “That’s…” he whispered, then leaned in closer to her. “That’s Sephiroth.”

She squinted, following his gaze as he was delivered his shot and lemon. “Who?” she asked.

Their stares garnered his attention as he sucked the lemon dry, and his piercing, blue-green eyes narrowed between the two of them. _Sheesh._ “You…” he muttered, tossing the lemon rind aside. “You’re in Zack’s division.”

Cloud nodded slowly, eyes like saucers.

Sephiroth turned away, shaking his head so his hair draped over his shoulders. “Curfew’s at 11. You’re cutting it pretty close.”

“What?” Cloud blurted, whipping around for a clock. The one he found was at the closest wall, reading 10:35. “Shit! I didn’t know…”

He threw himself off the barstool, but Tifa grabbed his arm before he could run away, yanking him back into the counter. _“Wait!”_ she snapped. “Don’t go before I give you my new number!”

“But I--”

“Shh! It’ll just take a second!”

She fished for the first writing object she could grab below the counter, and came up with a permanent marker. Pulling the cap off with her teeth, she made her way around the bar and held Cloud’s arm beside her, mushed together shoulder to shoulder as she wrote on his hand. She could hear his breathing close to her ear, and caught a whiff of fresh cotton from his shirt. _No smoke smell,_ she mused. _I guess...it’s nice._  “Six...eight...three...nine. There.”

Cloud stood still for a second even after she let him go, staring at it. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll call you when I get back.”

“You don’t have to, it’s late--”

“I will.” He made a point to look directly at her again. _Sometimes...there’s this intensity in his eyes that takes me off guard,_ she thought. _Like he’ll do whatever it takes._

_(“Why are you leaving!?” she shouted. “You don’t have to do this!”_

_“I want to be strong!” he cried back. Their voices echoed in the small plaza, off the mountain face that was the backdrop to Nibelheim. “I’m tired of being second best, I’m tired of getting left behind and made fun of! I’m gonna be SOLDIER, and I’m gonna_ be _something!”)_

Tifa bit her lip. _You already are strong._ “Go,” she said.

With that, Cloud started walking backward, then burst into a sprint as he raced out the door, slamming it with a clatter behind him. Tifa took his soda--only a gulp left in the glass--from the counter, and held it close to her chest bringing it over to the sink. _Cloud._

Barret’s voice and the SOLDIER Cloud called “Sephiroth” murmured behind her as she ran the faucet. “You got a long night ahead of you?”

“Yeah. Patrol. Waste of my time, but...someone’s got to do it.”

“Why the hell do they even need a patrol? Christ...ain’t no monsters around these parts anymore, who are they keeping out?”

"Monsters?"

She could hear the venom creep into Barret's voice, despite Sephiroth's disinterest. "Oh, don't play dumb with me, SOLDIER, I know about  _all_ that." 

Sephiroth sighed deeply. _Monsters outside Midgar? I thought that was just some urban legend..._ “Fair enough," Sephiroth grumbled. "But, who knows what they want me to look for now…”

Barret rolled his eyes, while Tifa dipped her hands into the soapy water and began rinsing the glasses that had stacked in the sink. _Weird._ As silence settled back around her, her mind wandered. _Aerith will probably be excited that I’m going to that formal whatever. I don’t even know what I’m going to wear. Did I even bring any of my dresses down?_

“Do you have any bands that come play here?”

“Not in a long time. Why do you ask?”

“My group needs a place to gig.”

“What kind of music do you play?”

“Rock, mostly.”

Tifa rinsed her hands and wiped them off on her jeans, turning back to the bar just in time for Sephiroth to drain the shot. “We can bring our own equipment, we just need someplace to play,” he continued, then blinked, twisting his head. “Shit, that _is_ strong…”

“Strong enough to shake a SOLDIER,” Barret chuckled, crossing his arms. With the bar empty except for Vincent and Sephiroth, he glanced at Tifa. “Hon, you’re done for the night, if you wanna head upstairs.”

“Oh, sure.” She nodded, scooting around him. _That sure was a night._ Her feet ached with every step she took. _It doesn’t feel like I did that much, except for at the end, but maybe I did._

_(“Yes, Tifa, I do.”)_

She bit back a smile. _Cloud._

At the bar, Vincent had his eyes fixated on Sephiroth, and as he pushed the shot glass to the inner edge of the bar, he challenged it. “What are you staring at?” he growled, just before he flicked his hair behind his back with one hand. With that, he slid off his seat and glided out of the bar, boots clunking in his wake.

Tifa paused just at the edge of the counter, her hand on its edge. _What a prick,_ she thought as he disappeared into the night. Her attention was redrawn to Vincent, whose head was tucked down at his chest. “An old friend, Vinny?” Barret remarked.

With a pause, he shook his head and abruptly wrenched himself off the stool, the cape of his trenchcoat fluttering behind him. “Guess we’ll never know,” he said. Vincent slammed the door behind him even harder than Cloud did, threatening to break it off its hinges. “Ah, well. Get some rest.”

“Right.” She opened the door to the stairs and started up. “Night, Barret.”

It took all of her energy to jog up the stairs, and when she got up to her room, she kicked off her shoes and immediately flopped back onto the bed. _Cloud doesn’t dress up often, but he always looks nice when he does._ She unbuttoned her jeans from where she was lying, yanking them off and pushing them off the edge of the bed. _And Aerith will be there...she’ll be in a pretty dress, I bet. Maybe she’ll have her hair down..._

She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. _Something to look forward to, huh? Ah…_

The phone rang beside her, a tinny jingle that shot adrenaline from the top of her head down to her toes. “Shit, I told you not to…!” she mumbled to herself before rolling over and snatching it off the receiver. _Although, with that look,_

_I shouldn’t have been surprised._

“Hello?” she answered, cradling the phone in both hands. “Hey, Cloud…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sure was a chapter! Cloud and Tifa's dynamic is tricky to write, because it's so subtle--or at least, more subtle than the other combinations. Saying Vincent's "a little tense" is probably an understatement (he knows Marlene's up there, which is why he lashes at Cloud). I know there's more I could say about this chapter, but I can't think of anything immediate right now.
> 
> Seems like every other time I say what's happening next chapter, it changes. I admit my web isn't as stable as some of my others--we're going to spend Sunday with the gang. (How could I pass up writing a motorcycle ride chapter?) Stay tuned!
> 
> EDIT 4/20: Changed and elaborated Barret and Sephiroth's conversation about the "monsters".


	9. Saturday Drive

Zack had the phone off the receiver when Aerith arrived at the apartment, immediately tossing her purse on the couch. It bounced with a jingle on the cushions. “Hey, baby,” he greeted as she passed, kissing her on the cheek as she dragged her hand along his waist. “How was work?”

“Work,” she sighed, twirling around before falling onto the couch in a heap. “The kids at the church were rowdy. I think they just got done school for the summer.”

“Ooh, bummer,” Zack winced. He dialed a number with one hand then held it to his ear. 

“Who’re you calling?” Aerith asked, rolling over and curling her hands under her arms. 

“Cloud--” he said, before a voice came on the line. 

_ “Shinra, front desk.” _

“Hey, can you wire me to the standard division 3 barracks?” he asked. Aerith smirked at him, and he returned it with a kiss to the air.

_ “Sure.”  _ The line clicked, then began to ring once again. On the third ring, a voice picked up.  _ “Th-third division,”  _ it answered.

“Hey there, I’m looking for Cloud Strife,” Zack said.

_ “Yeah, right here,”  _ he replied.  _ “Zack?”  _

“That’s me!” His grin stretched his cheeks, and he started to pace by the TV. “How’s it goin’, bud?”

_ “Okay…! I just got back from doing drills with the others.”  _

“Awesome,” he replied. “I wanted to ask you if you were still up for going for a ride with me.”

_ “Oh, yeah! Definitely!”  _ Cloud’s enthusiasm bounced through the speaker, and Zack couldn’t help but chuckle.

“All right, I’ll pick you up out front. Be there in about ten, keep an eye out, ‘kay? Oh, do you have any sunglasses?”

_ “Uh...I don’t think I brought any--” _

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring an extra pair. Just for the wind.” 

_ “All right.” _

“Okay. I’ll see you.”

_ “Bye.”  _

He hung up the phone and dashed back into the bedroom, running his hands over the piles of junk piled on the dresser. “Hey, honey? Do you know where my riding goggles went?” he called.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I thought you didn’t like them anymore?”

“I don’t.” Shifting some odds and ends around, the glint of tinted plastic caught his eye. “Found ‘em!” He held them up--a simple pair of goggles with a strap on the back, large like bug’s eyes--before hanging them around his neck.  _ It’ll have to do, for him.  _

Zack grabbed the door frame on his way out, swinging around to the kitchen to grab his own sunglasses and keys off the table. “Okay, I’m out. I’ll be back in a bit.” Dashing to the couch, he bent over it to kiss Aerith on the top of her head, inhaling the fragrant scent of her hair. “You’ll be all right?”

“Of course I will,” she replied. “I’ll call Tifa or something while you’re gone.”

“Tifa? Is that the girl at the bar?”

“Yeah.” She bounced up and peered over the back of the couch, kicking her feet behind her. “She gave me her number  _ all by herself.  _ I didn’t even have to prompt her.” Her eyes glinted as a grin spread on her face.  _ “I’m in.” _

Zack chuckled. “Well, you have fun with that,” he said, slipping his sunglasses over his eyes. Glancing briefly at his attire--a black t-shirt and jeans, he paused at the door.  _ Do I need a jacket? Nah, we’ll be in the sun, and it’s been hot lately.  _ He grinned to himself.  _ Perfect for riding. _ “All right, time for me to hit the road!”

* * *

 

When Zack got to the front of Shinra HQ, he scanned the front entrance, hands dropping to his lap as he straddled the bike. The engine rattled underneath him, sputtering for a second. “Easy, girl,” he muttered, patting the gas tank.  _ Now, where is he… _

_ Oh, there.  _

The door opened, and out stepped Cloud, hands shoved into his black jeans’ pocket. He was also wearing a baby blue t-shirt, tight around his stomach, with a zipper down the front only to the chest, completely zipped.  _ Huh,  _ he thought, stretching his neck.  _ Whatever floats _

_ (that color almost matches his eyes) _

_ your boat, bud.  _ “Hey!” Zack called, flagging him over. “How’s it goin’?”

“Good!” Cloud replied, giving him a shy smile with his hand on the back of his neck. “Nice bike…!” 

“I’ve had her since I was...jeez, 16? It’s been a while now.” Zack flicked his sunglasses to the top of his head. In the sun above the plate, the scratches and scuffs on the black body were particularly noticeable, as well as the rust spots on the springs. “Still going strong, though.”

“Nice.” Cloud weaved on his feet, the hand at his side clenched in a twitching fist.  _ You’re always a little nervous, aren’t you, kid?  _ he thought, biting his lip.  _ I’d like to hope I could help.  _

“So, hop on, man,” he said, flipping down the passenger pegs on both sides at the back of the bike. “You can use those to get a leg up, if you need to.”

Cloud nodded, managing to swing his leg over with little trouble, but he sat so far back that he was nearly on the tail light. Zack craned his neck back with a snicker. “You can scoot up. In fact, you might want to.”

“Okay…” He scooted up, just creating just a hair’s worth of space before touching Zack. “Wh-where do I hang on…?”

“See those behind you?” Zack said, gesturing to the long, plastic handles stretching to the very tail of the motorcycle. “Those are the grab bars. You can hang onto those, or onto me. Don’t make much difference to me.” 

“‘Kay.” Cloud chose to grip the grab bars, and he took a deep breath, visible in his chest. “I’m ready.”

“Not quite,” he remarked, pulling the goggles he brought off from his neck and handing them over to Cloud. “You’re going to need these. Just for the wind. It’s a bitch when it gets in your eyes.”

He took them, fumbling the strap around in his fingers for a second, before fitting them over his face. The strap made his hair stick up around his ears, and the lenses were way too big on his face, but Zack couldn’t help but notice the little smile that traced Cloud’s lips when he was settled. “Wh-what?” Cloud said.

A half smirk graced Zack’s face as well, and he snickered. “Nothin’,” he replied.

Cloud’s expression fell. “What? I look like a dweeb, d-don’t I?”

“Nah, you’re good!” With one finger, he dropped his own sunglasses over his eyes. “I’ll just have to be cool enough for the both of us. Let’s roll!” 

He revved the engine, squeezing the brake to make the tires squeal and smoke before speeding down the street, taking the first exit he could onto the highway. He felt the weight of Cloud scooting back on the seat before he shuffled back, closer to him this time.  _ There you go,  _ he thought, the wind cool in contrast to the sun on his face.  _ Just relax, and we’ll ride… _

As tempted as he was, Zack chose not to weave around the cars beside him to get ahead, even though his foot was bouncing on the shifter to gear up.  _ If Aerith doesn’t like it, then he sure won’t. Christ, the first time I grooved through traffic, she just buried her head in my shoulder the whole time.  _ He was edging up on the car ahead of him, however, and it threatened him to downshift.  _ This won’t do, though. _

Glancing in the side mirror, he leaned the handlebars over to change lanes, gaining speed to pass the car, then glided back in as soon as they were clear. Cloud mimicked his motions just slightly, but enough for Zack to feel it behind him.  _ Nice. That’s right, he rides too, doesn’t he? ‘Course he’d know, then. You gotta lean with the turns, but not too much.  _

The sign above him stated “MIDGAR - BADLANDS, NEXT EXIT”, the off-ramp dipping down a steep hill out into the cragged desert below. Cloud’s chin rested on his shoulder. “Badlands?” he shouted against the wind.

“Oh, yeah--” Zack couldn’t elaborate, letting the slope pick up their speed and forcing Cloud upright. His heart dropped into his stomach as they descended, and laughter bubbled in him as they crested out of it, shifting down to ease the rush.  _ “Woo!”  _

In the sideview, much to his surprise, Cloud was grinning as well, his face tilted up toward the sun.  _ That’s the spirit.  _ “Yeah, they call this desert area the badlands,” he explained. “Used to be a ton of monsters around here, but once this place dried up, there was nowhere to hide.”

“Monsters?” Cloud asked. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t wanna know, buddy,” Zack replied with a wave of his hand. “They aren’t around anymore, so you don’t gotta worry.”

_ (“What the fuck is that?” Zack yelped, hiding himself behind Angeal. The creature’s eyes were red and glinted in the dark, six legs stocky and low to the ground with claws, huge thick sharp claws that he couldn’t help but imagine ripping through him in an instant. _

_ “Doesn’t matter,” Angeal grunted, holding his enormous broadsword out in front of him. A cold breeze howled, kicking up dust and dried leaves. “If you’re spooked, just hang back, before you get yourself hurt.” _

_ “I--”  _ I’m not scared, I’m not scared!  _ he tried to tell himself, even as his mouth was dry as a bone and his heart throbbed under his 2nd class sweater. The creature hissed at both of them, and just before Angeal lunged at it, Zack caught a glimpse of a feather hanging from his belt. Three beads hung just above it.  _

I’m not scared,  _ he repeated to himself, more sure this time, even as the creature hissed and bared its teeth at them. Zack stepped to Angeal’s side, nodding to him. “Come and get it!” he shouted, before charging forward…) _

Zack shook his head, shifting up and flicking the clutch out.  _ Haven’t had any of those in a while. And if we do, pretty soon it’s going to be me up front, with him at my back _

_ (Cloud in a SOLDIER uniform, gaze steady, with eyes a different hue of blue…) _

_ instead.  _

Around the next shoulder, the road split in two, and Zack took the left fork, heading up over a gradual incline that continued to twist.  _ What’s the point of thinking about that now, anyway?  _ he thought to himself, taking each curve of the road with ease.  _ What’s the good in hanging around in the past, when you’ve got so much ahead… _

The incline was getting steeper as they rode up the road, and the bike whined in protest, forcing him to downshift. “C’mon,” he muttered. Behind him, Cloud had slid back in his seat, admiring the view behind him.  _ He’s putting too much weight back there.  _ He reached back for his left hand, pulling his arm off the grab bar and putting it at his waist. “Yo, lean forward!” he called.

Zack couldn’t hear him reply, but his arms around his waist was response enough. He twisted the gas slowly on the handle, and managed to shift it up one more gear, getting enough momentum for the engine to stop squealing.  _ There we go.  _ “We’re almost there!” he exclaimed, patting his thigh.

They crested the last hill, that reached a precipice, gated with barbed wire all along the edge. There was enough room to park the bike at the opposite end near the road, so Zack pulled it over, killing the engine and leaning back into Cloud on the seat. “Whew! How was that?” he said, the lingering rumble echoing before finally falling silent.

“Cool!” Cloud replied, pushing the goggles up off his face, blonde spikes unruly beneath them. “I didn’t realize there was anything like this around.” 

“Hop off. I’ll show you.” 

They got off the bike and Zack strolled right up to the barbed wire, pointing to the distance. “See? There’s Midgar over there. We’re actually south of the city, and the desert doesn’t go quite as far out this way.” The city was like a black, metallic blemish against the sea of sand. It gave away to a small range of mountains that extended back into more lush foliage. “If you keep going, over those mountains and further, you’ll get to Gongaga.”

“That’s where you’re from, right?” Cloud said, squinting at the horizon. 

“Yup.” Zack walked over to the other side, guiding him with an arm around his back. “You’re probably pretty familiar with the north side. You don’t get out of the desert for  _ miles.  _ Hell, you can almost see Mt. Nibel from here.” 

“Cool,” Cloud muttered. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked out on the horizon. 

“Oh!” Zack pointed over to a line of huge, metal towers, stringing wires out along the desert, spaced miles apart from one another. As he did so, he bent over to match Cloud’s height. “Those power lines go out for  _ miles,  _ connecting with smaller reactors in outlying towns.”

“Oh yeah, there’s one on the top of the mountain back home,” Cloud added.

“Yeah. They still make a  _ killing  _ outsourcing all that electricity. I dunno about you, but keeping the lights on where I grew up was hell ‘cause of it. Know what I mean?”

“Mmn…” Cloud scuffed his foot at the ground, kicking up a little bit of sand.  _ Ah. He’s gotten tense again,  _ Zack thought, rubbing his back. In the meantime, Cloud glanced around to closer surroundings. “So, this isn’t a mountain, is it?” 

“I think it used to be?” Zack said with a shrug. “Now it’s just a precipice.” Glass and dirt crushed under his feet, along with cigarette butts and discarded wrappers.  _ This ain’t no wildlife preserve. Probably just a place kids run out to so they can get wasted.  _ He looked up at the cloudless, blue sky above him, then back down to the Cloud at his side, nudging the sunglasses up to his forehead.  _ Still, it’s nice during the day. _

_ It’s nice right now.  _

“So, what do you think?” Zack asked. “Wanna keep going, or hang out here for a while?”

“We can...stay for a bit,” Cloud replied. Zack realized that his hand was still on his back, and he allowed it to drop off as slow as he’d let it. “Yeah, let’s stay.”

* * *

 

As soon as Zack left, Aerith bounced off the couch and grabbed the phone off the receiver, dragging it to the couch and holding the napkin scrap in front of her face to dial the number.  _ Let’s see what she’s up to today,  _ she thought, hands already clammy on the plastic.  _ I give it a fifty-fifty chance that she picks up.  _ She held the phone up on one shoulder. “Here goes,” she muttered to herself.

_ Ring...ring… _

_ Funny,  _ she thought,  _ I’m actually a little anxious. C’mon, Aerith, step up your game!  _

_ Ring...ring… _

The line clattered, as if it fell on the ground before reaching Tifa’s face.  _ “Hello?”  _ she answered, breathless.

“Hey!” Aerith replied, her voice higher than she intended, and she cleared her throat. “It’s Aerith. Do you have a few minutes?”

_ “Uh, sure,”  _ she replied. A conversation continued, muffled on the other side.  _ “Who is it?” “It’s Aerith.” “Oh! Oh, let me say hi!”  _ Finally, Marlene’s voice rang clear and crisp on the line.  _ “Hi Aerith!”  _

“Hey, cutie pie,” Aerith said, smiling instinctively. “What are you up to today?” 

_ “Tifa and I are playing pretend!”  _ she exclaimed.  _ She’s probably bouncing right now. “Red is gonna save the world!”  _

“That’s good,” she replied. “Red’s your doggie, right?” 

_ “Uh-huh!”  _ Marlene said. Shuffling could be heard over the line.  _ “He says hi too.” _

Aerith giggled. “Okay, well, why don’t you hand me back over to Tifa?”

_ “Kay! Bye-bye!”  _

“Bye, honey.”

Static resonated in her ear, before Tifa’s voice returned.  _ “Okay, I’m back. Did you need something?” _

“Not really,” Aerith replied. “Just to say hi. Zack’s not around right now, anyway.”

_ “Oh. Wh-what’s he doing?”  _

“He’s out riding with Cloud.”  _ His new boyfriend,  _ she thought to herself, but didn’t say.  _ Not that he’ll ever admit it.  _ “By the way, did you get to talk to him? Like I told you?”

_ “Funny thing…”  _ At last, her voice relaxed.  _ “He actually came into the bar with a bunch of the other military guys he’s with.”  _

Aerith gasped, grinning a little. “No way.”

_ “Yeah! He’s not even the type to go do stuff like that. He hates crowds and big parties.” _

“Maybe he’s trying to get better with it.”

_ “I dunno. I sent him up to my room until it cleared out so I could actually  _ talk  _ to him. It didn’t go as bad as I thought, honestly.” _

“See? What’d I tell you?” 

_ “Yeah, yeah.”  _ The resignation in her voice was palpable.  _ She’s probably pouting too. How cute. “He, um...he invited me to some party that Shinra’s holding, which was wild to begin with…” _

“Oh, the semi-formal! The free food party!” Aerith sat up on the couch, leaning all the way forward, while Tifa laughed on the line.

_ “What? What do you mean?”  _ she said through her giggles.

“I mean they serve food, and it’s free,” she elaborated. “Zack and I usually only stay for an hour just to eat and run. Sometimes, I bring the biggest purse I own and Tupperware containers his mother gave us, and we pile the food in--”

_ “Oh my God!”  _

“Hey, you do what you have to,” Aerith said, smiling to herself as she patted the couch. “I mean, I  _ know _ we’re living in the lap of luxury here, with this recliner couch from 1976...and our pristine popcorn ceiling that’s got a leak in the corner that we hope doesn’t reach the TV…”

Her sarcasm kept her chuckling, just as she hoped.  _ “Wow, that’s awful!”  _

“Eh!” Aerith waved her hand. “We manage. It’s actually kind of homey. You should come visit! Cloud’s already been here, he slept on the couch like a baby.”

_ “Yeah, m-maybe. I’ll, um, check my schedule.”  _

“Okay.”  _ I’ll get back to her on that one. She doesn’t seem like the type to invite herself.  _ “So, how’ve things been with you? How is bartending treating you?”

_ “Good! I can finally make a sazerac without thinking too much about it, thank God. And I can make most everything else pretty easily too.” _

“That’s impressive. Don’t you have to take classes for that sort of thing?”

_ “Uh...I don’t...know?”  _

“Oh, well. It’s Midgar, who cares.” She settled back into the couch. “Do you guys do anything like frozen drinks?”

_ “I don’t think so. I don’t think we have a blender…” _

“Aw, shame. I like strawberry dacquris. You know, something really sweet.” She bit her lip.  _ Like you, maybe? Ah.  _

_ “Y-yeah.”  _

A small pause settled between them, and it prompted her to get up and wander around her small living room.  _ “Hey, uh…”  _ Tifa started.  _ “So, what...what should I wear to this...formal thing?”  _

“Oh, usually just a dress is fine. It’s not  _ that  _ fancy. I have a strappy pink sundress I usually wear, and Zack matches with a shirt of the same color.”

_ “That’s cute,”  _ she replied, and Aerith heard rummaging on the line.  _ “Shoot, I don’t know if I brought a dress up with me…” _

“What size do you wear? I can--” 

_ “Um...I…well, it depends, but I don’t think I could fit in anything y-you have.”  _ She could practically hear her fidgeting over the phone line.  _ “I’m a bigger girl…” _

“I guess that’s true,” Aerith said, then took a deep breath. “It doesn’t mean you aren’t cute, though.”

_ “H-hey…!”  _

She giggled, spinning around on one foot and skipping to the kitchen. “It's true!” she said. “It’ll be nice to see you when you’re not working, though.”

_ “Y-yeah! Once I get the hang of my schedule, I can...let you know when I have off then, too. I was actually kind of wondering, well...since you seem to know everybody, if you could...show me around the city.”  _

“Oh, that’d be fun! I’d love to!” She tapped a finger to her lips. “Let’s see...I’ll plan out a route for us sometime. Do you want to see more above the plate or below it?”

_ “Uh...d-doesn’t matter to me. I’m not really familiar either way…” _

“No problem, I can make it work. Under the plate’s a little nasty, anyway, as you’ve already seen…”

_ “It’s really weird that they’d build a city this way.” _

“I guess it didn’t always used to be like that, it’s only within the last twenty years. It’s all Shinra’s influence--most of the stuff above the plate are offices and apartments owned by them. It’s pretty cushy.”

_ “Huh…must be nice to live up there.” _

“Yeah.” Aerith wandered to the only window in the apartment, barely wider than an arm’s length, peering up at the eerie white-green light that flooded in from the outside. “If 1st-class is all it’s cracked up to be, Zack and I want to see if we can move up there. Anything would be--”

_ “Oh, hang on, Aerith.”  _ There was a pause, the receiver well covered before she spoke again.  _ “Hey, I have to go back down--” _

“Okay!” she chirped. “I’ll stop by soon, and we can plan for our adventure!” 

_ “A-all right.”  _ Tifa giggled.  _ “I’ll...talk to you later.” _

“Bye-bye.” She waved instinctively, and when the line clattered to signal the hang up, she held the phone against her chest.  _ She’s so cute,  _ she thought.  _ How lucky am I? I’ll get to see her in a dress when we all go to the semi-formal together...and then another date later on.  _

The dial tone echoed against her, and she fumbled to press the “END” button on the phone. “Oh, boy,” she chuckled to herself, heart racing as she flopped back on the couch. “I’m terrible. Absolutely terrible.”

It was accompanied by a grin.

* * *

 

Cloud kept his arms around Zack as they rode under the plate, the engine humming contentedly beneath. “Where’d you want to be dropped off again?” Zack asked, driving slow enough so he didn’t have to shout.

“7th Heaven,” Cloud replied, keeping Zack’s face in his view of the side mirror. “It’s a bar…”

“Oh, yeah, that place. Seph wants to gig there, I think.” He geared down to take a corner through an alley, but when he saw kids running down it, he jerked back on the gas. “Whoops, not that way…”

They kept riding down the main street, Zack humming to himself.  _ He hasn’t said anything about this yet,  _ Cloud thought, his arms stiffening.  _ It’s not weird to be this close like this, is it? _

_ Is it?  _

“Right, it’s off here,” Zack said, taking the left turn sharp and making Cloud grip his waist. He slowed right in front of the entrance, letting the bike idle. “So, are you meeting up with someone, or what?”

“My friend, Tifa, works here,” he replied, swinging his leg over to get off, hopping on one foot.  _ Damn, my groin aches,  _ he thought, trying not to stand bow-legged. “I wanted to say hi before I went back to base.”

“Tifa? Oh, you're friends with Aerith's new friend!” He snickered to himself as he cracked all the knuckles on his hands by flexing them outward. “Cool. Well, it was good riding! You’re a great passenger.”

“I-I am?” 

“Absolutely!” He pushed his sunglasses up and gave him a thumbs up. Instinctively, Cloud did the same with his goggles, but without the gesture. “You know how to ride, y’know, take the corners with me.”

Cloud played with the hair at the back of his neck. “Thanks…”  _ Zack… _

“All right, I won’t keep you,” he said, revving the bike. “‘Sides, someone’s gonna get pissed if I keep idling. I’ll catch you Monday!”

Cloud nodded, returning his beaming grin with a small smile of his own. “Yeah! See you!”

With a wave, Zack did a U-turn in the alley and zoomed off down the street, leaving only the echo of the engine behind him.  _ I hope we can do that again, sometime,  _ he thought. He went to run a hand through his hair, before his hand hit the goggles that were still on his head.  _ Oh, shoot, I forgot to give these back.  _ He yanked them off his head, turning them over in his hands. The lenses were a little scratched, and the leather of the adjustable band was worn and fraying at the edges. On the right side, where the plastic notched into the leather, the letters “Z.F.” were written in permanent marker, faded, but still visible.  _ I’ll...have to do that. _ Biting his lip, he clutched it in his hand as he walked into the bar.

Even for a Saturday, most of the stools were empty (save for Vincent), and Tifa wasn’t behind the bar. Feeling himself shrink, Cloud took a seat two away from Vincent, fussing with the goggles in his lap. Barret  _ (that’s what Tifa called him, wasn’t it?  _ he remembered) walked in front of him, a bored look in his eyes. “What do you need?” he grunted.

“Uh...I was actually wondering if Tifa was here today,” he asked, struggling to make eye contact--he felt Vincent’s stare on him as well, dark and heavy. 

Barret raised an eyebrow. “Sure, but you gotta order something,” he replied.

Cloud reached into his pockets, managing to find a handful of gil in one of them. “I-I’ll just have a ginger ale,” he mumbled, tossing a couple of pieces on the table. 

_ “Tifa!”  _ he hollered, swiping the gil off the counter. 

_ “Just a sec!”  _ she called back. 

As Cloud waited, he still felt Vincent’s gaze on him, and he felt forced to address it. When he did, he only nodded at him, very slowly, before returning to stare down at his drink.  _ What a strange man,  _ Cloud mused, swallowing hard.  _ Unsettling… _

Tifa bounded down the stairs as Barret slid him his soda, and she caught his eye immediately. “Oh, hey!” she greeted, dashing behind the counter with a smile.  _ Her cheeks are red,  _ he thought idly. “What’s up?”

Cloud took a sip of his drink, his face mellow. “Zack and I went on a motorcycle ride. I thought I’d stop by here before I went back.”

“Oh yeah, that’s what Aerith said,” Tifa replied. “I was just on the phone with her.”

“That’s cool.” 

“Where did you guys go?”

“Out around the outskirts of Midgar. He took me up this lookout, where you can see everything…”

She chuckled, leaning on the bar and propping her head up with her hand. “I’m surprised you never got your own bike. You always liked riding around the back roads on that dirtbike…”

“The transmission blew on it, and I couldn’t fix it,” Cloud said. “Besides, I was training for SOLDIER--”

“Well,” she interrupted. “Maybe now that you’re here, you could save up for one.”

“I’m not SOLDIER  _ yet,”  _ he said. “I’ve still got the exam and everything…”

“Then after.” She tossed her hair behind her back, and Cloud got a glimpse of a red ribbon tied near the bottom. “A little something to make you happy, right?” 

_ But I  _ am  _ happy,  _ he thought. “What makes you think I’m not?” he muttered.

“It’s not  _ that,  _ it’s just…” she backpedaled. “Something to look forward to? I don’t know…”

_ She still thinks I’m pushing myself to do this,  _ Cloud thought.  _ Like I’m doing it because I feel like I  _ have  _ to. I  _ want  _ to.  _ Zack’s goggles sat in his lap, draped over one thigh, and he ran one hand over the lenses absently. His other hand edged near Tifa’s elbow on the counter.  _ I feel better out here than I ever did back in Nibelheim. I feel like I might be able to actually  _ be  _ something.  _

_ (“I’m so tired of Nibelheim. There’s just nothing there.”) _

_ You understand, don’t you?  _

“Ti,” Cloud said.

“Hm?” Her eyes widened, along with a slight tilt of her head, her hooped earrings bouncing against her cheeks.

“You worry too much,” he said quietly, his fingertips brushing against her elbow. “I’m fine.”

She huffed, a resigned smirk on her face, and ran her hand on top of his, squeezing it briefly. “I know,” Tifa said, pushing herself away from the counter. “I just…” She bit her lip and met his eyes, reddish brown to his blue.  _ You’re looking out for me. Like I try to look out for you, even though I know you don’t need it. That’s how it’s been for a while now, hasn’t it?  _

_ (now that you’ve noticed me, anyway…) _

Cloud didn’t wait for her to finish, but instead nodded his head, a bare smile gracing his lips. “I know,” he replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barret cleared his throat as he wiped down a glass. "Sounds like a load of bullshit," he grumbled under his breath.
> 
> _"Barret!"_ Tifa exclaimed, whirling on him with her fists balled. "Cut it out!"
> 
> \---
> 
> This chapter's pretty heavy on the world compared to some of the others. This is the second time I've mentioned "monsters", [so I wrote up a little explanation over here on it.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/143116354601/re-monsters) Cloud's wardrobe is a little dorky and not too promising. He tries. I hope you're all having just as much fun watching these four pine after each other as I am. God, I love them all.
> 
> Next chapter: we'll catch up with the band with a rehearsal!


	10. Rehearsal (II)

While Zack was a tall man, and constantly reminded by the fact that he had to duck every single time he entered a room in his apartment, Sephiroth was surprisingly a couple inches taller. Just enough to look imposing as he squinted down at Zack’s fingers. “I  _ thought  _ I told you to  _ practice  _ this,” he scolded, each syllable level and dripping with annoyance.

“I did, man, I did,” Zack muttered, the amp humming behind him.  _ You staring at me like that isn’t going to magically make me learn this,  _ he grumbled in his mind, sounding out each string one at a time. “Hey, there!” Finally, he strummed the arpeggio in rhythm, the tune correct to his ears. “Got it!” 

“Hmph,” Sephiroth grunted, sliding his hand over his own guitar. “So you do.” He flashed a look over to their audience--Aerith and Cloud were seated back in two folding chairs, both watching curiously. “I certainly hope you aren’t distracted by your girlfriend watching.”

Aerith shook her head with a smile. “I’m being good,” she replied with a wink, then elbowed Cloud. “Cloud, stop distracting the guitarists.”

He was jerked out of a soft focus. “H-huh?” he exclaimed, adjusting his uniform scarf around his neck. As soon as he lifted his finger from underneath it, he slumped in his chair, looking off. “Hey…”

Zack chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he shifted his finger position on the guitar to the next chord.  _ It’s kind of nice having them here. It's a whole different ballgame when there's someone watching, but in a good way.  _ “Besides, we’ve got to get used to playing for an audience, right?”

“He’s got a point,” Angeal said from behind the drum kit, tapping his foot on the cymbal on “2” and “4” of the beat. 

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Anyway, let’s try the chorus.” He nodded to Zack. “You play chords, I’ll arpeggiate.” Taking a couple steps back, he gestured his fretting hand to Angeal. “Count it off?”

He nodded, mouth slightly open--he played the first three beats on an open cymbal, then rattled on the snare for the fourth, signalling the change. Genesis, keeping to himself by the bass amp, entered flawlessly, even with his back to everyone, and Zack barred a chord in time.  _ Genesis said this one was “more complicated”, but I don’t see how.  _ The sweat on the back of his neck was beginning to stick both his hair and the collar of his overshirt right to his skin, and he rolled his neck to dispel the sensation. “How long is this?” he shouted, over to Angeal.

“Eight,” he replied.  _ Eight bars,  _ he thought. _ Shit, that means-- _

Angeal played another fill, then hit the crash cymbal, signalling the change. Zack scrambled to get his hand to the right position, and was thankful when it was only one note that didn’t sound.  _ Close enough,  _ he thought, looking right at Sephiroth.  _ But is it close enough for him?  _

Without a reprimanding glance, Zack breathed a sigh of relief.  _ Guess it was.  _ Instead, Sephiroth wandered over to Angeal, who was playing as soft as he could on the toms. “Hey, that’s too loud,” he said, sliding his hand up the fretboard and using the other to wave at Genesis. With only a flick of his head, the low drawl of the bass also went silent.  _ How can he see him? He wasn’t even looking... _ Zack thought in awe.

“I really can’t play any softer than this,” Angeal said, sitting back on the stool. 

“It’s not even supposed to be on the kit. It’s hand drums at this section,” Sephiroth replied. “Don’t we have any?”

“Nope, not around here.” Angeal tilted his head, tapping his left stick against his thigh. “Although…”

He tossed the stick he was tapping into his opposite hand and shoved them both into his back pocket, then leaned forward over the kit. Scooting his stool closer to the toms, he began playing the lowest tom-tom like a set of bongos, with the tips of his fingers and palms of his hands. “How’s this?” 

Sephiroth shook his head. “Too boomy. Try that one.”

He pointed to the smallest tom, but as soon as Angeal hit it, he interrupted again. “No. Snare?”

Another tap, tinny and resonating. “Snare  _ off.”  _

He sighed as he flicked the switch underneath the drum and started playing again--tentatively at first, eyes up at Sephiroth the entire time while he squinted at the drums in thought.  _ It...actually sounds pretty cool,  _ Zack thought, sneaking a glance back at Aerith.  _ But will it pass inspection, I wonder?  _ He took the opportunity to shimmy his overshirt off his shoulders, tying it off around his waist and scratching the back of his neck.

Angeal widened his eyes up at Sephiroth. “Well?”

“It’s close,” Sephiroth replied, pulling an elastic band off his wrist and tying his hair back into a low ponytail. “It’ll work for now, but we should get some real hand drums if we plan on actually playing this song.” His long, silver hair fell like silk through his fingers, before he took a step back, looking at Genesis. “Gen?”

“Hm?”  _ That book is still open on the amp,  _ Zack thought.  _ I swear he never puts the damn thing away.  _ Genesis flicked his hair to glance at them from the side. “What?”

“Do you think you could get us some hand percussion?” 

He sighed before turning fully toward them, leaning against the amp. “Sure. Next week all right?”

“It’ll have to do,” Sephiroth replied.

“Do you have extra equipment at your place, or something?” Zack asked.

“No,” Genesis said, turning the volume down on his bass and beginning to play exercises across the fretboard.

“So…” Zack leaned his head forward. “You’re just going to...buy it?”

“Bought just about everything else here,” he replied nonchalantly.

_ “Jesus,  _ really?” Zack stepped back to get a better eye for all the equipment around.  _ The amps, the drums, all the cables, mics, everything? That must’ve cost a fortune!  _

He exchanged a look with Angeal, whose shoulders shook in a silent laugh. “Gen got me the kit as a...birthday present? Wasn’t it?”

“You also just made 1st at the time,” Genesis added, shaking his head and turning back to his amp. He wasn’t fast enough to hide a smirk from Zack, however. “It was nothing.” 

_ Nothing, huh?  _ Zack thought.  _ I wish I had the gil to just blow on my friends. Aerith and I could get a new apartment, and I’d get Cloud a bike of his own. Hell, we could buy actual groceries, too...  
_

“Anyway, let’s keep going,” Sephiroth said, his eyes on Genesis’ back. “So, next week?”

He turned the volume back up, accompanied by a long, deep tone from his bass.“Mhm. You’re welcome.” 

“Tch…” Sephiroth jerked his head to get his bangs out of his face. “Thanks.” 

Zack glanced back and forth between them.  _ I feel like I’m missing something… _

“Come on, don’t just stand there, play the riff,” Sephiroth commanded, brushing past him as he made his way to the mic. “I’m going to sing this time. From the top, until we hit the interlude…”

He started the riff, slow at first, then picking up the pace once Zack joined in. “I want you to double vocals eventually,” he said into the mic, his voice booming a bit. “Not until we get another mic hooked up, though.”

“What, you don’t want to share?” Angeal commented in a teasing lilt, taking his sticks back out and twirling one in one hand.

Sephiroth side eyed him with a curled lip before singing:

_ “Why drink the water from my hand? _ __  
_ Contagious as you think I am. _ __  
_ Just tilt your sun toward my domain, _ _  
_ __ Your cup runneth over again.”

Zack cycled the riff loop a couple more times, finally feeling fluid under his fingers, before Angeal played the single hit into the chorus. As Sephiroth continued to sing, Genesis edged his way from the bass amp, slowly creeping up behind him, until they were back to back while playing. 

_ “Don’t scream about, don’t think aloud, _ _  
_ _ Turn your head, now, baby just spit me out…” _

Even when he backed away from the mic, Genesis moved back in time so they didn’t run into each other, while still locked into Angeal’s time.  _ They’ve got some weird synergy going on,  _ Zack mused, bouncing on his toes as he played chords.  _ Hey, as long as they’re tight, it doesn’t make much difference to me.  _ Right as they moved back into the verse, he snuck a look back over to his audience. Aerith appeared to looking back toward the drums, but her eyes caught the movement, and she flashed him a smile with a thumbs up in her lap. Cloud, on the other hand, already was focused on him, and when Zack smiled for both of them, he returned it before looking away. 

“Hey! Do the hand drums!” Sephiroth barked, luckily out of range of the microphone.

“What, for real?” Angeal said, tucking his sticks away again. “I thought--”

“It’s better than nothing,” he huffed, flicking his bangs back again. As soon as his back was turned, Angeal flashed a look at Zack.  _ High fucking maintenance,  _ Zack thought to himself. 

The second verse went about as smoothly as the first--Genesis wandered away from Sephiroth back to his amp, turning the next page of LOVELESS as he waited for his cue. Right before the second chorus started, however, Sephiroth held up his hand to Angeal, and turned to Zack. “I think you’re too loud,” he said. “Turn down.”

He turned down two dials on his guitar, strumming down a chord, and received only a nod before he signalled to Angeal once again.  _ He really does want everything perfect. Not a bad thing, but man, it kills the flow. We barely run full songs anymore… _

After the next chorus, Sephiroth slid his hand up the fretboard with a squelch, letting the rest of the group trail off into cacophony. “All right, that’s enough,” he said. “We can pick this back up next time.”

Genesis snapped the switch on his amp off. “Seph,” he said. “Remember what we were going to do today after?”

“Huh?  _ Oh.”  _ His lip curled again, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Do we have to? Tonight?”

“You said we would,” Angeal added, getting up and patting his shoulder. “Don’t back out now.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine. Zack.” 

Zack glanced up from unloading his guitar into its case. “Yo!” 

“I was thinking--well, the rest of us were discussing,” he started, a sour look on his face. “If you wanted to sing anything, you should pick out a couple that we already know.”

“Really?” he exclaimed, perking up and yanking his guitar back out. “Oh, oh but what about that one that I was talking about? You know, uh…” He scrambled to get the strap over his head and leaped up, strumming some simple rhythm chords.  _ “I was down at the New Amsterdam, staring at this yellow-haired girl--” _

“Oh God, not that pop garbage,” Sephiroth groaned.

Zack continued in spite of his comment.  _ “Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation with a black haired flamenco dancer…”  _

Aerith snickered in the front row, but Cloud was all ears, leaning forward in his seat.  _ Guess what, I don’t care,  _ he thought, stepping up to the mic that was still hot.  _ I love this fucking song. “You know, she dances while his father plays guitar, she’s suddenly beautiful. We all want something beautiful--”  _ He winked at Aerith, and she blew him a kiss.  _ “Man, I wish I was beautiful…” _

As he sang the last verse, he was surprised to hear a bass chime in with him, and a roll on the drums into the next section.  _ “So, come dance this silence down through the morning!”  _ he continued to sing, half on the mic.  _ “Sha-la-la-la-la-la, yeah.  _ Yeah!” He cut himself off. “Dude, you guys know it, right?” 

“‘Course we do, they play this shit on the radio  _ constantly,”  _ Angeal remarked, getting up once again. “To be honest, it’s not one of  _ my  _ favorites--”

“I like it,” Genesis stated, finally taking his bass off. “We can do it.”

“What the fuck!” Sephiroth burst out, slamming his own guitar in the case with a muted thud.  _ “My  _ band doesn’t play any God damn pop fucking  _ trash--” _

“Then you can say goodbye to all this equipment, and no hand percussion,” Genesis interrupted flatly.

Angeal rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Christ, could you just  _ relax  _ for one second…” 

“As if you would! You don’t have any place to store it!” He stomped over to him, walking around the bass amp to force him to make eye contact. “Why do you even like it, anyway?”

“Listen to the lyrics sometime, the second verse isn’t bad,” he said. “And if you really hate it, you don’t have to play on it.”

“Why wouldn’t I play on it? Of course I’m going to!  _ Jesus.”  _ He whirled on Zack, who watched the scene with wide eyes. “You can have it, and  _ two  _ other songs.”

“O-only two?” he clarified.

_ “Only. Two,”  _ Sephiroth enunciated. “I was going to give you three, but you’ve used one up already.” 

“Uh, boys?” Aerith said, nodding back toward the door. “Someone has a visitor.”

The band looked up in tandem. A youth with platinum blonde hair  _ (Almost looks silver, like Seph’s,  _ Zack thought), a ragged beanie, and an old camo jacket that was entirely too big for them tapped on the window. “Yaz? What the hell…” Sephiroth muttered, running over to the door.

Genesis wrapped his cords and placed them neatly beside the amp. “Seph will chill out one day, I promise,” he muttered to Zack. “We’re going to my place tonight, I have a lot of albums to go through.”

“Really?” he replied, distracted by the scene at the door. 

“Yaz” was holding a bundle of CD jewel cases in their hands, with chipped black nail polish and a couple silver rings on their fingers. “Hey,” they said to Sephiroth, sweeping their bangs out of their face. “I was just bringing these back.”

“You could’ve just dropped them off at the apartment,” Sephiroth sighed, taking them. “Where are the others?”

“Loz is waiting for me downstairs,” they said, green eyes darting from Sephiroth to the band behind him. They cleared their throat. “Y-you guys sound good…!” 

“Thanks,” Angeal replied, saluting them.

“Get my jacket and other shit, Gen?” Sephiroth asked, pushing Yaz out the door. “I’ll be right there.” 

“Sure,” Genesis replied as the door shut behind them. “Well, let’s get going, then…”

Zack nodded, zipping up his case and throwing his overshirt back on. “I should really sit in more often,” Aerith remarked, standing up and smoothing out her dress. “Sounds like things are never dull here.” 

“They sure aren’t,” he replied, an arm around her waist as he drew her closer.  _ My sunflower.  _ He kissed her temple, then her nose, and finally her lips as she giggled into it. 

“I hate to break it to you,” Angeal said, putting on his blue, plaid shirt. “But you’re probably not invited to the party, Aerith.”

Genesis snorted. “Oh God, he’d throw a fit. I can hear him already--” He cleared his throat and deepened his voice.  _ “Band members only.”  _

Zack barked with sudden laughter, as did Cloud, much to his surprise, and the latter quickly covered his mouth. Zack stepped away from Aerith in order to give Cloud a one armed hug around the shoulder. “Hey, so what’d you think today, bud?” he asked.

“Oh, ah…” He fumbled until Zack let him go. “It was good! Does this mean you’re going to...sing more?”

“Hopefully, if Sephiroth will let me,” he replied, eyes flickering to the door. Sephiroth had walked completely out of sight of the window, allowing him to better give his attention to Cloud. 

“Well, I uh--well, you sound good,” Cloud said, a side smile on his face, even though he had trouble meeting Zack’s eyes.

Nonetheless, he beamed. “Thanks!” 

“Hey, Cloud, do you want to come over while Zack’s doing band things?” she asked, hands behind her back. 

“Th-thanks, but, ah…I’ll just stay on base tonight.” He gave her a little nod. “I don’t want to be any trouble…”

“It’s no trouble!” Aerith insisted, but sighed a little at the drawn look on Cloud’s face. “But, suit yourself. You can come over anytime you’d like, right, babe?”

Zack nodded. “Absolutely. Don’t forget it!” He ruffled his spiked hair, all while one hand was on Aerith’s back.  _ We’re friends, come over anytime.  _ Cloud’s shy look encouraged his own smile to stay on his face.  _ Anytime.  _

Behind them, the door opened. “All right, are you ready?” Sephiroth said, pulling the elastic out of his hair and shaking it out. “We’re walking.”

“Coming.” Genesis slid on his red leather jacket, throwing Sephiroth’s jacket over his shoulder. “Do you want your guitar?”

“Yeah. I got it.” 

Zack pulled Aerith into a hug. “Okay, babe. I’ll call you when I’m coming home,” he said. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and she added one to his cheek.

“Have fun, sweetie,” she replied, shouldering her purse. “Good night, boys!” She waved to the rest of the group, and they all replied with varying degrees of enthusiasm--from a salute from Angeal, to only Sephiroth’s eyes following her out the door.

After watching her leave, Cloud nodded to Zack. “Ah, I should head back too--” he muttered.

“Yeah, that’s cool,” Zack said, and before he could even think about it, brought Cloud to his chest in a quick hug, accompanied by a clap on his shoulder. “Get some rest, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Cloud bit his lip, walking backwards with a spring in his step. “Y-yeah. Night, Zack!” He almost stumbled back into Sephiroth, ducking below him out into the hallway. Zack crossed his arms and chuckled as he left.  _ Keep smiling, kiddo.  _

“Come on,” Angeal said, bumping into him on purpose as he walked past. “Don’t want to keep our benevolent leader waiting.”

“Funny,” Sephiroth scoffed, adjusting his leather jacket against the strap of his guitar case. “Let’s go.”

_ This should be an adventure,  _ Zack thought, his own guitar on his back.  _ But, at least it means I’ll be able to have more of a say in this band. Get some space up front.  _ He grinned at the floor before flicking the light off in the practice room.  _ And that’s pretty damn cool, _

_ now that I have someone to impress. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing about this band, which is why the update was so swift. Today's rehearsal song is ["December" by Collective Soul](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utYjsmDzMi0), and Zack once again sings ["Mr. Jones" by the Counting Crows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LzSJV90EBE). They'll preform it for real, eventually. 
> 
> You know, it's totally unnecessary to have the three Sephiroth remnants from Advent Children in this work (thanks @AlexSonata, for getting me invested), but here we are, meeting Yazoo. They're a flavor of non-binary. Angeal is truly a saint for dealing with Sephiroth's awful, enormous ego. Genesis is too, but he's a bit of an ass in his own way. Zack loves to show off, especially for his friends. 
> 
> Next chapter, we'll spend some more time with the SOLDIER crew in Genesis' apartment.


	11. Two Songs

Even though the sun had nearly disappeared from the horizon, leaving only a blueish light over the Midgar badlands, the tall, chrome apartment building still gleamed like a beacon above the plate. “Dude!” Zack exclaimed, craning his neck back to see it all. “This is legit!” 

Angeal snorted. “That’s what 1st class will get you. Eventually,” he said. They trailed a pace behind Sephiroth and Genesis, who were already making their way in the door with their keys. “Shinra owns this building, so just about everyone who lives here is an employee.”

“They own fucking everything, what’s the difference?” Zack snarked. “Do you live here, too?”

The main hall was as silver and pristine as the exterior, complete with a front desk and a waiting lobby. “Yeah, we all do,” he replied. “I live right above Gen, and Seph’s place is next door.” He refocused his attention to Sephiroth’s back. “Lucky bastard got the corner unit.”

“Please,” Sephiroth groaned. “It’s just an excuse for the hellions to stay over.”

The four stepped into the elevator--padded with red velvet on all sides--and Genesis pressed the button for the 34th floor.  _ There are over fifty floors in this place,  _ Zack thought as he gawked at all the buttons. “C’mon, they can’t be  _ that  _ bad,” Angeal remarked. “They’re just kids.”

“They’re  _ teenagers,  _ which is worse,” he replied, crossing his arms. The leather creaked in the creases of his arms as he did so, emphasizing his cross look.

“All teens are a little terrible,” Angeal said. “Don’t you remember being that age?”

“I was  _ perfect _ and didn’t cause  _ any _ trouble,” Sephiroth insisted.  _ He’s being serious,  _ Zack mused, staring at his feet so he wouldn’t catch his amusement.

“That’s cute,” Genesis replied, staring at the ceiling. “If you were perfect, then that makes me godly.”

“Bull _ shit!”  _ Angeal barked with a coughing laugh. “You spent every day getting high in the apple orchard behind your parents’ estate.”

Genesis rolled his head around to the others with a smirk on his face. “I know,” he replied, his eyes pointed directly at Sephiroth. The elevator pinged their arrival, and Sephiroth scoffed at Genesis, shoving him by the shoulder before he was the first one out.

The hallway was narrow, deep blue walls with darker carpeting that made it feel even smaller, and Zack followed the group down the hall to an apartment labeled “3405”. “I’m going to drop off my stuff,” Sephiroth said, going one more door down and unlocking it. “Be right there.”

“Sure,” Genesis replied, opening the door to his place. “Make yourself at home, but the red chair’s mine.”

The apartment opened up into the living room, and Zack was immediately hit with the smell of incense. Coughing to himself, he let his eyes adjust to his surroundings--the walls were painted a pale blue, and the centerpiece was a huge, mounted rack of CDs on the far side. There was only one loveseat--the other furniture being a couple of bean bags seated at the wall near the door. The “red chair” Genesis mentioned was one of these, and he plopped himself down in it just as soon as he shed his jacket. “Can I get you anything, Zack?” Angeal asked, heading toward the kitchen doorway. “Beer, soda?”

“I’ll have a beer,” he replied. The carpet was thick under his feet, and he chose to sit in front of the loveseat, closest to the CD rack. Below it was a smaller rack full of cassette tapes, and a stereo system that appeared to function as a CD player, cassette player, and radio all at once. Two speakers, each a couple feet tall, sat on each side of the stereo.  “Dude, this is nice…”

“Too bad it doesn’t play vinyl,” Genesis said, turning on a red colored lamp. “I have those in my room…”

Sephiroth entered the apartment, immediately taking the other bean bag chair right beside Genesis. “Seph! Want anything?” Angeal called from the kitchen.

“No,” he replied, running a hand back through his hair. As Zack looked back, the motion revealed a black, feather earring on his right ear.  _ There’s the feather again… _

“What, you’re not going to offer me anything?” Genesis asked as Angeal came out with two cans.

Angeal sighed and rolled his eyes. “Hey Gen, what do you want from the kitchen?” he asked in a bored voice.

“Nothing.” 

“See? I know you.” He sat down on the loveseat above Zack and handed him his beer, cracking his own open with one hand.

Zack chuckled to himself.  _ Now’s as good a time as any to ask about that, before I forget again.  _ “Hey, if you don’t mind me asking,” he began. “What’s the deal with the feathers?”

The three of them exchanged a look. “What do you mean?” Genesis said, still looking at Angeal.

“Well, you guys all have ‘em,” Zack continued, opening his beer and taking a sip. “I mean, they’re on your instruments, Angeal has one on his uniform belt, I can see Sephiroth's earring...is it some kind of inside thing? Part of being with the band or…?”

He trailed off as each of the others refused to meet his eyes.  _ It’s not  _ that  _ big of a deal…is it?  _ “What did Yaz want, anyway?” Genesis muttered to Sephiroth.

“Dropping off some CDs I let 'em borrow,” he replied. “I  _ told ' _ em not not come by HQ anymore…”

“Is uh, anyone going to answer me?” Zack asked again. “Hello?”

Angeal patted his shoulder. “It’s a long story,” he said with a little nod. “Hopefully one you’ll never have to hear.” 

_ What the fuck?  _ “Uh?” Zack squinted up at him.  _ One I’ll never have to hear? Did something bad happen to them, or what? I’d expect the other two to be dodgy about this, but not Angeal... _

“Relax, it’s not a big deal.” Angeal gestured to the CD rack. “Why don’t you start going through those CDs? Pick out your songs.”

“Oh, yeah.”  _ Guess I’ll just have to...ask about that some other time.  _ He took another drink of his beer and scooted closer to the stereo. “Holy shit, I don’t even know where to start…”

“I can tell you,” Genesis said, pointing. “See that stack? I just got done labeling those ones.”

“You really went through and labeled everything?” Sephiroth marveled. “There’s a fuckton of music there…”

“Well, we do know a fuckton of songs, if that’s your unit of measurement.”

Zack pulled the stack down with both hands and placed them on the floor with a clatter. The first CD featured a baby swimming after a dollar underwater, and when he opened up the cover, there was a sticky note inside. It was only labeled with numbers: “3, 6, 9”. “Ah, I get it,” Zack said. “So, I’m just picking from the numbered ones?”

A chest sat beside Genesis, and he was rummaging inside it. “That’s right,” he said. “Should be plenty.”

“Nice.” He began idly flipping through the jewel cases, not really taking in what was on the label. “You guys must’ve been playing together for a while, huh?” 

“Christ, five years, now? We’ve had the band since you’ve been here,” Angeal said. “Gen and I have been playing together since we were kids. Just in school stuff…” He pointed to the wall just above Sephiroth--on it was a framed picture of a much younger Angeal and Genesis, against a red curtain wearing black dress shirts. Angeal’s arm was around Genesis with his drum sticks in one hand, and both of them were laughing. 

“You wouldn’t have done anything with it if it weren’t for me,” Sephiroth remarked. “What’s a band without a guitarist? Or a singer?”

“What’s a band without a rhythm section?” Genesis retorted. “Honestly…”

Zack glanced back down to see a small, glass pipe in Genesis’ hands, ice blue with red swirls.  _ Oh.  _ “You got a light?” he asked Sephiroth.

Wordlessly, he pulled a lighter from his jean pocket, and he even lit the bowl for him. “Really?” Angeal said.

“What?” Genesis replied. He held it up to his lips and took a long drag, holding it in with his eyes closed. At the same time, Zack took a very, very long drink of his beer. He let the smoke out of his nose with a smirk before passing it to Sephiroth.  _ Oh, boy.  _

As he took a hit (not nearly as deep as Genesis’), he nodded to Angeal. “You want some?”

Angeal sighed, as if decades of regret were being dispelled from his lungs. “Fine. I’ll have  _ one  _ hit,” he said, resigned as he reached for the bowl. “What about you, Zack? Want to try?”

Zack held up one finger as he drained the last of his beer, tipping the can all the way to his nose. “I’m good,” he said, gulping. “I’ll be good…”  _ I can’t wait to see how this is going to go,  _ he thought with a grimace.  _ Been here for less than a half an hour, and they’re already getting high… _

_ (makes me wish I hadn’t come alone…) _

Angeal snickered as he took a small drawl from the bowl. “Don’t worry, this will barely buzz me,” he assured, leaning forward to give it back to Genesis, who immediately went for another hit. “Someone’s got to keep an eye on these guys.”

“You act as if we can’t be trusted,” Genesis said, a lazy look in his eye as smoke billowed from his mouth.

“You can’t,” Angeal replied.

Zack returned his attention to the jewel cases, flipping over to a black and white scene of a girl standing in a cemetery. “Hey, Green Day?” he commented. The album was titled in green at the bottom:  _ 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours.  _ “I don’t think I’ve heard this one before.”

“It’s their first,” Sephiroth commented. “It’s pretty unrefined…”

“Can’t say it’s boring, though,” Angeal said. “Hey, you might like ‘Going to Pasalacqua’, Zack.”

He flipped the cover open to look at the sticky note. This one was labeled “2, 3, 6”. “What number is it?” he asked.

“Check the back.”

Zack popped the CD out of the case, holding it carefully from the center hole and the edges, and pressed the eject button on the stereo. It smoothly ejected a tray for him, and as soon as the stereo took the CD, he flipped the case over. “‘Going to Pasalacqua’...track six,” he muttered to himself. He poked the forward button until the display lit up “06”, then he sat back while the disc spun.  _ All right, let’s hear it.  _

The track opened with a long chord, then abruptly stopped before the vocals came in:

_ “Here we go again, infatuation touches me just when I thought that it would end...” _

Zack blinked as he stared at the floor,

_ (Aerith) _

tapping his fingers to the beat.  _ “Oh, but then again, it seems much more than that, but I’m not sure exactly what you’re thinking,”  _ the song continued. “Yeah,” he murmured. 

_ (“You’ve come to visit me again?” she asked, leaning over the counter.  _

_ “Course I’m back!” he replied, sauntering over to her, still in full uniform. “Gotta visit you while I still can, before they send me off again.” He too leaned on the counter as close as she’d let him, the fragrance of flowers hazing his senses.  _

_ He grinned as their eyes met, ocean blue and emerald green, her cheeks pink, her lips a thin bow shape before they split into a smile, and she poked his nose. “I have a present for you,” she said, ducking behind the counter. _

_ “You do?” he said, fluffing the back of his hair. “It’s a gift just to see you.” _

_ “Oh, cut that out! You’re such a show off!” she laughed, rummaging below. “Maybe I won’t give you your present now.” _

_ “Aw, c’mon!” Zack whined, putting his chin in both hands while he pouted. “I’m not that bad, am I?” _

_ She popped up from behind and snorted at his pout. “You try too hard sometimes, Zack Fair,” she said, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. “Trust me, I don’t need to be impressed.” _

_ Aerith’s smile grew soft as she tucked a sunflower, bright and in full bloom, behind his ear. It reflected yellow back in his face, and he couldn’t help but beam even wider, so much it made his face hurt. “So, are you getting assigned somewhere soon?” she asked. _

_ Zack’s smile faded. “Yeah, in a couple days,” he replied.  _

_ “How long will you be gone?” _

_ “I don’t know yet. They said two weeks, but it might be a month.” _

_ She pursed her lips in thought. “Can I write you?” she asked.  _

_ “Sure.” _

_ She nodded, glancing down at her nails before looking back to him. “Can I kiss you?”  _

_ This time, she didn’t wait for a response…) _

Zack was brought back to the present by Sephiroth half-heartedly singing the chorus, down the octave.  _ “Would it last forever? Oh, you and I together…”  _ He coughed, the smoke in the room becoming palpable. “Open the window…”

Zack was closest, and cracked the window right beside the CD rack. “How do you even get away with this?” he remarked, taking in a deep breath of fresh air before he sat down.  _ That was our first kiss,  _ he thought, ears tuned in as the song’s lyrics repeated themselves.  _ The first of many.  _

“Fuck, this is a smoking building, no one cares,” Genesis replied, blowing more smoke right above his head. He stared at the ceiling for a second, then chuckled to himself. “Shit…”

Angeal had one eye on Genesis, then shook his head and returned his focus to Zack. “Anyway, what do you think? You like it?”

Zack nodded as the pre-chorus came around once again:

_ “Well, I toss and turn all night thinking of your ways of your affection, _ __  
_ But to find that there’s no difference at all. _ _  
_ __ Well, I throw away my past mistakes and contemplate my future…”

“Yeah,” he answered finally, with a smirk. “How’d you know?”

Angeal winked. “Just a guess. Figured it’d be up your alley.” He took a drink of his beer, then rolled his head over toward Sephiroth. “Ultimately, you’ll have to run it through Seph, if he wants to give it up.”

“I don’t care,” he replied. His speech had slowed considerably, and lacked its normal edge. “I mean, I don’t care about  _ this _ one. Take it.”

_ I could actually get used to this Sephiroth,  _ Zack thought.  _ Wonder if this was what Genesis meant by “he’ll chill out eventually”.  _  “Thanks,” he said. “So, that’s one…”

The song ended, and picked up into a heavier, chugging guitar rhythm, and he chose to tune it out. “This is too heavy,” Genesis mumbled, still staring at the ceiling. “If you...hey, Zack…”

“What?” 

“When you’re done...look for  _ Just For A Day…” _

“Shit, you’re really going for it, aren’t you,” Angeal grumbled. “I know where it is…”

Zack looked back just in time to watch Genesis’ head roll onto Sephiroth’s shoulder with his eyes barely open; the latter completely undisturbed.  _ How many hits has he had?  _ He looked back down at the CDs, flipping through covers. A red washed picture of a woman covering her face, two twins laughing at something off camera, a fish-eye lens view of a woman holding a lantern in front of a tree, a yellowed x-ray of a broken skeleton.  _ Hm, what’s this? The Smiths, huh.  _ It was titled “ _ Best...I”  _ and featured a woman smoking a cigarette at a diner. Zack held it up, flipping open the cover. “Anything good on this one?” he asked. 

There was no reply, but the sticky note on the inside listed “1, 7?, 8”. “Guess we’ll find out with this first track,” Zack sighed. He paused the music and switched the CDs, the spinning whir of the disc whining in the silence. 

The track started with a heavily chorused guitar riff, playing into a busy bassline and swung rhythm section. “Hey, hey…!” Zack exclaimed. “This sounds cool…”

He heard Genesis muttering behind him, punctuated by a giggle. “Gen, stop that,” Sephiroth replied. 

“What?” He giggled again. 

Zack turned slowly--his fingers were now wrapped in Sephiroth’s long, silver hair.  _ I have never heard him giggle in my life,  _ he thought, raising an eyebrow.  _ It’s a little unsettling.  _ As soon as he realized Zack was staring (which took some time, all things considered), Genesis withdrew into his own personal space. “It’s true,” he continued. “Oh, shit, I’d love to play this again…”

_ “I’m just a country boy, who never knew his place, _ __  
_ He said, return the ring, _ _  
_ __ He knows so much about these things…”

Zack's ears perked up. _A country boy._ He scooted closer to the stereo in order to hear better. “Yeah, me too. Reminds me of our jazz days,” Angeal commented.  _ This sound is so cool,  _ he thought. 

_ “This charming man…”  _

He smirked,

_ (“Ready to go?” _

_ Cloud nodded, instinctively reaching his arms around his waist, but hesitated, resting at the grab bars. “Sorry…” _

_ “You can hold on to me, it’s okay,” Zack replied. “I might need you to later, if we pick up speed.” _

_ Catching him in the side view mirror, his head was bowed down at the ground, but he still gingerly held him by the waist. “Relax,” he said, patting his thigh. “You’re fine.”) _

bobbing his head to the beat. “Damn, I’m feeling this one too,” he said. 

“Are you now?” Genesis remarked. He grasped for his pipe, but it eluded him despite being right by his thigh. 

The song was surprisingly short, and Zack fumbled to hit rewind on the stereo to play it again. “Yeah, it’s cool! We could do something more...crunchy with the guitars, or something.” 

“Why didn't you want to do this one, Seph?” Angeal asked. “We practiced it a lot, but you never wanted to sing it.”

Sephiroth had rescued Genesis’ pipe from right beside him to put it back in his hand, and had a delayed headshake to answer Angeal. “I didn’t really...connect with the lyrics,” he replied.

Genesis burst out in full out laughter. “Holy  _ shit!”  _ he cried, the pipe flying out from his fingers again. “Don’t you...you fuckin’...” He rose to his feet and wobbled, still wheezing with laughter. “I have some...some  _ evidence  _ to prove otherwise.”

Sephiroth’s eyes widened as he leaned forward. “Oh Christ, Gen, not  _ that  _ again…”

“Zack hasn’t heard this  _ gem,”  _ he insisted, taking measured steps to the kitchen. Sephiroth only sighed, wiping his hand from his forehead all the way down to his mouth. Within a minute, Genesis reemerged with the entire answering machine, squinting as he hit the button to rewind the tape inside. “Just...a second…”

The tape clicked, and he pressed play, holding the machine out for everyone to hear. Zack instinctively turned the knob down on the stereo, his mouth open in amusement. The tape played:

_ “Hey, uh, Genesis? This is Sephiroth Cetra, from division six? I just wanted to let you know...I passed my exam, and I’m going to be in SOLDIER!”  _ A nervous chuckle.  _ He sounds so young,  _ Zack mused.  _ How old is this tape?  _

Sephiroth’s head was in his hands, underneath Genesis’ smug gaze.  _ “I wanted...to thank you for helping me out this whole time. I-I don’t think I could’ve done it without you.”  _ There was a pause, and some noise over the line.  _ “I gotta go, but maybe tomorrow, we could go out to celebrate or something? Okay, see you. And...thanks again.” _

The tape clicked, and Genesis started to giggle again, simply setting the answering machine on the floor (still connected to the phone, which was nowhere to be seen). He stumbled back onto the beanbag, kicking his legs up. “That’s my favorite message,” he purred. 

“I know it is,” Sephiroth groaned, his head still in his hands. “You’ve mentioned it about five hundred  _ fucking times.”  _

“I’ve never heard him so humble,” Angeal teased. “We might never get that again.”

“Shut  _ up,”  _ Sephiroth protested weakly. 

_ Neither have I,  _ Zack thought. He sighed, breathing in a little too deeply, and coughed to the side.  _ Aerith’s going to kill me when I come back smelling like weed. Speaking of which… _ “Hey, so if I want to take these home to practice…”

“Oh, right…” Genesis was leaning on Sephiroth’s shoulder again. “You can just...take the CDs…”

“I don’t have a CD player.”

“What?” It was long and drawn out, then he waved his hand at Angeal. “Ange, can you get a blank tape from my room? I don’t...I don’t think I can get up again…”

“You’re  _ flying,  _ my friend,” Angeal scoffed, sighing as he heaved himself off the couch and walked behind it back into Genesis’ bedroom. 

As soon as he left, Genesis tilted his head right into Sephiroth’s ear, speaking at a volume that Zack couldn’t discern. This time, he didn’t brush him away, instead turning into it to respond.  _ I feel like I’m...intruding.  _ With a shake of his head, he turned back to the stereo, setting the two jewel cases right beside him.  _ Three songs for me to sing.  _ He hit rewind, scooting closer to the speaker.  _ “On two bicycles...hillside desolate,”  _ he sang quietly to himself.  _ “Will nature make a man of me yet?”  _

_ Damn, what time is it?  _ He rolled his shoulders back.  _ I’ve got this creeping feeling… _

“Here you go.” Angeal tapped him on the shoulder with the blank tape, and Zack took it wordlessly. “Just pop it in, back up the CD, and hit record.”

“Got it, thanks.”  _ That’s what it is. I’m feeling lonely.  _ He sighed as he slid the tape in the cartridge, pausing the CD to back up to the top of the track. With a click, he hit the record button on the tape first, then play on the CD.  _ Haven’t felt like this since I was last stationed, and it’s been a while.  _

He closed his eyes, and the first image that came to his head was Aerith and Cloud, watching at the rehearsal earlier that day.  _ You know, I ought to just write Cloud off on weekends, so we can all hang out together. I’m 1st now, I can do that. Give the kid a break from the daily grind.  _

As the song ended, Angeal’s voice cut through the haze of smoke and dim lighting. “Hey, cut it out, you two...don’t give me that!”

Zack ejected the CD, trading it for the other one, only briefly glancing behind him. The scene was largely as he left it, although Sephiroth was looking even more spaced out than before. “What’s the big deal…?” Genesis whined, still shouldered right next to him.

“At least wait until Zack and I leave,” he groaned. “ _ Christ.” _

Zack scanned ahead to the right track and unpaused the tape, the motor whirring back into gear as the Green Day song played.  _ Wonder if she’ll even be up when I call. She...stays up for this kind of thing, most of the time.  _ The three continued to chatter behind him. “You’re loading up  _ again? _ How much higher do you want to be?” “This...this isn’t for me...it’s for Seph.” “He says as he takes the first hit…” 

Sephiroth’s voice cut through them.  _ “Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess…” _

Zack shook his head as Genesis wheezed. “Now...now you’re speaking my language…”

The song faded out, and Zack stopped the tape, immediately ejecting it and yanking it out of the stereo. “There, I’m all good,” he said, shoving it into his back pocket. “Now, what’s that CD you wanted to put on?”

As he stood up to address the CD rack, Angeal intercepted him. “I’ll get it,” he said, then muttered close into his ear. “Guessing you’ve had enough, huh?”

“Yup.” Genesis was currently braiding a strand of Sephiroth’s hair as the latter took another, long drawl off the bowl. “Where’s the phone?”

“In the kitchen. Uh...take the answering machine with you.”

Zack walked across the living room, scooping the answering machine into his arms as he looped into the kitchen. It was closed off to the rest of the living room, and he found the counter where the phone lived to be almost immediately beside the entryway.  _ So...why didn’t he put it back? Oh well, who cares.  _ He set it down and picked up the phone, dialing his number with impressive speed. 

_ Ring… _

The line picked up almost immediately.  _ “Hello~!”  _

Zack grinned. “Hey, baby.”

_ “Hi. How’s your night going?” _

“Okay.” His tone was low, quiet. “Got a couple of cool songs picked out. Gen has a  _ massive  _ CD collection.”

_ “Neat. Anything interesting happen so far?” _

“Well…” Zack peered out of the kitchen--Genesis had finally separated himself from Sephiroth’s shoulder, but he still had one hand on his thigh. “Kind of. I’ll tell you more when I get back.”

_ “Ooh, that’ll be fun.”  _

_ Fun for you, maybe.  _ “One of the songs I picked made me think of you.”

_ “Aw, you’re so sweet.”  _ She giggled on the line.

Zack leaned hard against the counter, hoping the jab in his hip would dull the pang in his chest. “I miss you,” he said.

_ “Aw, sweetie...come home, then. I’ll be waiting.”  _

_ She always says the same thing, even if I’m hundreds of miles away.  _ “I’m going to,” he replied. “I’ll be there in a half an hour, okay?

_ “Okay, sunflower. I’ll leave the light on for you.” _

“Thanks, babe.” He kissed the air. “See you soon.”

_ “Bye-bye.” _

Zack hung up the phone, just in time for an eerie, heavily padded beat to emerge from the stereo. “Yeah, that’s good,” Genesis sighed, eyelids fluttering as if in rapture.

_ Jesus.  _ “Well, guys, I’m going to head out,” he announced, clapping his hands together. “It was real.”

“Here, I’ll walk you out,” Angeal said, rubbing Genesis’ head just enough to mess up his hair on his way to the door. “Leave these guys to bake for the night.”

“Fuck off,” Genesis replied thickly, clumsily rearranging his fringe. “Good seeing you, Zack…”

“Yeah. I’ll catch you guys later.” Zack gave him a small wave, before he caught Sephiroth’s eye. It didn’t hold the same intensity as usual, but the brightness of his blue-green stare was still enough to stir some anxiety.

But, Sephiroth only nodded. “Bye, Zack,” he said. “Practice...those songs for next time.”

“Yeah, sure.” 

He followed Angeal out, shutting the door behind him. “You’re lucky,” Angeal sighed as he led him back to the elevator. “Gen used to be  _ worse  _ when we were teens.”

_ “Fucking hell,”  _ Zack swore, scratching the back of his neck and fluffing his hair. “Worse than draping himself all over his friend and braiding his hair?”

“Oh, that’s just Seph,” Angeal dismissed. “I wouldn’t mention it if I were you. Ever.”

“Got it.”  _ You know what? I’m...not even going to ask.  _

He didn’t elaborate further either, pressing the down button on the elevator. “Did you know he did his first SOLDIER exam high as a fucking kite?” he said instead.

Zack gasped. “No fucking  _ way.”  _

“And he  _ passed.  _ I had to take it  _ again.”  _ He crossed his arms, shaking his head with a smirk. “You don’t even  _ know _ how pissed I was.”

“You guys are all still good friends, though.” 

“Oh, yeah. They’re assholes sometimes, but that’s about the scope of it.” Angeal smiled to himself. “We have each other’s backs through thick and thin, y’know?”

The elevator opened up, and Zack walked backward into it. “Yeah.”  _ Yeah, I know that.  _

_ (Cloud) _

_ I know all about that… _

Angeal withdrew a pack of cigarettes from his pocket as well as a lighter as he followed, tapping them against his palm. “Don’t think you’re excluded, either. You’re SOLDIER 1st class like the rest of us. And soon enough, you’ll have that friend of yours...what’s his name?”

“Cloud,” Zack replied immediately. 

“Cloud. He’ll be in our ranks, too.” 

“He will.” He stuffed his hands in his own pockets, leaning against the back wall. “I’m making sure of it.”

“Good.” 

As the numbers ticked down, a thought dawned on Zack. “Hey, why are you coming down with me?”

“I’m going to have a smoke,” Angeal replied, shaking the pack.

“But didn’t Genesis say this was a smoking building?”

“It is,” he said, “but I want some fresh air to go with my tar coated lungs.”

Zack snorted while the elevator dropped them to the ground floor, and he bounced out a half step ahead of Angeal. “Well, I’m going to get going right away, here. My girl’s waiting for me.”

“All right.” He caught up with him to give him a quick hug, then patted his shoulder. “See you tomorrow. Thanks for putting up with those guys.”

“See ya!”

The evening air was gently cool, and stars lined the sky with faint, white light as Zack made his way across the plate.  _ Thanks for putting up with them, huh? It wasn’t that bad. I think I know why Angeal acts the way he does now, though.  _ He sighed, the only sound he could hear being the echo of his boots against the plate, and the rattle of the tape in his pockets.  _ I want to get home quick, though. Aerith’s waiting for me.  _

_ “I’m just a country boy, who never knew his place…”  _ he sang to himself, and began to pick up his pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, an album round up:
> 
> First one Zack comes across is _Nevermind_ by Nirvana. You can listen to ["Going to Pasalacqua" by Green Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6pzDu7ayLw) here, they'll be playing it in a rehearsal too. The other albums he flips through are Third Eye Blind's self-titled debut, _Siamese Dream_ by Smashing Pumpkins, _Core_ by Stone Temple Pilots, and _Smash_ by the Offspring. The album _Just For A Day_ is by Slowdive, a shoegaze group. The Smith's song Zack picks out at the end is ["This Charming Man"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzexP58si0w). 
> 
> All right! I hope you had fun with this chapter--I have no idea where I came up with the idea that Genesis loves getting high, but it's here. If you've been following the [meta blog](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com), this won't be a surprise. Zack's getting that weird, lonely feeling when you hang around someplace where you're not totally comfortable, especially since Gen & Seph are so... _cozy_. Angeal has put up with a lot of shit in his time. A lot. Too much. He's the real MVP.
> 
> Thanks for indulging me with the SOLDIER gang--next chapter, we'll hang out with Zack and Aerith as they visit Tifa!


	12. Flower Delivery

_I wonder what the weather is like above the plate today,_ Aerith thought as she finished writing up the pay out on her register. _I sure would like to get some sun for once._ A basket sat on the counter, overflowing with flowers, and she plucked a lily from it to tuck into her ponytail. _If I can’t get to the real sun above, I’ll just have to bring something close to it--_

A rattle on the door jerked her head up. Zack ducked to look in through the window, waving enthusiastically. _He’s so cute,_ she thought as she giggled, running to the back to snap the lights off in the shop. She skipped back around, snatching the flower basket under her arm, and dashed to the door, immediately running into his arms. “Baby!” she cried.

He laughed, a sound that rang in the streets before he buried it in her hair with a kiss. “How is my beautiful flower girl?” he asked, draping his arms on her shoulders.

“Good.” She stood on her toes, and he met her halfway with a peck on her lips. “I want to walk above the plate today.”

“Okay, we can do that,” Zack said.

His t-shirt was thin, but his particular scent clung to it, and she took a deep breath before finally breaking her embrace. “But first, we have some deliveries to take care of,” she said, holding out the basket. _Wait a second,_ she thought, looking all around him. _I thought that…_

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Where’s Cloud?” she muttered. She turned to lock the shop door behind her, a quick turn of the key. “I thought he’d be with you.”

“Uh...no?” His eyes were wide as he shook his head. “He’s on base finishing up some things. I didn’t want to drag him out early ‘cause--”

“It’s okay,” Aerith interrupted. _But you were thinking about it,_ she mused as he trailed off. “I just...got something for you to give him.” She plucked a white carnation from her basket and twirled it between her fingers.

“We’re going to see him tomorrow, we can make it last ‘til then, right?” he said, running his finger over the petals. “Put it in some water, something like that?”

“Of course we can,” she replied, sticking it back into its place. “I thought of making crowns, but I didn’t have enough time today. So, just flowers for today.” A sunflower was the centerpiece of the basket, and she removed it to slip it behind Zack’s ear. “That’s for you.”

He chuckled, poking the flower before reaching for her free hand. “You know, I was thinking about our first kiss the other night,” he said. He laced their fingers together as they started down the street.

“Oh, really?” She swung their hands as they walked.

“You gave me a flower just like this. It was before I got stationed in the mountains.”

“I remember,” she replied, kissing his bare arm. “It’s been nice having you _here_ for a while.”

“Yeah, I know it. And it’ll probably stay that way for a while unless something huge happens. There are only us four 1sts here in Midgar.”

“Really?” Aerith exclaimed. “That seems really small, for how big HQ is…”

“We’re the best of the best,” Zack said with a wink. “You heard about Sephiroth in Wutai. He staged off a small army by _himself.”_

“I still think that’s bullshit,” she scoffed. “There’s no _way._ He’s only one guy!”

“Look, I asked Angeal about it, and even he says it’s legit. Besides…” Zack paused, staring up at the ceiling of the plate and shaking his head. “They put us through the wringer. It’s not called ‘1st-class’ for nothing.”

Aerith glanced up at him, aware of the distance in his eyes. _You never really talked about what you did in your training,_ she thought. The main boulevard stretched beyond them, cars whirring by and blowing her ponytail back behind her shoulder. _All I know is it’s a lot of endurance work, and then there’s the mako, too. Whatever that’s even supposed to be._

_(glowing, glowing eyes)_

_(“You’re beautiful,” he slurred, laid back on the couch. His hand reached out to touch her face, but it fell short, as if his perspective was unclear. “The most beautiful...woman I’ve ever met. I want to...I…”_

_Zack’s eyes grew wide, fully displaying the eerie, cyan glow, before they rolled back into his head, and his whole body went limp. His head lolled to the side, and the hand that tried to reach her flopped onto his chest. “Z-Zack?” she asked, tentatively. She shook him, and he didn’t stir._ Angeal said this would be normal, _she told herself, even as a chill ran down her spine…)_

“Babe?”

She looked up, his face painted in innocent concern, his eyes their standard blue, and thankfully not glowing. “Hm? Nothing,” she replied, flashing a smile. “I was just thinking. Hey, it’s right up here.”

Aerith tugged him down the alley where 7th Heaven stood, picking up her pace. “Oh, I see. You want to visit _her,_ don’t you?”

“Of course!” she chirped, adrenaline pricking through to her fingertips. “See, I even got her a rose!”

“A rose for her and not for me?” Zack pouted.

“Oh, you big puppy,” she replied, sticking her tongue out. “You get a _special_ flower, because you’re my sunflower.” She reached up to poke the petals as he giggled, a flush blossoming on his face. “But this is different.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s different,” he sighed, scratching the back of his neck. _We’ve talked about this before, because it’s part of who I am. But, it hasn’t been put into action yet._ Aerith held her breath as she opened up the door to the bar. _I think he can handle it. I trust him._

Tifa was heading the bar today, once again mostly empty, save for Vincent at his usual spot. There was a distinct difference, however--Marlene was standing on the stool next to him, running her hands through his long, ratty hair. She had managed to sloppily braid a small section before her head jerked up at the company. “Hi!” she exclaimed, waving.

“Hey there!” Aerith let go of Zack’s hand to bound over to the bar, fishing through her basket. She brought out another pink carnation and held it out to her. “I have a present for you.”

“Hooray! More flowers!” she cheered, sticking it behind her ear.

“Marlene, why don’t you head back upstairs,” Tifa suggested, her tone light, but the smile on her face tense. “Give Vincent a rest. I’ll have your daddy go right up when he’s done downstairs.”

“Aw, okay.” She tossed Vincent’s hair a couple more times in her palms before jumping off the barstool. “Bye-bye, mister! Bye, Aerith! Bye--oops!”

As she walked backward, the flower fell out from her ear and rolled onto the floor. Zack was first to grab it, kneeling down as he gave it back to her. “Here you go, kiddo,” he said with sunny grin.

 _He’s so sweet with everyone,_ Aerith thought as Marlene nodded to him. “Thank you!” she sang, spinning on one heel and running up the stairs. As she did so, Vincent resituated himself on the barstool, not bothering to take out the small braids Marlene made.

Aerith pulled up a seat right beside him. “I didn’t forget about you,” she said, pulling a red carnation from her basket. She snaked it behind his ear, the bright red in dull contrast to the pallor of his face. “And now you have a pretty braid to match!”

Vincent nodded, lifting his head up just enough to see what could be construed as a very, very faint smile on his face. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

Tifa sighed as if she had been holding her breath for an hour. “I’m sorry about Marlene--” she started, but Vincent only shook his head with a wave of his gold, clawed hand. “O-okay. All right.”

Aerith leaned over the counter, now with Zack on her other side. _I should probably wait a few before I give her the flower,_ she thought as Tifa got herself a glass of water. _She’s pretty tense as it is. No need to fluster her anymore right away._ “How are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m f-fine,” she replied. “Sorry, I--”

“You need to relax, Tifa,” Aerith interrupted as she turned around. “You’ll know when you’ve tested Vincent’s patience.”

“Of course I know! He almost ripped Cloud’s arm off!” She froze before whipping her head down over to Vincent in fear. “S-sorry, but you did!”

 _Wonder what that was about,_ she thought, choosing to keep her mouth shut. _Cloud had both of his arms last time we saw him, so...must’ve been the night he was here._

He only shook his head, grumbling under his breath. In the meantime, Zack waved to make himself known. “I’m Zack, this one’s boyfriend--” He tilted his head far enough to knock it against Aerith’s. “--and Cloud’s friend. Good to meet you, finally.”

“Oh, you’re Zack! He talks about you all the time,” Tifa remarked, her shoulders relaxing a little as she set her water glass down on the bar. “He really thinks the world of you.”

“Really? Aw…” He chuckled, glancing down, and Aerith watched his ears turn a deeper shade of pink. “I’m just keeping an eye out for him, y’know?”

“But, it’s good.” She pointed between the two of them. “Can I get you guys anything?”

Aerith tapped her finger to her lips, trying not to dwell on the neat, bow shape of Tifa’s own. “You guys don’t have ice cream, do you?” she asked. “I’m craving a root beer float.”

“This is a _bar,”_ Zack said, but reached into his pocket and withdrew a handful of gil. “Tell you what. We’ll get a big mug of root beer to split, and if you’re still craving it, we can go to the soda shop and get you a float.”

Aerith clapped her hands together. “Yay!” she cried, kissing his cheek.

Tifa giggled as she spun around, grabbing a mug off the rack. Aerith felt Zack slip his arm around her waist, and she leaned against his shoulder as she watched her get their soda. “So, are you excited for tomorrow?” she asked.

“Oh, shit!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “I almost forgot--!”

“You _forgot?”_ Aerith replied as Tifa slid their mug on the bar, complete with two straws. “You forgot about your hot date?”

Tifa bit her lip and stared up at the ceiling, her fingernails gripping her upper arm. “I...don’t know if I would call Cloud a ‘hot date’...”

 _Are you sure about that?_ Aerith grinned with the straw between her teeth. “I was referring to me.”

_“Oh.”_

Zack snorted. “She’s quite a catch,” he said, pinching her waist. “I can confirm.”

“I-I bet,” Tifa said, rattling her bangles on the bar as she played with them, unable to meet either of their eyes. _She is so cute,_ Aerith thought, sneaking a side eye up to Zack, who was still relaxed. “I finally found something to wear, but I hope it’s not too fancy…”

“You’ll be fine,” Aerith said, waving her hand. “Don’t worry too much about that.”

She smiled, shy and half hidden behind her bangs, and she twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers. “I’m going to get a hold of Cloud tonight, about when to get there and everything--”

“Oh, about that…” Zack interrupted. “He’s going to be heading out with me tomorrow night, to get ready at our place.”

“He is?” Aerith asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t get to tell you,” he chuckled. “Ah, I wrote him off for the weekend, and told him he could stay with us…”

Aerith nodded slowly. “I see,” she said. _God, you’ve really taken him under your wing, haven’t you?_ A sheepishness had fallen over his standard grin, rare to see. _I wonder when you’ll realize._

_That’s for you to find out…_

“N-not a big deal, is it?” he asked.

“Well, you’ve already done it,” Aerith replied, sticking her tongue out. “But, no, it’s not. After all, we told him he was welcome anytime.” She took another sip of root beer before turning back to Tifa. “Same goes for you, too!”

She blinked, in the middle of reaching for Vincent’s empty glass. “Huh?”

“Do you want to come over to our place beforehand?” Aerith asked. “To get ready?”

“O-oh, no, I probably can’t,” she said, shaking her head and taking the glass to the sink. “I mean, it’s lucky enough that I’m getting the night off, I don’t think I could sneak out any earlier.”

“Aw, what a shame,” Aerith lamented. She reached into the flower basket on her lap and found the rose just by skimming her fingers over the petals. “Barret’s working you hard, huh?”

“It’s not _that_ bad,” she insisted. “We are the only ones here, and it hasn’t gotten overwhelming yet. Besides, I need the money.”

“Don’t we all,” Zack commented.

Tifa nodded. Her head rolled to one shoulder, hair slipping from a curl on her shoulder completely over her chest. Her white t-shirt was tight, riding up to reveal her belly button above her jeans, but at the time, she was oblivious to it. Aerith sighed to herself and pulled the rose from her basket, placing it on the bar right in front of her. “That’s for you,” she said.

“O-oh!” She picked it up gingerly between two fingers, showcasing chipped blue nail polish. “It’s...beautiful.”

Her voice lilted, as if she were singing the word, and Aerith swallowed. “There aren’t any thorns on it, so you don’t have to worry about getting poked.”

Tifa twirled it between her fingers, staring into the flower for a moment, before back over to Aerith. “Thanks,” she said. Her smile started out small, but soon grew wide across her face. _Such a pretty smile...ah._

Zack squeezed Aerith around her middle. “See, your flowers make everyone happy!” he said, kissing her temple. Along the way, he trailed his lips down to her ear as Tifa became preoccupied with tying her hair up into a high ponytail. It showed off the silver hoops on her ears, and the roundness of her cheeks compared to the slope of her neck. “Baby, you’re blushing…” he whispered.

 _Uh-oh._ “Shh!” Aerith hushed, tickling his stomach. “Stop that!”

“Hey, hey, _you_ stop!” Zack laughed, squirming in the barstool. “Why do you _always_ have to go for my weak spots--!?”

“Because I _know_ them.” She found it hard to keep her focus, however, as her eyes kept wandering back over to Tifa. She had slipped the flower into the top of her ponytail, the red rose bright against her dark brown hair. Aerith’s fingers wriggled at Zack’s middle again. “And therefore, have to _exploit_ them.”

Zack feebly tried to swat her away through his giggling _(cute, cute giggling, I never knew anyone could smile and laugh so much),_ while Tifa covered up her own amusement with her hand over her mouth. _God, I’m going to die,_ Aerith thought, desperately trying to bite back her own huge, wide grin. _Imagine, imagine if I can even pull this off!_

_Zack and Tifa…_

_A sunflower and a rose…_

“Hey, hands to yourself, you two!” Barret’s heavy stomping from below the wooden stairs, as well as his bellow, snapped Zack and Aerith back into their own spaces. The stairs were located at the opposite end of the bar, through a trap door that could barely be noticed until it was opened. To their relief, though, he was grinning, and he walked around the other side to clap Zack on the shoulder. “Fair, how’ve you been? Long time, no see.”

“Not too shabby,” Zack replied, hanging his arm back around Aerith’s shoulder. “Made 1st not too long ago, been keeping an eye on my girl and playing guitar with some of the other SOLDIER…” He trailed off, pointing to the trap door. “Has that _always_ been there?”

“Oh, yeah. Used to be a wine cellar, I reckon.” He cracked his knuckles as he whirled behind the counter. “I spruced it up, it’s like a little apartment down there. Saves a hell of a lot on rent.”

“I bet.” Zack sucked the last bit of root beer from the mug, the caramel color draining only to reveal the ice leftover.

“Barret?” Tifa said, hands on her hips. “I told Marlene you’d go and see her once you were done...”

“Don’t you want a break?” he asked. “Nice flower.”

“I gave it to her,” Aerith blurted out, withdrawing a marigold from her basket. She also winked over at Tifa, who looked down and flipped her ponytail behind her back. “I got one for everyone, you too!”

“Of course you did,” Barret chuckled. He took the flower, dwarfed in his hands, and went to the sink. “I remember when you came in here with a whole wagon full!”

“Well, I was trying to sell those ones.” _Was that before or after I started living at the church? It was before Zack, but…_ Her smile faded a little against her lips. _Was I still on the streets?_

_(4th alley in Sector 2, only a blanket and a basket full of clothes to my name)_

_I’m almost glad it's fuzzy._ She nestled herself closer into Zack’s shoulder. _But you never really forget how lonely and cold cement feels when you’re trying to sleep, or that persistent fluorescent haze that dominates the slums..._

“It hasn’t been that busy,” Tifa insisted, breaking Aerith’s thoughts. _It doesn’t matter now,_ she mused. _I’m fine, now._ We’re _fine, now._ Tifa’s eyes kept flicking over to her, and she kept track of every glance. _God, I’m glad you didn’t have to suffer through all that. That’s why I told you to come here._  

“Maybe so, but I need you for when it _does_ later tonight,” Barret grunted. He filled a whiskey glass with water and let the marigold rest in it, perching it on the back of the bar. _I knew Barret would be able to help._ After he made sure it was stable on its shelf, he turned back toward Tifa with a frown, itching his arm right above his prosthetic. “So, take an hour, call your boyfriend, do whatever you need to do.”

“Cloud’s not my boyfriend…” she mumbled, mostly to herself as she paced out from behind the counter. She stopped right behind Zack and Aerith, and both of them spun on their stools to follow her. “W-well, I’m gonna...go up and take a breather, I guess.”

 _There’s that little drawl._ “Okay, then,” Aerith said. “We’ll be seeing you tomorrow!”

“Yeah…!” She nodded with a little smirk, her hands clasped behind her back. “Thanks again for the flower. I’ll keep it...um, I’ll keep it good…”

Aerith giggled. “I know you will!”

“Hey, you’re going to call Cloud?” Zack said, hopping off the stool with both hands on Aerith’s shoulders. “Tell him I said hi, okay?”

“What?” Aerith tipped her head back into his chest. “Zack, you _literally_ saw him an hour ago.”

He tilted his head, blinking his bright blue eyes. “I can still say hi, can’t I?”

“You really are a puppy.” _A puppy with a crush…_ “Fine, tell him _we_ said hi. And we’ll see him tomorrow, too.”

“Okay.” She waved to them, her bangle bracelets jingling on her wrist. “Later!”

Aerith watched as she disappeared up the stairs, tugging her shirt down only for it to ride up again as she went. She let out an exaggerated sigh, nuzzling back into Zack’s chest. “Isn’t she adorable?” she said.

“She is cute, just like you said, babe.” He kissed the top of her head. “What do you say we go see the sun before it goes down? Unless you still want that root beer float.”

“No, I think I’ll be okay.” She jumped off the barstool, taking his arm immediately while using the other to wave at the ones left at the bar. “Take care, you two!”

Vincent nodded, ever so slightly. “Have a good one!” Barret called out the door, just before it shut behind them.

On the street, Aerith bumped her hip into Zack. “So?” she asked. “How’re you feeling?”

“Hm? I’m good,” he replied, unlinking their arms so he could hold her hand.

“Even after all that?”

“All what?”

“You _know_ what I mean. Are you going to be okay with this?”

He took a couple strides ahead of her, grabbing her other hand and walking backwards. Her flower basket--now with only a single, white carnation--dangled off the crease of her elbow. “Aerith,” he said, even and measured, enough to make her heart stutter. “I love you to the moon and back. And as long you do too, that’s all that matters to me.”

She sighed the breath she was holding. _Most people would find this strange, repulsive even. Not only do I have my eye on someone else, but another girl._ Zack’s eyes were gentle on her, as was his smile. _But...you aren’t like most people, are you, Zack Fair?_ “I love you too,” Aerith replied, stopping dead in the sidewalk and pulling him flush against her. “You big sap.”

Zack simply shook his head, then bent down and kissed her--a kiss hushed and soft on her lips, far more intimate than their surroundings allowed for. _I’m so grateful for you,_ she thought, as the echo of cars driving down the road rang in her ears. _Everything you do, everything you are, and everything you want to be._

_(“Aerith, please,” he said, holding both of her hands in his as rain hammered on the plate above. “Let me take care of you. You don’t need to be living in that church basement anymore…”_

_“Zack…”_

_“Please.” Zack kissed her hands, never breaking eye contact with her. “I want you to be happy, more than anything--”_

_“But I am,” she interrupted. “Because of you.”)_

He broke the kiss, pausing to keep her at eye level with a wry grin. “So,” he muttered. “Do you want her to kiss you like that, too?”

Aerith gasped, feeling heat rise to her face. “Hey! One step at a time!” she exclaimed, jumping back as he laughed. _You make every day so much brighter,_ she thought as they started to walk back out of the alley, laughter still bubbling in her chest. _And..._

_...you accept that my heart always has room for more._

* * *

 

Cloud's voice crackled with static on the line. _“Tifa?”_

“Hm?” She twirled the rose beneath her nose as she laid back on the bed, phone in the crook of her shoulder.

 _“Everything okay?”_ Cloud asked, his voice hushed. _“You’ve been kind of quiet.”_

“Oh, yeah. I’m okay.” She inhaled deeply, the floral scent sending a rush to her head. “Oh yeah, Zack and Aerith stopped by today. I-I know you probably already saw Zack today, but they both said hi.”

 _“Yeah, I did,”_ he replied with a chuckle. _“That’s cool. I’m…”_ He paused. _“I’m...excited that we all get to hang out together tomorrow.”_

Still, his tone was low, as if he were confiding a secret, but Tifa nodded, and replied in the same likeness. “Me too,” she said, brushing the rose petals against her face. “It should be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got into Aerith's history a little more than I intended to this chapter. That's all right, though! Vincent is the soul of patience when it comes to kids--this probably isn't the first time Marlene's played with his hair. Zack and Aerith are super sweet...
> 
> Anyway, I've missed Cloud, haven't you? I'll probably take his POV next chapter, when we get the whole gang together for the semi-formal! Stay tuned!


	13. Gala: Preparation, Arrival

“Hello!” Zack called, as he and Cloud entered the apartment. “Sweetie, you here?”

“Yes~!” Her voice echoed from the closed bedroom door, while Cloud unloaded his backpack onto the floor with a thud. As he opened it up, revealing a mess of clothes and two large binders, his clammy fingers slipped on the zippers. _Damn it, I could really use a cigarette right now,_ he thought. He dug through the disheveled pile and managed to pull out a blue dress shirt with slacks to go with it. _I’ve been good though. I haven’t been tempted to buy another pack, or bum one off anyone else...but damn, if anyone offered, I’d take it in a second._

When he glanced back up, Aerith had emerged from the bedroom, sporting a pale pink sundress with thin straps, fitted at the breast and billowing out after it hit her waist. Rare to see was her hair down--full of volume and wavy as it flowed over her back. She spun around to twirl her dress once before falling into Zack’s arms. “Ta-da!” she said, kicking her leg up. “How was work?”

Zack beamed at her, taking his baseball hat off and mashing it over her head. “Good.” He kissed her nose. “Things are going pretty quickly--I forgot this rookie group’s called a ‘pilot’ because it’s accelerated. Guess they want some new blood fast.”

“Ohh,” Aerith replied, twisting the hat around so it was backwards, then turning to wave to Cloud. “How’s it going, Cloud?”

“O-okay.” He managed a smile, draping the wrinkled shirt and slacks over his arm. “Say, ah, where should I change…?”

“Wherever’s cool,” Zack replied, already in the middle of stripping his t-shirt over his head. “We’re all friends here!”

Cloud watched Zack’s bare back disappear into the bedroom, noting the way his jeans sat on his hips. _Yeah, I guess we are._ Taking another look at his dress wear, he pulled his own t-shirt off, leaving a white tanktop underneath, and shook out his button down. _I haven’t been to anything fancy like this since I was in school._ He swallowed and rolled his shoulders back before tossing it over his arms. The fabric was scratchy against his arms, and tight around the back. “So stiff,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “I wish I didn’t have to wear this…”

“Huh?” Zack strolled back out, with a pastel pink shirt this time, but only briefs on his bottom. He snickered as he glanced over Cloud. “What, would you rather wear a dress?”

His fingers flinched over the buttons

_(maybe I would,_

_something flowing and pretty--)_

as he choked out a cough of a laugh. “Ah…” But, he found he couldn’t say anything

_(sissy terrible excuse for a boy how will anyone think you’re strong enough when you want to be--)_

in response, fumbling to continue buttoning his shirt over his chest.

_“Zack!”_ Aerith’s voice carried sharp and stern as she stepped out of the bathroom, sans hat. “Don’t be a dick!”

Zack jerked back, frozen in place. “What? I was just kidding around--”

She rolled her eyes and stormed out, poking him right in the chest. “Not like that,” she scolded. “Cloud can wear whatever he wants if it makes him comfortable.”

“Babe, I know--”

“Don’t you ‘babe’ me!”

“A-Aerith, it’s okay…” Cloud stammered in protest. “H-he was just--”

“No, it’s not!” she insisted, her green eyes weighing heavy on his face. _She sounds just like he did back then, when that guy teased me._ A chill ran through him

_(she knows)_

while she whirled back on Zack, who hadn’t budged, staring with his mouth open. “So, be nice. Okay?” She cocked her head sharp enough to bounce her hair, before skipping back to the bathroom.

_Aerith,_ Cloud thought, slowly unbuttoning his jeans. _You’re..._

Silence fell between them for a moment, and only when faint humming emerged from the bathroom did Zack budge from his place. “Ah,” he started, wandering around the couch and scratching under his hair on the back of his neck. “S-sorry, about that, man…”

“I--really, it’s not a big deal…” Cloud replied.

Zack shook his head, sighing through his lips. “No, I mean it. I _can_ be a dick sometimes. I used to be no better than that guy who called you...er, _that_ when I was in your barracks last week.”

The memory surfaced easily. _I can’t believe that. There’s no way._ Cloud scrunched his eyebrows as he stared directly into Zack’s face. “Wha--”

“I’m just careless, that’s all,” he said, even his small smirk apologetic. “Aerith’s taught me a lot since we’ve been together. About respecting people, no matter what. And here I am, supposed to be lookin’ out for you!”

He reached out and ruffled his hair, his hand briefly touching the side of his face for a split second--just long enough for Cloud to daydream whether it was intentional or not. _You are, you are,_ he thought, nodding and smirking. _Even if you think you’re careless, you’ve…_

_(don’t get your hopes up)_

_...given me everything I’ve ever wanted, from a friend._ “I-it’s fine,” he said.

Zack nodded, then poked at his earring, gently jingling the ring in the wolf’s mouth. “Hey, I wanted to ask you about this. It’s cool.”

“H-huh?” Instinctively, he tugged at the earring, the metal cool against the heat building in his face. “Oh, I’ve had it for a while now. I just, ah, liked the design. I like...I like wolves.”

“Nice,” Zack chuckled. “That sure is a big piece of metal though, isn’t it heavy?”

Cloud leaned over to pick up his pants. “It’s not so bad, you get used--”

The fabric stretched against his back, and as he brought his shoulders in, there was a loud ripping sound. _“Fuck,”_ Cloud cursed, righting himself immediately and feeling behind the crease of his armpit. Sure enough, a hole big enough for him to fit three fingers in had emerged right at the seams. _Of course this would happen. Of course._ Frustration tightened his chest as he grit his teeth. “Damn it, this is the only shirt I brought with me…”

“Shit,” Zack muttered, bending down to examine it. “Yeah, that’s pretty noticeable…”

“What happened?” Aerith poked out, her face pale with foundation.

“His shirt ripped,” Zack replied, backing up. “Hang on, I think I’ve got this. Take that off.”

Cloud did as he was told, taking it off quicker than it went on. “What, are you looking for one of your shirts?” Aerith called. She left the door open as she continued to powder her face.

“Yeah, I’ve got some old stuff in the closet,” Zack replied. “Cloud, what size do you usually wear?”

“Uh, small most of the time, sometimes medium…”

_“Jesus,_ really? Well…”

Clattering continued as Cloud shuffled off his jeans, hopping into his slacks. _I’m glad I brought a belt. These are a little loose on me still._ He buttoned them just in time for Zack to reemerge with a pastel dress shirt on a hanger, much less wrinkly than his previous shirt. “Hope you like purple,” he said, handing it over and rushing back into the bedroom. “Try that on. Honey, did you hang up my pants?”

“They should be right in the closet,” Aerith replied. “Where they’re supposed to be.”

“Man, I swore I took ‘em out last night...oh yeah, there they are!”

Gingerly, Cloud removed the shirt from its hanger, unbuttoning the one button that held it together, and pulled it over his shoulders. _It smells like him,_ he thought, desperately trying to stifle the dizzy feeling building in his head. It draped off his arms, and even when he finished buttoning it, the shirt fell down over his crotch. “Uh, Zack?” he said, the sleeves falling over his hands. “This is too big…”

“Really?” He zipped his pants as he strode out, belt over his shoulder. “Well, it’s not... _too_ bad, I guess...damn, and that’s only a medium--”

“Let me see.” A click of a makeup cap resounded before Aerith came out. “Oh, you need to tuck it in, that’s why. See, if you do this--”

She bounced over around him, unbuttoning his pants and forcing the excess down around them. “H-hey!” Cloud exclaimed, lifting up his arms. He whipped his head over to Zack for some kind of help, but he only watched with his hands on his hips. _Does she always do this?_ She was efficient, however, and as soon as she was done, she immediately moved on to his sleeves. “And then, if you roll these up...like this…” Aerith muttered.

“Th-thanks, Mom…” Cloud mumbled, so low that the syllables could barely be discerned.

Unfortunately, Aerith indeed picked them out, and chuckled in reply. “Is that _sass_ I hear from you?” she asked, her voice dripping with a teasing lilt.

“Ho!” Zack jeered, circling around him. “That’s looking a lot better, though. I can't even tell it's big on you.”

Aerith adjusted his collar, patting his chest once with a grin. “There! Now you’re ready.”

“Lemme get a closer look.” Zack squared up in front of Cloud, cocking his head as his eyes wandered over him. “Nice. You’re gonna wow Tifa,” he remarked.

“You think...you think so?” Cloud replied. He took a deep breath, face and shoulders relaxing. _Could I ever wow you? Tifa always outshines me, anyway…_

“Oh, yeah.” He flashed him another grin, accompanied by a wink. The pink of Zack’s shirt was the right shade to match the flush in his cheeks, the playful dance in his eyes. _I am hopeless,_ Cloud thought, rolling his tongue over in his mouth. _I just love setting myself up for disappointment. Every...every God damn time._

“Okay, I’m all set in there, if you guys need to do anything,” Aerith said, tying her hair back with a bright pink ribbon.

“Aw, I was hoping you’d keep your hair down,” Zack lamented, wandering to her and placing his hand at the small of her back.

“Honey, it’s going to be a _million_ degrees in there, and I don’t need a blanket on my back.” She fluffed the ribbon so it was full, then stood on her toes to look over Zack’s face with a wry grin. “Do _you_ want any makeup?”

“Huh? N-no, not me,” Zack chuckled, rubbing his cheek. “I’ll shave again for you though, if you want.”

“That’d be nice,” she replied, then spun to Cloud. “What about you, Cloud? Makeup?”

“Uh…” _No_ was on his lips, but his throat stopped it from coming out, leaving him with his mouth open while Aerith stared. _What does she even mean by that? It’s not like she’d...doll me all up._

_(not that I’d mind,_

_I’ve never gotten a chance to try…)_

Cloud cleared his throat and tried again. “Uh, I mean…” _Why is this so hard? Just say no!_

Aerith took his stumbling as an invitation, running up to him and grabbing his arm. “Just a little mascara,” she said, her tone hushed and excited. “Come on, come on!”

“Ah--!” He let her drag him into the bathroom, spinning him around so his back was to the sink. _What...have I gotten myself into?_ For a split second, he caught himself in the mirror--the shirt still looked loose on him, but in a casual, trendy way, and less like a child swimming in their father’s clothes. _It’s better than nothing. And it’s Zack’s._

“Turn towards me,” Aerith commanded, the mascara wand already in her hand. “I’m guessing this is your first time, so just look up--no, not with your _head,_ with your eyes. There you go!”

Cloud gripped the sink behind him and struggled not to blink hard as the mascara brush tickled his eyelashes. “Everyone could use a little mascara. It really makes your eyes _pop,”_ she muttered, the gloss on her lips sparkling in the bathroom lighting. “I keep bugging Zack about it, but he doesn’t want to.”

“Listen, I know what I’m about!” Zack hollered from the kitchen, over the sound of running water. “I’m a simple man, I ain’t here to be a model.”

Aerith snorted and rolled her eyes. “He’s all talk,” she muttered, capping the mascara. “Ooh, that’s nice.” She spun him around toward the mirror. “Ta-da!”

Cloud’s lips twitched at his own reflection. His normally flat, blonde lashes were now flipped and curled, drenched in black, and made his blue eyes stand out even more on his pale face. “Wow,” he marvelled, nodding. “Cool.” He barely resisted the urge to flutter his eyelashes in the mirror. _I could...get used to this._ A giggle bubbled in his chest. _Yeah._

_“Everyone_ looks better with a little mascara,” Aerith reiterated with a grin. She grabbed him by the shoulders again and pushed him out the door. “Zack, look!”

As soon as he stumbled out, Zack almost immediately in front of him, putting on his belt. “Hey…!” he exclaimed, surprise lilting in his tone. “Not bad.”

“Isn’t he pretty?” she said, bouncing over to the door and slipping on a pair of flat shoes.

“Ah, I-I guess,” Zack stammered, running his hand back through his hair. “We, ah, we should get going, though…”

_Pretty,_ Cloud repeated in his head, fishing his belt out of his bag. _No one’s ever called me pretty before._ As he slipped it through the loops, tightening it to the worn hole in the leather, his mind drifted. _I think_

_(“Aren’t you pretty today, Cloud?”)_

_it’d be nice to be called that_

_(tracing his thumb on my face, then over the neckline of my dress)_

_more often._

“Sweetie, do you need to put anything in my purse?” Aerith asked. “I’m not bringing the big one this time.”

“Nah, I’m all set,” Zack replied. Aerith slid her purse over her shoulder, grazing her hand over Zack’s back with her other. As soon as he felt her touch, Zack returned it by stroking her hair, an absentminded, but intimate gesture. _Ah._ He didn’t realize he was staring until Zack’s eyes met his. “All set?” he inquired.

“Oh, yeah,” Cloud said, nodding. “I’m...all set.”

“Let’s go!” Aerith chirped, flinging open the door. “I want to get there as soon as possible, I could eat a house…!”

* * *

 

When they arrived at the front entrance of Shinra HQ, Cloud immediately began scanning for Tifa. “I think we should’ve picked her up,” Aerith said, tugging on Zack’s arm. “This place is pretty big…”

But within moments, Cloud spotted her.

Her red dress made her stand out, off the shoulder with gently puffy sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that dipped into her cleavage. She held a cigarette to her lips, other arm wrapped around her waist. _She looks gorgeous._ Cloud nodded to himself and picked up his pace, leaving Zack and Aerith behind him, eventually breaking into a jog. “Cloud?” Zack said.

The closer he got, the better he could see her face, dark makeup on her eyes and lips, but not enough to cover the anxiety scrawled in her brow. “Hey,” he greeted, breathless.

She jumped, coughing up smoke, but smiled as soon as she saw him. “Oh, Cloud!” Tifa hugged him quickly, cigarette out and away from him. “You look good!”

“Thanks,” he replied with a nod. “So...so do you.” _You look beautiful._

“I think I overdressed,” Tifa lamented, smoothing the bottom of the dress with one hand. “I don’t know why _this_ was the only nice dress I brought to Midgar, but...oh well, I guess.”

She chuckled, and Cloud returned it with a smirk. He tried to relax his hand from a balled fist at his side, but winced when it shook. He was drawn to the cigarette between her fingers, lipstick on the filter. _Fuck, I want a cigarette. Should've brought some gum, but now that I'm here..._ “Uh, could...I have a drag?” he asked.

Tifa cocked her head, an eyebrow raised. “I thought you quit?”

“I did, but…” He ran his tongue over his teeth and turned his head down, only lifting his quivering hand up to her. _I’m not going to last the night otherwise. Even with y’all around…_

“Oh...”

He felt the cigarette slip between his fingers, and he murmured a noise of thanks before raising it to his lips. The instant the smoke entered his lungs, laced with an artificial mint taste, he coughed and sputtered. “Shit,” he wheezed, holding it back out to her. “I forgot you smoke menthols…”

“Yeah?” She took another drag herself as Cloud continued to catch his breath. “I did it so you wouldn’t keep taking mine in class.”

“What? Are you serious?” he replied to the smirk on her face. The lightheaded feeling left him a little sick to his stomach, but his hand had stopped shaking, so he took it as a small victory. _It was the only way I thought I could talk to her. She sat right next to me and I…_

_(The bell rang for the end of the period. “Hey,” he said, the word out before he could think._

_Tifa turned toward him, swinging her hair out of the way. “Hm?”_

Just ask, say anything! _“Um...d-do you have a smoke?” he stammered. “I forgot mine at home…”_

_She huffed, pulling out her pack and sliding one out. “Again?” she replied. “You owe me almost a whole pack--”_

_“I-I can pay you back,” he interrupted quickly, struggling to keep eye contact._ I’m such a loser, God, I can’t even talk to a girl. _“I’ll ask my mom for some extra gil…”_

_She chuckled. “Relax, Cloud.” She smiled and shouldered her backpack. “Ah...if you’re going to the smoking area, I’ll come with you.”_

_He couldn’t repress the smile on his face. “S-sure.”)_

“I mean, I really didn’t mind it,” Tifa amended, taking one last drag and crushing the butt on the ground beneath her shoe. “Especially after we started hanging out more.”

Cloud bit his lip. “Yeah.” They shared a look, quiet and shy. _Somehow, just standing like this...I don't feel quite as nervous._

_I wish we could stay--_

“Tifa~!”

Cloud jerked his head up, as Aerith and Zack finally caught up to them. “Yay, you made it!” Aerith exclaimed, immediately bear hugging her and knocking her backwards. Zack gave them a little space, hands in his pockets as he looked on. After she squeezed the breath out of Tifa, Aerith held her by the shoulders. “Oh my God, this dress is gorgeous! Where did you get it?”

“U-uh, I just…” Tifa replied, a flush rising to her cheeks. “Well, it was my mom’s, and I had it tailored--”

“It’s so cute, it suits you!” she replied, beaming. She tugged on her arm, while flapping her other to reach for Zack behind her. “Okay, we’re all together now!”

Zack snickered as he took Aerith’s hand. “Sure are,” he said, with a wink at Cloud. “The party’s inside, though.”

“R-right,” Cloud said, nodding with a light hand on Tifa’s back, careful to keep it on her dress and not her bare skin. “Well then, let’s mosey.”

Aerith giggled, squeezing flush against Tifa and in turn bumping her against Cloud. “Lead the way, sunflower!”

“I’m going--!” Zack squeezed her hand, then lifted up to kiss it while he fronted the group into the building. “Let’s see, I think they just have it in one of the gymnasiums this time…”

“Really?” Tifa said. Cloud could feel the heat radiating from her face, even if she wasn’t terribly close. “Thought they’d have a ballroom, or something…”

“Well, they _do,_ but they don’t want to use it. At least not for this,” Zack replied. He walked backwards over to the elevator, hitting the up button with his elbow. His hands sat on his belt, looking from Aerith, to Tifa, and finally to Cloud with a lazy smirk on his face. Cloud’s heart lobbed in his throat. _Zack._

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, baby?” Aerith inquired, her arm still looped with Tifa’s. “You’ve got that look.”

“Hm? Nothing.” The elevator dinged, and he stepped in, automatically hitting the 5th floor button and stepping into the corner. “It’s been awhile since it’s been more than you and me.”

“It’s fun, right?” Aerith pried herself away from Tifa’s arm to hug Zack, leaving Cloud and Tifa to themselves, each with their backs against the same wall. “The more, the merrier!”

Cloud chuckled deep in his chest, then glanced over to Tifa, who was already looking up at him. “Hey,” she said, her focus right into his eyes. “Did you...do anything different?”

“H-huh?” _Oh, right. The mascara._ “I just, uh, did a little…” _Should I tell her?_ He flicked his gaze over to Aerith, who wasn’t paying attention. _A little help would be nice…_

As he fumbled, Tifa’s lip twitched in amusement. “Well, whatever it was, it works,” she finished.

“Y-yeah?” Cloud replied.

She nodded. “Yeah.” The elevator opened, and she skimmed a hand down his arm, fingertips at his wrist before returning it to her side. _You like it? Do you really?_ They shared another glance, auburn against blue, before he returned his hand to her back, following Zack and Aerith into the gymnasium. _Tifa._

It was as standard as a gym could be--pale wooden floors, basketball hoops anchored up at the ceiling, but was lit with warm, gold light instead of the usual harsh flourescents. Speakers set up in the back were headed by a DJ, blasting dance music just loud enough to make Cloud linger a step behind Tifa as they entered. _Of course it’s loud,_ he thought. Tables were set up along the outsides, filled with food and snacks, while the center of the gym was congested with people dancing. _I hope no one decides they want to go in there…_

Aerith inhaled deep. “Ohh, my _God,”_ she moaned, pulling Zack behind her. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Ack! Easy!” Zack protested, albeit laughing as well. “Come on, grab some grub before it sits!”

Cloud and Tifa didn’t bother to rush behind them, instead taking their time; Tifa especially gawking at the sights. “Somehow, I imagined this to be...just a _little_ fancier,” she commented. She smoothed out her dress again and hugged her arms around her waist.

“Maybe because there’s one every month?” Cloud replied. A man nearly knocked into him rushing by, and he shrank to her side. _Of course it’s crowded._ “D-did...you want to get something to eat?”

“Oh, I actually ate before I came here,” Tifa said. “Barret made food for all of us, and I couldn’t say no…”

“That’s nice of him.” Cloud already felt himself drifting, keeping his eyes on the floor. _I feel so out of place. I don’t know anyone here, it feels like everyone’s watching me…_

Zack and Aerith were back over to them within minutes, each with a paper plate overflowing with food. “God, you should try some of this,” Zack said with his mouth full. “They have fucking _steak_ here! Good steak!”

“Th-that’s great,” Cloud mumbled, nodding and trying to put on his best face. He could sense Tifa in his peripheral. _Don’t look at me like that, I’m fine, if you just don’t say anything, I’ll be fine._ His chest tightened, and found himself forcing himself to breathe. _Why am I so awful at things like this? Damn it._

“Really, I’m serious!” Zack poked a chunk of meat with his fork and held it out for him. “Try it!”

Cloud shook his head and blinked. “What? Oh…” Zack’s smirk eased him only a little, enough for him to reach out with his mouth and take the bite he offered. “Mm, it is good…”

“See? Told you,” he replied with a grin, never taking his eyes off him.

“They have cream puffs, too!” Aerith exclaimed, picking one out and holding it out to Tifa. “They’re _so good!”_

“Ah, w-wait!” Tifa stammered as she got right up in her face, stumbling back until she managed to pluck the cream puff from her fingers. As the girls were distracted, Zack cocked his head and mouthed to Cloud. _You okay?_

Cloud sighed hard through his nose. _He can tell, too. Fuck._ Nonetheless, he nodded with a grimace, lacing his hands behind his back so he couldn’t see him fidget. _I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine. I don’t need anyone to bail me out, I can just be here and be fine._

“Aerith! You got cream on my nose!”

“Oops! Sorry, let me get it off…”

_Besides, I want to stay with all of them._ Cloud glanced over just to see Aerith wipe the cream off Tifa’s nose and lick it off her finger. _I don’t want to be a burden._ “You have a cute date, Cloud!” Aerith exclaimed with a wink, popping another cream puff into her mouth. “I’m a little jealous!”

“S--” _So do you._ Cloud bit his tongue. _Don’t say that._ He let the syllable hiss between his teeth before the words were able to form properly in his mouth. “She is,” he chose to reply, watching Tifa’s eyes widen at the comment. _They’re both cute. Is it weird to think so?_

A thought dawned on him. _Wait a second. Is Tifa the girl--_

“Hey,” Zack said, suddenly at his side with a hand on his shoulder. “I want to go find Angeal and the others. Bet you if we find one, we’ll find all three.”

“Sure,” Cloud mumbled, then glanced over to Tifa. “Wanna come?”

She tried to reply, but Aerith interrupted her before she could even start. “Of course!” she chirped. “Tifa, have you met the 1sts?”

“Er...I think one of them,” she replied from behind Cloud and Zack. “He came into the bar once. The one with really long silver hair--”

“Ah, so you met Seph,” Zack said. “Midgar’s finest diva.”

“Oh God, I think I see him already,” Aerith remarked, scurrying right to Zack’s side. “Ten o’clock.”

“Ooh, you’re right, there’s Seph! Nice get, babe.” Zack gestured with one hand, then made a beeline to the corner of the gym, right where the catering tables ended. Clouds steps stuttered as he tried to follow, eyes back down at the floor. _I keep spacing out,_ Cloud scolded to himself. _This music is so loud…_

A hand cupped his own, warm and dry in contrast to his own. Tifa was right at his side, and when he looked over at her, she only squeezed his hand, instead of returning it. Cloud rolled his shoulders back. _Thanks, Ti._

“Hey, guys!” Zack greeted as they approached the two by the corner. “Lookin’...er, sharp?”

Angeal snickered while he took a sip of the punch in his hand. His black button down shirt seemed strained at the shoulders, but otherwise looked presentable and crisp enough. Sephiroth, on the other hand, curled his lip at Zack and the others as he crossed his arms. He wore a satin, royal purple dress shirt, unbuttoned halfway down his chest. It was accompanied by a silver chain, and his hair was almost as shiny as it, perfectly straightened and gleaming over his shoulders. This was all topped off by a matching silver earring, and sharp eyeliner and mascara over his eyes, making their electric blue-green contrast even further. “Thanks,” Sephiroth grumbled, staring Zack down.

Cloud didn’t realize he was staring until he met Sephiroth’s eyes, and he quickly averted them. " _Sharp" is a word for it,_ he thought, unintentionally squeezing Tifa’s hand. _But he pulls it off...really well._ “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Zack replied with a snort. “Where’s Genesis?”

“He’s off getting more drinks,” Angeal replied, scanning the group. “Good to see you, Aerith, Cloud.”

He paused at Tifa, and Cloud shook himself from the fog that was beginning to settle around him. “Oh, th-this is my date, Tifa,” he introduced.

“Hi there,” she said with a nod. “I ah, I work at 7th Heaven, so if you’re around that area, I’m at the bar--”

Angeal whistled. “Now _that’s_ a haunt. Haven’t been there since I was a 2nd.” He nudged Sephiroth beside him. “Say, that’s where you wanted to try and gig, right?”

“Right,” he muttered. “It’s one of the few places that doesn’t have a house band…”

“Wow, gang’s all here, huh?” Genesis approached the group with two cups filled with punch, handing one over to Sephiroth. He wasn’t dressed nearly as flashy as Sephiroth was, but still wore a bright red button down, and his hair seemed to be stiff with some kind of styling gel. As he brushed his bangs out of his face, Cloud caught sight of a black feather earring on one ear.

“Yo, Gen!” Zack exclaimed. “Dude, you have one of those feather earrings too!”

“They come in pairs,” he replied, taking a flask out of his pocket. He poured a little clear liquid into Sephiroth’s drink, then into his own. “Had any kids come up and ask you what it’s like to be SOLDIER yet? Always the highlight of the evening.”

“No, we...just got here.” Zack cocked his head and pointed to the flask that slipped itself back into his slack’s pocket. “I...thought this was a dry party?”

Genesis smirked. “It is.” Then, he took two gulps of his drink. “You think I was going to do this shit sober?”

Angeal snorted. “You don’t like to do _anything_ sober.”

“Don’t give away all my secrets,” Genesis said, side-eying Cloud with a smirk. “I’ve got to make a good impression on the standards, here. Besides, I'm not 18 and an idiot anymore...”

"I'll give you that one."

_A good impression, huh?_ Cloud twisted his head so he could avoid Genesis’ eyes. _If sneaking booze into a party like this is a “good impression”, then he’s doing a fantastic job so far._ “I have to agree,” Sephiroth said with a sigh, sipping on his punch. “Last time you two let me fend for myself, I found myself contemplating a swift and painless death…”

“They all want to talk to _you,_ anyway,” Genesis remarked. “You’re the big hero from the Wutai war.”

“So that was _true?”_ Aerith exclaimed, her voice piercing after being quiet for so long. She wandered up to Sephiroth, and he jerked back at her invasion of his personal space. “You fought off that army by _yourself?”_

“What’s so unusual about that?” he muttered, flicking his bangs with his head. “That’s what being SOLDIER is about. Tch…”

_Taking on an entire army with just a sword,_ Cloud thought to himself, sounds around him becoming a wash. _Maybe one day, I’ll be that strong._

_(if you can even handle it)_

The music faded suddenly, and a familiar melody burst through the speakers:

_“There is freedom within, there is freedom without,_ _  
_ _Trying to catch a deluge in a paper cup…”_

“Ooh, this song!” Aerith gasped. She backed away from Sephiroth (who sighed with relief) and grabbed both of Zack’s hands. “Come on, let’s go dance!”

“Aren’t you excited?” Zack chuckled, kissing her temple. “Okay, we can go.”

Beside him, Tifa squeezed Cloud’s hand. “Could we go dance too?” she asked.

“Ah...sure.” _It’s either that or staying here with them, isn’t it?_ Scanning the group, Angeal was comfortably hanging back, while Sephiroth and Genesis were starting to talk among themselves, private enough that he couldn’t discern what they were saying. “Yeah, we can.”

He let Tifa lead him to the throng of the hall, where most people had gathered to dance, mingle, or otherwise. _Why does everyone bunch up like this? It’s so hot, and so loud. I’m exhausted already…_

As soon as they got to a spot where Tifa deemed they could call their own, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He saw her mouth move, but the words fizzled in the steady sound of the bass. “What?” he asked, his own hands on her waist, the only thing keeping him grounded.

“I said, how are you doing?” She brought herself closer so she could talk right into his ear, a fleeting, intimate gesture.

“I...okay, I guess,” he replied, shrugging. _God, I haven’t danced since...I can’t remember when. Have I ever even danced with you?_ The faint smell of cigarettes wafted off her, but it was accompanied by a vague, citrusy scent as well. _It feels like we have, like it’s easy--_

“Ow, be careful,” she said, shaking off her foot. “Don’t step on my feet…”

_Maybe...maybe not._ “Sorry.” He tried to keep his shuffling to a minimum, but every small step he took brought him closer to the other couples hovering around him. _It’s so crowded, it’s like they’re closing in on me._ He scanned over her shoulder. “Where...did Zack and Aerith go?”

“I don’t know, I lost them early,” Tifa replied. “Once this song is over, we can…”

Cloud’s head swam, even her voice fading in and out among the stimulation of noise and bodies around him. _This was a mistake,_ he thought, an invisible weight heavy on his shoulders, heavier than Tifa’s arms. _I’m too much of a fucking baby, can’t even handle a crowd, how am I going to finish training like this? How am I going to prove anything to anyone if_

_(watching, watching, watching)_

_I can’t...I can’t…_

His hands twitched on Tifa’s waist, throat burning as he held his breath. “Cloud?” Tifa asked.

“What?” he snapped, harsher than he meant to. _Fuck, fuck._ “Damn it, I’m fine…”

“I was just asking…!” Her forehead wrinkled, lipstick tinged mouth turning down. “I know you’re--”

“Stop it--!” Cloud’s head pounded as another person bumped into his back. “I-I’ll be fine, I don’t need anything…”

“I didn’t even say anything,” Tifa said. Her arms fell lower on his shoulders so she could grip them. “If you’re uncomfortable, just say so!”

“Let it _go,_ Ti,” he groaned, adrenaline starting to bubble in his veins. “I don’t need a fucking pity party.” _Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone,_

_I need to get out of here..._

“Cloud! Cut it out!” She let go of him abruptly, only to grab onto his wrist. “Come on--”

He flinched away from her, ripping himself out of her grip. “No,” he stated, only letting the floor give him comfort as he backed away. _My chest feels so tight, just let me out, let me out._ He ran into another person along the way, shoving them aside as he forced his way through the crowd in a daze. _Too much noise, too many people, I’m not cut out for this…_

“Cloud, _wait!”_ Tifa’s voice managed to filter through the crowd, but he ignored it with a wince.

_I’m not cut out for this at all,_

_I’ll just...go be alone._

_(like you’re supposed to be)_

_Someplace to be alone…_

Luckily, as soon as he broke out from the group, a cold sweat under his collar, he spotted a sign for the restrooms, pointing out and around the corner. _That’ll have to do,_ he thought, keeping his pace even as his legs protested from the rush of anxiety. _Someplace to be alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Cloud...! This will be continued right where we left off next chapter, so don't fret. 
> 
> Thanks to [Kitten](http://discosmackdown.tumblr.com) for drawing the 1sts! It was on commission, and you can [commission her](http://discoart.tumblr.com/private/141054701269/tumblr_o41wffJOqu1rhyaa6) too!
> 
> I'm sure my hints at a trans!Cloud are getting more and more obvious as this goes on. It'll be a while before he comes out to anyone, but the feeling is still there. I think Cloud is so smitten by Zack that he's only realized _now_ that Tifa is the girl that Aerith has a crush on. Sephiroth is pretty and he knows it, and is here to assert his dominance as Top 1st-Class SOLDIER. I actually saw a man dressed very similarly to that once walking to class when I was in college at 10 AM, and it stuck with me. Cloud is dissociating _so badly_ because of everything going on...but, hopefully some quiet will help him relax. The song that starts to play is ["Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjBwAYIxUso). I'll link it next chapter as well, because it keeps playing.
> 
> Next chapter, we'll pick up with Tifa and go from there!


	14. Gala: Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ["Don't Dream It's Over"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjBwAYIxUso) is still playing, so we'll bump it up here.

_ “Hey now, hey now, don’t dream it’s over, _ __   
_ Hey now, hey now, when the world comes in, _ __   
_ They come, they’ll come to build a wall between us, _ _   
_ __ You know they won’t win…”

Tifa watched helplessly as Cloud disappeared into the thick crowd.  _ Cloud, come on!  _ she thought, hugging her arms and standing on her toes.  _ I know how you work--! It’s not pity if it’s something that’s going to make you feel better…!  _ She bit her lip, returning her focus to her immediate surroundings.  _ Every time I think I can get close, you just put up your shell again.  _

_ I might as well find Aerith and Zack… _

She tiptoed through the crowd, acutely aware of the cleavage she was creating having her arms tucked so close against her body.  _ I can’t wear anything without my boobs getting in the way.  _ She frowned as she covered her chest.  _ Just look for pink, look for pink...or someone taller than the rest of the crowd… _

“Tifa!” 

She whipped around to Aerith flagging her down, her other arm around Zack’s waist. Squeezing through several other couples, she finally made it over to them, and Aerith immediately put her arm around her shoulder. “Hey! Where’s Cloud?” she asked.

“He...ran off,” she sighed, shrinking away from her touch.  _ Not...right now.  _ Aerith withdrew back to Zack without another word. 

“Oh, no,” Zack said with a frown. “Did something happen? Are you guys okay?”

“He’s just...having a bad time, I think,” Tifa replied. “He doesn’t like big groups of people,  _ especially  _ all crowded together like this, and I tried to talk to him, but--”

“Where did he go?” he interrupted. He broke out of his dancing pose with Aerith to face her, but keeping contact to her with a laced hand. “Let me try to go talk to him.”

“I’m not sure. Bathroom, maybe?” she said, then shrugged. “You can try to talk, but I don’t know.”  _ Usually he just wants to be alone, and then he’ll come back and try again. Or, he’ll leave wherever he is, but he hasn’t done that in a long time.  _

“I think I can go work something out,” Zack said, determination scrawled on his face. He squeezed Aerith’s hand before letting it go, then patted both of their shoulders. “You ladies sit tight, I’ll be right back.” 

“Okay,” Aerith said. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Zack saluted and clicked his tongue, then rushed out through the crowd.  _ Good luck,  _ Tifa thought.  _ Who knows, maybe he'll listen to you, with the way he goes on and on about how cool you are… _

“Let's get out of the crowd so they can find us,” Aerith suggested, hands laced behind her back. “Unless you want to stay and dance with me?”

“Er, n-not right now,” Tifa replied. “Besides, w-wouldn't people stare?”  _ A girl dancing with another girl in a place like this… _

_ (as if you haven't thought about it) _

“They might. So what?” Aerith nudged her with her shoulder before leading the way off the dance floor. “Besides, if everyone isn't staring at Sephiroth tonight, I don't think  _ anything  _ will catch their attention.”

Tifa snorted, covering her face just as they broke through the crowd.  _ Still.  _ “Do you think Zack will be able to talk to Cloud?” she said.

“Oh, without a doubt,” Aerith confirmed immediately. “I think he'll do just fine.”

* * *

 

It wasn’t hard for Zack to find Cloud, as he was right at the sinks when he opened up the door. He was gripping the sides of the porcelain, skin stretched thin over his knuckles, breathing hard as he stared at himself in the mirror.  _ Damn, he looks like he’s in pain.  _ “Cloud?” he said.

He jerked up, eyes wide. “O-oh, Zack…” he replied, trying to straighten himself up. 

“You okay, man?” He walked over to him, a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m  _ fine!”  _ Cloud burst out, then winced immediately, ducking over the sink. “Damn it, I’m sorry...I-I’m just really...really strung out right now…”

“I can tell.” Zack wandered behind him, so he could see Cloud’s face in the mirror, as well as his own, a head above him. “Fancy do’s aren’t your thing, huh?”

“It’s not...it’s not that,” he said. He took a couple breaths, shallow despite his efforts. “I…” 

He floundered in his speech, trying to pick out the words.  _ One word at a time, bud,  _ he thought. Zack found himself taking deep, even breaths to try and coax Cloud into doing the same. “I’m just...so  _ tired  _ of being like this,” Cloud said finally. “I hate feeling...like I’m going disappear every time I go in a crowd…”

He coughed out a laugh, shaking his head and making brief eye contact with him in the mirror. “Y-you must...must think I’m a wimp…” he said with a laugh, even though his shoulders shuddered with their tenseness.

Zack shook his head. “Dude, no. No way.” He placed his hands back on his shoulders and began to massage them.  _ He’s so tense, God.  _ “Take a deep breath…”

“F-fuck, do you…” Cloud winced, turning his head just enough so he couldn’t see his face either in the mirror or in front of him. “Why do you think I’m even cut out for SOLDIER? O-or anything--”

_ “Hey.”  _ Zack squeezed him to silence him. “Listen to me. Just because all this hubub isn’t your deal, doesn’t mean you’re weak.” He leaned over to try and look at his face, and when Cloud shied away, he pushed his cheek toward the mirror to look at him there. “You’re one of the hardest working guys in the brigade. You never stop, even when you’re exhausted.” _Reminds me of myself, actually--_  


_ (Zack hovered over the toilet, his standard uniform scarf on the floor beside him, sweat running down his face. “Oh, Christ,” he moaned. “I-I can’t--” _

_ “Don’t say that,” Angeal said from the doorway, arms crossed. “You’re too eager, Zack. You pushed yourself too hard, and that’s what you get for it.” _

_ He swallowed hard, the bitter taste of bile still in his throat. “B-but, I was just--” _

_ Angeal raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “You were just trying to show off, is what. Why do you think I rounded up the group? Come on.” Despite his scolding tone, there was still a trace of amusement on his face. “I want to push you, but I don’t want to make you sick.” _

_ Zack nodded slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah…” _

_ “Get up, pup,” he said, turning around and knocking his knuckles against the door-frame. “Day’s only half over.”) _

He snickered to himself, patting Cloud’s shoulder. “And hey, you’re not an idiot like I was when I was standard.”

“Wh...what?” Cloud blinked at him, a little more focus in his eyes.  _ Seems like you’re coming down. That’s good.  _

“Nothin’. Reminiscing,” Zack replied. “I’m just sayin’, there are a lot of different ways to be strong. Just because you get anxious at parties doesn’t mean you’re weak all around.”

Cloud tilted his head, and Zack could feel his shoulders relax beneath his hands. “Yeah?”

“Of course. Hell, I can lift Aerith over my head without even thinking about it, but then I cry like a baby watching those infomercials about shelter animals. You know those ones? They’re awful.” Zack watched as Cloud’s mouth relaxed, maybe even shifted into a small, very small smirk.  _ Good.  _ “She’s gotta change the channel every time they come on.”

He simply nodded, sighing deep enough to fill his lungs through his back. “You’re someone who has dreams, right?” Zack said. 

“Yeah.” 

“And you came here to follow them?”

“Right.”

“So? You’re already ahead of the game. You’re already doing more than a lot of people ever do.” He flashed a grin to him through the mirror. “Just gotta hang in there, you know?”

Cloud bit his lip, then shrugged Zack off him in order for him to turn to face him. “Yeah,” he said, sneaking a glance up into his eyes before staring back at the floor. “Th-thanks, Zack.”

“C’mere.” Zack opened his arms and drew him into a quick, tight hug, patting his back at the same time. “Bet it’s tough coming to Midgar after living in the sticks forever too, huh? You’re doing fine.”  _ Yeah, you’re doing fine.  _

_ You’re all right, Cloud.  _

He withdrew almost as quickly as he brought him in, and Cloud’s fingertips lingered on his arms for a split second longer before they returned to his side. “Thanks,” he said, quieter this time, a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

_ Ah.  _ “No prob,” Zack replied, scratching the back of his neck to ignore the rise in his chest. “What do you say, we go back out and find the ladies?” 

“Sure,” Cloud replied. “Do you think...we could head out early? Or, earli _ er, _ anyway?” 

“Yeah, we can work that out.” Zack jerked his head toward the exit. “C’mon, you left your girl hanging.”

“O-oh.” Guilt furrowed Cloud’s brow and reddened his ears. “Yeah, I need to apologize…”

Another hand on his shoulder as Zack ushered him out ahead back into the gymnasium.  _ You really don’t give yourself credit,  _ he thought, catching him in profile as he looked around. The smile on his face faded to a more pensive look.  _ You...really don’t. _

* * *

 

_ “Now I’m walking again to the beat of the drum, _ _   
_ _ And I’m counting the steps to the door of your heart…” _

Aerith and Tifa leaned up against the wall, watching the bustle of the party pass them by. “So you’re telling me,” Aerith said, grinning. “That even though Cloud is  _ already  _ blond, he wanted to  _ bleach  _ his hair?”

“I don’t know what got into him,” Tifa replied, hugging her arms around her waist. “Maybe he thought it’d look different? It really didn’t, not for a while.” She shook her head. “I mean, now that it’s grown out, you can…”

“Yeah, it’s got that frosted look.” Aerith ghosted her hand over her head, as if running through invisible spikes. “It’s good on him.”

“Yeah.” Tifa leaned forward, trying to scope out toward the bathrooms.  _ They haven’t come out yet. I hope Cloud’s okay.  _ As she leaned back, she caught Aerith twirling her hair between her fingers, looping the waves around. “Um…”  _ Her hands are so small and delicate.  _ “I wanted to ask…”

“Hm?” Her bow bounced as she jerked her head over, green eyes wide.  _ She’s wearing makeup. She doesn’t, usually. It’s...really pretty. I mean, she looks pretty without it, but… _

“Oh, ah…”  _ What was I going to ask? Oh, yeah.  _ “How did you and Zack meet? He’s from the mountains, isn’t he?”

“Oh, yeah!” She clapped her hands together, then rubbed them against one another. “Now  _ this  _ is a funny story.” 

Aerith stepped closer to her, so that they were shoulder to shoulder, and began to speak directly into Tifa’s ear. “I used to live in a church over in Sector 5, same one I volunteer at now. It’s right at the edge of the plate, and that part of town never gets any attention. It’s all rusted over, and there was already a piece missing. I keep a little flower garden out there, and it gets good sun.”

“Mm.” Tifa couldn’t keep her eyes off her face as she spoke, watching the scenario dance as each word left her lips. 

“So anyway, I’m helping sweep up the pews, when I hear creaking from above. Apparently, SOLDIER’s 2nd-classes do sparring practice right above there. Play with their swords--and I  _ don’t  _ mean like that.” She winked. Tifa only stared. “I tuned it out for a little bit, until  _ crash!”  _

Aerith slapped her palms against her thighs. “It was this  _ huge  _ sound, and it echoed everywhere. I ran out back to see what happened, and a giant hunk of metal had fell onto my garden. But, that wasn’t the weirdest part. You see, I went to try and inspect the damage, and right in the tulip bed, there was a  _ person  _ lying there.”

Tifa gaped at her. “Holy shit--!” 

“And he wasn’t  _ dead.  _ It’s a pretty high drop from the plate to the slums.” She made a gesture with a finger, pointing at the ceiling and dropping it down toward the floor. “All in uniform. I go right up to him, and as soon as I say ‘hello’, his eyes flash open. That bright blue.”

“Oh God,” she exclaimed, a laugh in the back of her throat.  _ “Zack?”  _

Aerith nodded. “Mmhmm. ‘Are you an angel?’ he says to me. I was wondering if  _ he _ was one, considering he was a guy who friggin’  _ fell from the sky.”  _ Tifa giggled, and Aerith followed suit, keeping her eyes on her the entire time. “He barely had a scrape on him, too. As if he just tripped and fell. Of course, he’s telling me he’s fine, but I insisted on walking him back to HQ.” 

She smiled to herself, swinging her hips back and forth. “He kept trying to flirt with me the whole way. It was cute. He was trying so hard--hell, he bought me this bow.” She poked at it, looping a finger in the ribbon and tugging it gently. “God, I remember...he did all that, and yet when he went to leave, he almost forgot to tell me his name.”

“No doubt,” Tifa said.

“I go--” She snickered before she could continue. “‘Hey big shot, are you going to tell me who you are before you disappear forever?’ Then he gets this pouty look, you know, big puppy dog eyes, and goes, ‘You mean I can’t see you again?’” Aerith shook her head, her teeth barely showing through her lips, as she looked past Tifa. “I think I laughed at him, but I remember, before he went through those big glass doors, he winked at me, and said--”

“I’m Zack Fair, 2nd class,” Zack said with her. 

Tifa jumped, whirling around to both Zack and Cloud standing just behind her. “She was telling you how we met, huh?” he commented. 

“Y-yeah,” Tifa replied. Cloud was at his side, his eyes on the floor. “You really fell from above the plate?”

“Oh, yeah, that was a bruiser!” He laughed, crossing his arms. “Hey, nothing I can’t handle. Besides, it led me to--” Zack rushed around her and scooped Aerith into a hug, squishing her face against his chest. “--the prettiest flower girl in all of Midgar!”

“Honey…!” Aerith exclaimed from squished cheeks. 

Tifa couldn’t help but chuckle, but a brief tap on her shoulder stopped her. “Hey,” Cloud said, voice calmer, eyes steadier. “I’m sorry. About earlier.”

_ I know you are, I know,  _ she thought.  _ This isn’t the first time… _

_ (“Cloud!” Heels sticking in the spring mud, Tifa ran out to find him sitting beside the schoolhouse, head in his hands.  _

_ “Go away!” he shouted through tears, ripping at his hair. “Go away, go away!” _

_ “Calm down!” She knelt in front of him, trying to push his bangs out of his face, but he swatted her away, the sting from it sharp. “Hey, come on…” _

_ “I-I’m hopeless…” he sputtered, finally letting her see his tearstained face, ruddy and damp. “I-I’m a boy, I’m n-not supposed...supposed to…” _

_ “Don’t, don’t,” she said softly. “You’re okay, you’re okay…” _

_ He rubbed his eyes over his sleeve, shrugging away from her again. “Nngh...T-Ti…” _

_ Tifa shook her head and let her knees hit the mud, hugging him around his shoulders. He didn’t push her off this time, instead focusing on trying to catch his breath…) _

She shook her head. “We’ll talk later.” 

Cloud nodded, a bare motion of his head, while his eyes wandered from hers to her lips. “Okay,” he muttered. 

“Cloud, are you feeling any better?” Aerith asked, hanging off Zack. 

“Er, yeah,” he replied. Tifa studied the crease in his forehead.  _ He’s not. He’s...a little better, but her asking about it didn’t help. He’s been always the type to just shove it under the rug.  _ “I’m okay.”

“I mean, how long have we been here?” Zack said, glancing around for a clock. “Usually we don’t stay for more than an hour. Get food and get out, y’know.”

“But didn’t Genesis say that the 1sts have to stay and answer questions?” Tifa asked.

Zack waved his hand. “The three of them are here, they can handle it. Not like a Turk is going to rope me back in if I try and sneak out.” His eyes shifted over specifically to Cloud’s. “So, we can bounce if you want.”

“Ah…” Cloud hesitated, rolling his shoulders back. The dance song had faded into something more generic with a heavy, pulsing beat, and Tifa could feel it throbbing in her chest.  _ I wouldn’t mind leaving early, either. I was having more fun just talking with Aerith, and I’m not much for dancing.  _ She leaned against him, just enough for her bare arm to brush against his shirt.  _ I can vouch for you if you want, but _

_ it’s your choice to make.  _

Finally, he looked back up. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said. “It’s been a long day, anyway.”

Zack smiled in response, hugging Aerith to his side while he walked up to Cloud. “Then, we can go,” he replied, ruffling his hair. “We’ll go drop Tifa off, then back to our place--”

“Wait, you guys don’t have to walk me home,” she interrupted. “I can find my way back--”

“Uh, hello?” Aerith said, prying herself away from Zack and putting both hands on her shoulders. “It’s Friday night in Midgar, you’re looking hot as ever, you work at a  _ bar  _ that, like Angeal said, is a  _ haunt--”  _

“It’s really not that bad,” Tifa insisted, but Aerith shook her.

“No. You’re not walking home alone. We’re coming with you.” She hooked her arm around hers and waved her other hand. “C’mon troops, we’re moving out!” 

“Yes, ma’am!” Zack saluted, following up behind, while Cloud stayed on Tifa’s other side.

“Hey now, if chocobo here can’t call me ma’am, you most  _ certainly  _ can’t,” Aerith commented, twisting back toward him.

“H-hey…!” Cloud mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

_ Chocobo? Like those racing birds?  _ Tifa glanced over to him, eyes automatically scanning over his bright blond hair.  _ I guess I can see why. It’s...kind of cute.  _

As they made their way out of HQ, through a lower floor entrance that funneled them below the plate, Zack rounded his way out beside Aerith, so they were walking four wide down the street. “Hey, at least you’re not in Sector 2. I hear it’s nasty over there,” he said, hands laced behind his head.

“Oh God, yeah,” Aerith exclaimed, still clinging to Tifa’s arm. “You can't even _look_ at people walking by without getting glared at...”

“What’s so bad about it?” Tifa asked.

Zack whistled out a sigh of air. “Lot of crime, lot of drug rings, too. I think Seph mentioned that his family lives there, and he had to stage off a break-in when he was a teen.” Suddenly, he whipped his head over to Aerith. “You never stayed in Sector 2, did you?”

“Well…” She waffled for a moment, long enough for Zack to stare. “I didn’t have much choice at the time, since the school I went to was over there…”

“Oh, babe…” Zack’s voice took on a dark tone, one that Tifa hadn’t heard before--and judging by how Cloud glanced up, neither had he. “You could’ve gotten really hurt. Or...something worse.”

Nonetheless, Aerith chuckled. “You worry too much,” she replied simply. “No one ever touched me, and I’m okay now.” She bumped against him. “I have a home, and I have you.”

“You sure do.” He snaked an arm around her shoulder, running it down over her back before letting go. “And that’s good,” he muttered.

Aerith’s grip on her arm became less tenuous as they walked through the streets, but her hand dropped lower on it, edging toward her wrist. Eventually, she felt fingers in the palm of her hand, and left it loose so she could cup it in her own.  _ She’s holding my hand.  _ Instead of addressing it in any way, she looked over to Cloud. “Aren’t you staying in the barracks?” she asked him.

He blinked, shaking himself from his own thoughts. “Yeah?” he replied.

“So...you could’ve just stayed over there.”

“Oh, right. I’m, uh…” A smile twitched on his lips, but he quickly reigned it in. “I’m staying the night at Zack and Aerith’s.”

“Ah, okay.”  _ I forgot about that,  _ Tifa thought.  _ Granted, I didn’t realize that “getting ready” with them also meant “staying the night”. _

_ (“We told him he’s welcome anytime. _

_ “Same goes for you, too!”) _

Her eyes fell to the ground as she thought, using her unoccupied hand to play with a lock of hair near her face.  _ Same goes for me. Did she mean that I could come over and spend the night? She has a boyfriend, wouldn’t that be weird.  _ She pursed her lips.  _ No, it’s not weird, we’re  _

_ (just) _

_ friends, it’s just that they live together, and probably sleep together. Do adults even have sleepovers? I mean, I guess they do, given this.  _

Beside her, Aerith swung their linked hands, humming to herself.  _ “Hmm, hmm mm, don’t dream it’s over…”  _

_ “Hey now, hey now, when the world comes in…”  _ Cloud picked up the verse, very quietly on her other side as he stared up at the plate. As soon as Tifa looked over to him, a smile bubbling through to the surface of her face, he stopped, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed. 

She wasn’t the only one who noticed.  _ “They’ll come, they’ll come to build a wall between us,”  _ Zack belted, wandering out in front of them, offering a wink to Cloud before he squeezed his eyes shut and continued to sing at the plate.  _ “You know they won’t win!”  _

His voice echoed around the buildings, and Aerith crowed with laughter. “You’re a dork!” she exclaimed, reaching out to grab his stomach. He jumped back just in time to escape her ambush.

“I love you--!” he crooned, laced with laughter. “And you _know_ you love me~!” 

With her hand relinquished, Tifa laced hers behind her back.  _ They’re both so full of energy,  _ she thought as she watched them chase each other, a mock dance in the street. Zack eventually caught Aerith and picked her up by the waist, holding her high in the air as she propped her hands on his shoulders.  _ I can see why Cloud likes being around them.  _ “You guys!” Tifa said, stopping beside the alley. “7th Heaven’s this way!” 

“Oh, God damn it! I always miss this alley!” Zack exclaimed, dropping Aerith to the ground as he backpedaled around the corner. “Looks pretty quiet tonight, actually…”

“Probably because everyone’s at the gala,” Aerith replied, then jogged up to Tifa and hugged her. “So, you’re not coming over with us?”

“Huh? No, I have to work a double tomorrow to make up for tonight.” She rested her head against the crook of her thin shoulders, aware of the shifting texture of Aerith’s dress. “S-some other time, though.”

“Okay!” She released her and bounced on her toes, then poked her nose. “We still have a date to catch up on.”

“A date?” Cloud asked.

Tifa faltered, especially when she looked at his face. “O-oh, j...just…”  _ Why do I suddenly want to make excuses? It’s just hanging out, but she keeps calling it a “date”, when we’re just-- _

“I’m going to show her around the city sometime!” Aerith chimed in. “While you boys are busy...I dunno, bench-pressing each other, or whatever you do…”

Zack tilted his head. “You know, that’s an idea…”

Cloud rubbed his forehead, hiding a snicker. “Zack…”

“Well, we’ll let you go get some rest,” Aerith said. She hesitated for a moment, then pecked her cheek, quick and chaste. She skipped back to Zack’s side, hugging his arm. “We’ll see you later!”

“Yeah, have a good night, Tifa!” Zack said with a salute. “Ready to roll, Cloud?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but realized that Cloud still stayed close, his gaze fixated on her. “Um…” she started.  _ I think he wants to talk to me.  _ “Yeah, give us...just a sec.” 

They slipped just inside the bar, where there was only Barret and a couple customers at the far end of the counter. Even the TV was down low, making it easy to speak and hear. “What is it?” she asked Cloud.

“I…” He sighed through his nose, curling his lips in for a moment. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to...apologize again.”

“You don’t have to. I get it.” 

“But, I left you all by yourself out there…”

“I was  _ fine, _ don’t worry.” Her eyes scanned every part of his face--from the worried wrinkles in his forehead, to the odd, red blemish in contrast to his pale complexion, to the dark circles beneath his eyes. The bones in his jaw and cheeks stood out as they always did, his lips flaky from biting.  _ And yet…  _ Tifa ran her hand down his arm. “Did...you have a good time, anyway?”

His look grew softer the more he looked at her, and he even brushed her bangs out of her face, so they were even across her forehead. “Mm,” he replied, with a small nod. “Thanks.” 

_ Thanks for what? For being here? Cloud…  _ “Sure. A…” The pit of her stomach churned. “Anytime.” 

A moment of silence passed between them.  _ Anytime. I don’t care if you used to steal my cigarettes when we were kids, or if you close up when you get scared. I’m here for you anytime. I promise.  _ Cloud reached for her hand, and laced it with his.  _ Anytime. _

“Oy, you kids can’t stand in the doorway like that,” Barret grunted from behind the bar. “If you’re gonna stay, stay, but if he’s gonna leave, he’s gotta go.”

Tifa rolled her eyes with a rattled sigh. “Just a second!” she replied. But, as she did so, Cloud drew her into a gentle hug, still with one hand held. 

“Have a good night, Ti,” he murmured into her hair. “I can come by tomorrow, if you want.”

“S-sure. If you want to.” Her voice was muffled by his shoulder.  _ This is why you’re so quiet, you’re so guarded, why you keep to yourself so much sometimes. You’re so gentle. I know, you don’t think it’s strength, but… _

_...it’s a type of its own.  _

He let her go, squeezing her hand once, then simply nodded before heading out the door. Tifa watched him out the window as he caught up with Zack and Aerith, the former automatically wrapping his arm around his shoulder when they headed around the corner.  _ I think they get it too,  _ she thought. She backed up with a smirk on her face.  _ And that’s good. That’s important.  _

Before she headed up the stairs, Barret stopped her with a raised eyebrow. “Thought you’d be home--er, _back_ later.” He made a scene about clearing his throat. “Did you have a good time?” 

“I’m not going to stay out all night when I’ve got to work the whole next day,” she retorted, aware when her accent spiked in ever other vowel. “But...I did, yeah. G’night.”

* * *

 

Back at the apartment, Cloud sighed as he slipped off his shoes right at the door.  _ Man, I still have a headache,  _ he lamented.  _ Should just take something for it before I go to bed.  _

“Hey, Cloud?” Zack said. Aerith was pressed right up against his chest. “We’re going to head right into bed. If you need anything, just knock and let us know, okay?”

“O-okay,” he replied, eyes flicking to Zack’s hands toying at the back of her dress. “See you in the morning.”

“Good night!” Aerith chirped, giggling as she pushed Zack into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. 

_ That’s all right,  _ Cloud thought. He yanked his borrowed shirt from his pants and unbuttoned it, slipping it off his arms and piling it beside the couch. He did the same with his pants, then rummaged through his backpack for his pajamas--a pair of flannel pants and an oversized t-shirt.  _ I should get right to sleep too.  _ He yawned as he redressed, then wandered into the bathroom.  _ It’s been a long day… _

As he splashed his face with water, using some of it to rinse his mouth, he heard giggling from the bedroom.  _ They still seemed like they had a lot of energy, though.  _ He shut the faucet off and wiped his face down with a towel crumpled at the side of the sink.  _ Seems kinda weird that they’d-- _

_ “Mmm,  _ oh…” 

“Heh, c’mere you…” 

Cloud froze.  _ That they’d...want to go to sleep… _

_ “Ahn,  _ oh  _ baby…” _

“Shh! Cloud’s going to hear!” 

_...right away.  _ He took measured breaths, even as his face warmed like a toaster oven, tiptoeing out of the bathroom even though he didn’t have to. His ears perked, mostly focusing in on his own heartbeat thudding in his head, but even still, he could hear very slight moans coming from the bedroom.  _ I shouldn’t be listening. I really shouldn’t.  _ He laid back on the couch and stared wide eyed at the ceiling. 

_ “Nnn…”  _

He covered his mouth with his hand.  _ That is definitely Zack. Shit.  _

_ (Zack laid back on the bed heavy lidded with me in his lap) _

_ Stop it, Cloud… _

_ (bare chests pressed together as we kiss, kiss, kiss) _

Cloud groaned to himself and rolled over, head buried in the mothball scented cushions.  _ Oh God, their bed creaks too. No...don’t...get your hopes up… _

_ (but the way he hugged you tonight, he keeps touching you) _

_ Zack...isn’t like me...he can’t be... _

_ (wouldn’t you like to be the reason his bed creaks) _

“Fuck me,” he whispered to the couch.  _ Guess I can just forget about sleeping tonight...  _

* * *

 

“Baby?” Zack’s tone was hushed, intimate right next to Aerith’s ear as they laid naked in bed, spooned together.

“Hm?”

“We weren’t... _ really _ too loud, were we?”

She rolled over toward him, pressing her forehead against his. “I dunno. Why don’t you ask Cloud tomorrow?”

“I guess…”

Silence. “What’s bugging you?” she asked.

“I just...after he had a rough night tonight, I didn’t want him to be more uncomfortable again, you know…” He sighed through his teeth. “He was really freakin’ out earlier. I hope he’s okay.”

Aerith shook her head. “Why don’t you get some sleep, puppy? You fret more than you used to.”

“He’s...he’s just my protege kind of, you know? I gotta look out for him.”

“I know, but don’t get all worked up about it.” She kissed his head. “Sleep.”

He met her lips after, soft, and reminiscent of a heat shared moments earlier, then rolled over and settled into the mattress. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know there's art for this fic? [There's art for this fic.](http://maskedhero.tumblr.com/post/144108854196/supershadsy-commissioned-me-to-draw-for-her) Please let me know if you happen to draw for this, and I'll link it!
> 
> Well, that was sure a little adventure! Zack's a big nerd. There was mention of Sephiroth living in Sector 2 and staging off a break-in, and that's actually been written up! [You can read it here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/143866464536/sephiroth-history) Cloud has the worst luck, first accidentally catching Zack in the shower, and then being around while he's having sex with his girlfriend...The Worst. Everyone's still pining pretty hard, whether they realize it or not. 
> 
> Next chapter is some relaxed weekend time with Zack, Aerith, and Cloud. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!


	15. Home Life

“Cloud. Lift up your feet.”

He glanced up from his binder, full of notes on Shinra protocol, to Aerith with a broom in her hand. _Sunday’s their “cleaning day”, after she gets back from the church,_ he remembered. Her long, auburn hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head, topped with a bright pink bandana. Along with that, she wore a loose t-shirt tucked around in a messy, make-shift crop top and pajama shorts. It was a look, that was for sure, but Cloud only lifted his legs up as he was told, while she swept underneath the couch and the coffee table.

On the opposite side of the couch, Zack was laid out in sweatpants and a tanktop, guitar across his chest as he idly strummed chords. The guitar was hooked up to a small amp perched on the coffee table, and only produced the bare minimum tone--a tinny sound, but louder than the bare strings alone. His feet tapped against Cloud’s thigh as he played, and he tried to scoot closer to the armrest so his binder wouldn’t get knocked. _I feel like a fly on the wall,_ he thought, trying to keep his eyes on his notes. _It’s like...fitting me in their house takes up no space at all. Even though I overheard them the other night--_

_(“Morning,” Zack greeted as Cloud splashed ice cold water on his face in the bathroom sink. “Say, uh...we didn’t keep you up last night, d-did we?”_

_“Huh?” As he glanced up, Zack had a hard time quite meeting his eyes._ I mean, you _did,_ but… _He glanced at his own reflection in the mirror--his dark circles were telling. “What are you talking about?” he said anyway._

_“Hm? Oh, good! Then we didn’t. Good.” He laughed in relief and sauntered back into the living room…)_

_\--they haven’t done anything else like_ that. _And thank God. I don’t know if I could take anymore of that._ He shook his head as he flipped the page. _I’d probably just burst into flames, honestly..._

In front of them, the TV hummed mostly to itself, despite Zack’s mellow guitar playing. _“...And in other news, Shinra Labs has recently distributed another round of sample medication in support of the AIDS epidemic. The death toll has risen to…”_

“Ugh, ugh, I really don’t…” Aerith muttered, running over to the TV and snapping it off.

Cloud tilted his head. “What’s wrong…?”

She pursed her lips. “The church I volunteer at is one of the places they distribute to, so I hear about this every day. I _see_ it every day. Seems like there’s always someone new who’s coming in sick…” She twisted the grip on her broom, sweeping a little more aggressively. “You’d think there’d be a cure by now, with all the supposed ‘work’ Shinra’s doing, but seems like these samples never really do much to help. Just prolonging the inevitable...”

Cloud watched as her face grew distant, as did Zack, who glanced up from the fretboard. When she realized she had caught both of their attentions, she abruptly slapped her cheeks with both hands, flinching out just in time to catch her broom. “Gotta keep your head up!” she told herself, flashing a bright look. How put on it was, Cloud couldn’t quite tell.  

“That’s right,” Zack said, playing a loose, flowing line on his guitar. “You’re doing all you can to help.” The two exchanged a look, a little long, but Zack ended it with a smirk. “That’s what counts, right?”

“Mm.” She bit her lip. “I mean, Elmyra let me live at that church when I had no place else to go,” Aerith said, flicking the controller cords of the Genesis on the floor as she whisked the broom around. “It’s the least I can do.”

Cloud watched her try to keep rhythm with Zack’s erratic playing. _There’s a lot I don’t know about Aerith,_ he mused to himself. _A_ _ll I ever get are little clips, bits and pieces. Zack’s constantly telling me stories about himself growing up, and first starting out here in Midgar._ He tried to look back down at the binder, but his eyes kept glazing over. _Not that I talk too much about myself, either._

_(“Aerith likes pretty girls.”)_

_I haven’t...asked her about_ that _either. I haven’t told her we have...that in common._

_(“It’s Friday night in Midgar, you’re looking hot as ever…”)_

Cloud bit the inside of his cheek, looking off past the coffee table. _She...likes Tifa, doesn’t she?_ His gaze fell off toward Zack’s legs, once again aware that he was pressing his feet into him. _Fair enough, considering I--_

Zack sighed loud and clear, interrupting his thoughts. “Man, I think I’m done,” he huffed, turning down the volume of his guitar. “I’ll at least have that Green Day song ready for next time…”

“Do you want to put the tape you made on?” Aerith asked, sweeping her dirt pile into the dust pan.

“No, no. I don’t want to over-play it,” he replied. “I still want to _feel_ the songs, y’know? Feel ‘em in my bones.”

She chuckled. “Okay, sweetie.” She tucked a flyaway behind her ear and rushed back to the kitchen to dump the dust, then immediately came skipping back through. “I _do_ want some music, though. Just to make things go by faster.” She whirled over to the small boombox seated on a couple cardboard boxes. Static blared at first, but she adjusted the dial until music filtered through.

_“Straight up, what did you hope to learn about here?_ _  
_ _If I were someone else, would this all just fall apart?”_

Aerith hummed along as she swept behind the couch, while Zack heaved himself off the couch to unplug his guitar. “How much’ve you got left to look over, champ?” he asked. A stray spike of hair draped over his eye, and he blew at it a couple times to brush it away.

Cloud thumbed through a few pages. “Not sure,” he replied. “I could stop at the next chapter, I guess…”

“Well, when you’re done, we can do some reps,” he said. As soon as he zipped up his guitar case, he stood up straight and flexed, biceps and huge shoulders easily showcased by his tanktop.

It took significant effort for Cloud to keep his mouth shut. _Don’t stare…_ He managed to turn his attention back down to his binder, gripping the back of it with surprising force. “Y-you’re really going to make me work on my d-day off?” he mumbled.

“Hey now, you gotta stay in shape!” Zack insisted, still posing and flexing. “If you’re nice and strong to begin with, the vaccine will be a cakewalk.”

“S-sure…” _His shoulders are so toned,_ Cloud thought, feeling his heart right in his throat. _Tanned and toned with that winning smile…_

“Hey, Zack,” Aerith called from the kitchen. “If you’re going to do reps, why don’t you put away the gun show?”

“Aww…” Zack whined. Cloud allowed himself to look up when he spotted his hands in his peripheral vision, but his eyes couldn’t help but linger on his shoulders. Zack’s pout soon faded into something more devious. “What, were you enjoying me too much?”

“Oh, I’m used to it, honey.” From the doorway, Aerith made a split second glance to Cloud, long enough for him to realize it was just for him.

Cloud held his breath. _Oh, fuck._ Thankfully, Zack didn’t appear to catch it, only swaggering around the couch. “Are you, now~?” he purred. “Maybe once I take him back to HQ, we can--”

A strong, hip-hop inspired beat rang out through the speakers, and he jerked his head. His eyes were wide as he took in the music, lips just barely parted. “Ooh,” he sighed, tapping his foot. “This is…”

The lyrics poured forward:

_“Do you remember when we fell in love?_   
_We were young and innocent then._   
_Do you remember how it all began?_ _  
_ It just seemed like heaven, so why did it end?”

“Ooh!” Zack yelped, spinning around. “Damn, I _love_ this song!” He jumped up and began dancing in place. “Mm, _do you remember the time…?”_

Cloud laughed, more of a startled bark than anything else, and covered his mouth immediately. “I didn’t...know you liked this music,” he remarked.

“Sephiroth I ain’t,” Zack replied, shooting him with a finger gun and a wink. “I don’t have a stick shoved so far up my ass that I can’t enjoy some funky pop-- _mm!”_

He spun around again, and Cloud continued to cover his mouth as Zack danced over to Aerith. _“Do you remember the time, when we fell in love?”_ he sang, lurching out and grabbing her by the waist. He spun her around, then lifted her in the air and back down. _“Do you remember the time, when we first met, girl~?”_

“Hey, you!” she exclaimed. Her tone was biting, but she couldn’t help but laugh, helpless to pry herself away from his groove. He danced her all the way back into the living room, in front of the couch, smiling all the while. “I’m not quite done yet--!”

Zack blissfully ignored her. _“Do you remember the time~? Ow!”_ he continued in a wild falsetto, finishing it off with a flurry of kisses that ranged from her cheek down to her neck.

Cloud tilted his head, hand now hiding a wide smile. _They’re perfect for each other,_ he thought. _They always have so much fun._ “Look, I can moonwalk too!” Zack proclaimed, clumsily trying to shuffle his feet.

“No, you can’t,” she replied matter-of-factly, staring down with an eyebrow raised. “I’m surprised you can even dance at all, with those stories your mother told mee _eee--!”_

Zack grabbed her to twirl her around again, both hands in his as they stumbled and laughed around the living room. The more he observed, however, the more Cloud’s thoughts soured. _They’re so happy together, so...why am I even here?_ The smile wiped off his face when he dragged his hand back down to his binder. Black text on white stared up at him, and he couldn’t quite take it in.

“Okay, _okay_ hon, I need to finish doing the dishes--!”

“Fine…”

His fingers flexed over the page, and he turned it even though he was positive he absorbed nothing from it. _Zack’s just your friend. And it’s fine that way. You just have to get over yourself...and deal with it._ He blinked hard. _And now I wish I had a cigarette…_

Zack’s huge hand mashed itself on Cloud’s spiked hair, half pushing it in his eyes. _“Remember the time…”_ he kept singing, bouncing as he walked around the couch.

“H-hey,” he said, shrinking back. “I’ve still got a couple more pages--”

“Oh, _c’mon,_ man! _No one_ wants to play with me!” Zack groaned. He stopped in front of Cloud for a moment, hands on his hips and the music still blasting, then reached over and dog-eared the page he was on. If Cloud flinched, their fingertips could have touched, and he was well aware. “Take a break!”

“But--”

With that, Zack knocked Cloud’s binder over and abruptly scooped him up into his arms, tossing him over his shoulder. _“Ack! Zack!”_ he shouted, clawing at the back of his shirt to stay steady. He kicked a little bit in protest, but it was weak. _What the hell…?_ He caught Aerith laughing with both hands over her mouth before Zack spun him around, holding his legs tight to his chest.

“This is a direct order, future SOLDIER!” Zack cackled, tossing Cloud in his arms like a sack of potatoes until he was holding him with both arms in front of him. Dizzy from the motion, one of Cloud’s arms mashed against his chest while the other fumbled for stability. “Damn, you really _are_ light. I don’t think you weigh much more than Aerith…”

“W-well, I…” As he realized his current situation, it became more and more difficult for Cloud to produce coherent sentences. _Every time I tell myself not to get my hopes up, something like this happens._ Zack continued to adjust him in his arms, grinning all the while, and when they made eye contact, a chuckle escaped from his lips.

“Dude, I’d need two of you to bench-press in order to get a workout. Maybe three,” he continued.

_“Three?_ I can’t be _that_ light.” _That’s still at least 400 pounds, give or take..._

Zack rolled him in his grip just enough for Cloud to readjust, and he automatically wrapped his arms around his neck. “Yeah, well, it’s not called 1st-class for nothing,” Zack said. The beat from the music was still going, and his hips gently swayed to it. “I can dead-lift almost--”

“Hey, boys.”

Zack whipped around. “What’s up?” he asked.

A click, and the light of a flash blinded them both--Aerith stood with a well worn instant camera, and the motor of it grinded out a picture, which she quickly ripped out and began waving it in the air. “Gotcha!” she exclaimed, diving into the bedroom.

“Hey, _hey!”_ Zack shouted, easing Cloud back on the couch before bolting into the bedroom. “What’re you doing!?”

Aerith’s giggle cadenced and bounced off the walls. “I’m saving memories!” she cried. “Memories--ah, _ah don’t!_ You’re gonna smudge it!”

Lying back on the couch, Cloud laced his hands over his chest, acutely aware of how his heart pounded, and how hot his face felt. _“Remember the time?”_ the radio kept singing. _I don’t need a picture to remember that,_ he mused, dazed as he stared at the popcorn ceiling. _I’ll remember...oh, I’ll remember_ really _well…_

_“Ring, ring…”_

“Oh, I’ve got it!” Aerith soared from the bedroom, Polaroid picture still in hand, although she ran smack into the couch on the way over. _“Oof,_ I’ve got it!”

Cloud sat up, sweeping his bangs out of his face. “Aerith, I’m right--”

“Nope!” She righted herself and swung over to the phone, wrenching it from the receiver and mashing it up against her face. “Hello~? Oh, hi, Tifa!”

_Ah. That’s why._ As she listened, she wandered over to the radio, turning the volume down so it was no longer blasting. “Oh, we’re just hanging out here. Zack’s being trouble, as usual.”

“Hey now, I’m not trouble!” he complained, finally emerging from the bedroom. He made his way over to her, where he continued to try and grab the picture from her hand. In Cloud’s eyes, his ears looked redder than normal. _“You’re_ the one who’s trouble!”

“I am not!” Aerith held the picture high above her head and away from him--if he really tried, he could easily snatch it away, but he didn’t. Instead, he fell to his knees and showered kisses to her bare stomach. _“Ack,_ stop it, you! Go bug Cloud!”

As a farewell, he blew a raspberry on her before crawling over to the couch, hopping up on the seat right beside him. “Aw, fine,” he sighed, crossing his arms, then leaning his head back to look over at Cloud. “Hey, I didn't ask, did you want to stay another night, or head back to base today?” He tapped his fingers against his arms. "Kind of figured you'd want to go back..."

“Yeah, that sounds okay,” Cloud replied. _I don’t know if I could survive another night, if this is how it’s always going to be._ “I-I only brought enough clothes for a night anyway…”

“Cool, cool,” Zack replied with a nod.

“Oh, right! Our date!” Aerith exclaimed. She spun around and tapped a finger to her lips. “Hm, not tomorrow. How about Tuesday or Wednesday?” A pause. “Sure, that’s good. Either way I can take a half day. I’ve got it all planned out!”

She panned her hand out across the air, and Zack giggled as he watched. When the two made eye contact, she immediately spun around to obscure her face. “Yeah, okay, sounds good! Oh, wait…” Aerith covered the receiver with her palm and glanced behind her shoulder to Cloud. “Did you want to talk to Tifa?”

The answer came automatically. “Yeah.” He rose from the couch to take the phone, then realized the lack of wires. _Oh, it’s a cordless…_

“Hang on. Cloud wants to talk to you.” Aerith pushed the phone into his hands, then winked and danced over to the couch, where she flopped into Zack’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek while he hugged her around the waist. Cloud bit his lip. _Ah._

He took a deep breath and returned his attention to the phone. “Hey, Ti.”

_“Hey. Everything okay?”_

He nodded, despite the fact that she wouldn’t be able to see it. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’ve just been...studying most of the day.”

_“Ah, gotcha. Must feel like being back in school again.”_

“Kind of. If school were gym class for over half the day.”

Tifa snickered. _“Yeah, I guess that’s true. So, when you say ‘studying’, are you just doing push-ups all day?”_

“Not exactly,” Cloud replied with a smirk. “There’s a lot of protocol to memorize. The SOLDIER exam has a written section too.”

_“I see. W-well, if you ever need any help, I can do that. I know memorizing isn’t your favorite thing in the world.”_

“Yeah.” _She’d be a better study partner than Zack. He’s helpful, but…_ Cloud looked over to him and Aerith kissing in depth and quickly turned away. ... _Easily distracted._ “I’d...I’d like that.”

_“Sure thing,”_ she replied. Something about the tone of her voice, how it dropped from its usual crispness to a gentle lull, warmed Cloud like a blanket fresh out of the drier. _“Well, I won’t keep you--”_

“Hey,” he said. “Do you...mind if I stop by before I head back on base? I...want to see you.”

_“O-oh. Sure, yeah...that’s okay.”_

Cloud leaned against the wall, a small smile on his lips. _It’d be a good way to relax after everything from this weekend. Get a chance to breathe._ “All right, I’ll talk to you soon.”

Aerith unglued herself from Zack’s lips and shot her head up. “Mm! Bye, Tifa!” she shouted, waving.

Tifa laughed. _“Bye, Aerith. Bye, Cloud.”_

The line clicked, and Cloud hung up the phone promptly. “She says bye,” he said.

“Hooray!” she exclaimed, kicking her feet--and almost kicking Zack in the face.

“Easy, girl!” he said, holding her legs down. “Looks like _someone’s_ excited for their date.”

“Duh! Of course! Who wouldn’t be?” Aerith replied. “Why do you think Cloud asked to go visit her today? She’s _adorable!_ Right?”

Both sets of eyes flashed on Cloud like spotlights. “Er…” he fumbled, wandering to the last empty spot on the couch. “Sh-she is...I-I guess…” _Tifa’s always been cute. She’s beautiful._

_(but who do you like more?)_

The thought spiked in the back of Cloud’s head. _I don’t know. Does it even matter? I don’t have a chance with him. Him and Aerith are too good together..._

_(but do you want to settle?)_

_It wouldn’t be settling. It’s not like that. It’s not like that at all…_

“Do you think there’s a movie on today?”

“We might’ve missed it, it’s the afternoon…”

Cloud settled back into the couch. _Besides, I can’t think about that now._ He slipped his binder, precariously teetering on the armrest, back into his lap, the Shinra logo on the front staring back at him. _I have to make SOLDIER first. That’s how it always was going to be, wasn’t it? Then...then I can decide._

_(Tifa behind the bar, wearing that half smile that pulls up her cheek, chin in one hand…_

_“Hey, Cloud.”)_

He bit his lip to try and hide the smile rising to his face, but it didn’t go unnoticed by Zack. “What’s up?” he asked.

Cloud shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup! The song that plays first when Aerith turns on the radio is ["Real World" by Matchbox 20,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-lk05d2fnU) then ["Remember The Time" by Michael Jackson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM19eRgOK1Q).
> 
>  
> 
> [Thanks to AlexSonata for this adorable picture to go along with the chapter!](https://twitter.com/givealexahand/status/732207496274681858)
> 
>  
> 
> It's a miracle that Cloud hasn't just disintegrated from everything that's happened this weekend. I feel like a queer story set in the 90's has to address the AIDS crisis (especially as a US writer), so you'll get a little bit of that here and there. Zack is a complete goofball, and Aerith is pretty gay too. 
> 
> Next chapter, we'll get to adventure with Aerith and Tifa around Midgar! And meet a couple more friends along the way...stay tuned!


	16. Girls' Day Out

The same series of thoughts kept coursing through Tifa’s head as she applied her makeup in the mirror: _Aerith keeps calling this a date. So,_ is _it a date? Like, a date-date? A_ real _date? I don’t know._ She carefully applied mascara to her lashes, the rest of her eyes already done in dark brown liner and blue eyeshadow. _If any other girl did something like this, would I consider it a real date?_ She adjusted the mirror on her dresser with a frown. _I’m...not sure. What even_ is _a “real date”? Oy..._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marlene poke her head through the door, then shuffle away. “I see you,” she said, flipping open the case of blush. “You can come in.”

Dragging her dog plush by its tail, she squeezed through the door and peered up at Tifa. “Can you do my makeup?” she asked.

“Oh _ho,_ no,” Tifa replied, pausing to apply a mauve lipstick. “I don’t think your daddy would be too impressed.” _Barret would skin me alive. “What did you do to my little girl?!”, Christ, I can hear him already._ She dug through her small makeup bag for a lip liner, then sighed. _Right. I don’t think I have anything that quite goes with this color._

“Aw,” Marlene pouted. “But I wanna look pretty like you!”

Tifa chuckled, and with one last look in the mirror, she squatted down in her denim shorts to her level and smoothed back Marlene's hair. “When you’re older, we can play with makeup, okay?” she said. “You’re pretty just the way you are.”

She beamed at her, swinging her hips back and forth. “Yay!”

Tifa adjusted her top--a simple, white short-sleeved button down with ruffles down the front--and bounced back to her feet. She had it buttoned almost up to her neck, but noticed it was starting to gape, and sighed as she unbuttoned it. _Every shirt I own that’s not a t-shirt is starting to do this,_ she thought. “Come on, let’s head downstairs,” she said to Marlene. _I need to go clothes shopping soon, but my paycheck doesn’t exactly give me that kind of room._ As soon as Marlene was out the door, she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. _I should have enough gil for the day, though._

Down the stairs, Marlene immediately took the barstool next to Vincent, her face barely reaching the counter. Barret nodded to her from behind the counter, giving her a once-over. “You got a date with that blond kid? Claudio, or somethin’?” he grunted, wiping down a glass.

 _“Cloud,”_ she corrected. “And not today. I’m going out with Aerith. She’s going to take me around the city.”

“Ah,” he replied, and left it at that, pulling up a stool in the corner and staring up at the TV in the corner.

Tifa glanced at the time stamp on the TV, twisting the bangles on her wrists. _She should be here anytime now._ She began rattling her nails on the counter, at least until Vincent cleared his throat loud enough to gather everyone’s attention. With a glance, Tifa immediately retreated. _I’m so antsy. We’ve only ever visited each other at work, so we’ve never gotten to really...hang out. Besides the gala, but that was different--Cloud and Zack were there too._

_(“You’ve got a cute date, Cloud!”)_

She smirked to herself, tapping a finger to her lips. _I’ve never had anyone so...enthusiastically shower me with affection like that before. And it’s probably going to be more of the same today…_

The bar door flung open, and Aerith spun in, this time in a pink patterned dress, tied with a burgundy sash around the waist. Her hair was braided today, and it swung on her back, tied together with a set of two scrunchies. “Hello~!” she greeted with a wave. “Ready to go?”

“Y-yeah!” Tifa replied. She swung around the bar, whacking her purse against the side of the counter. “I’ll be back in a couple hours, Barret.”

He raised an eyebrow, still looking at the TV. “Whatever, you’re free for the rest of the night, anyway.”

Tifa squinted at him. _Literally last night, he said for me to tell him when I’m going to be in and out, in case someone needs to keep an eye on Marlene._ “Okay.” _He’s weird about this stuff. Is he my boss, or my dad?_

“Bye-bye, Tifa!” Marlene exclaimed. She wiggled as she waved, almost tipping off the stool, but Vincent used one hand to steady her. He used the same hand to gesture a farewell, as stilted as it was. _Things sure aren’t ever dull,_ she thought as Aerith grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out the door.

As soon as it shut, Aerith skipped a little ahead. “So, I thought I’d just take you a little below the plate, walk underneath and then up overhead, then make our way back down, kind of like a big circle.”

“Sure,” Tifa replied. _What’s that humming sound?_ She brought her purse around and opened it, spotting a red light on at the bottom. “Oh, shoot, my Walkman’s still on…”

“Ooh, you have a Walkman?” Aerith said, peeking over her purse. Tifa pulled it out--it was a tape player with a dial for a radio, attached to a tangle of headphones--and she clumsily snapped the stop button, causing the whirring of gears to cease. “What tape do you have in there?”

“Uh…” She flicked open the case. “TLC? CrazySexyCool is the album...”

“Ahh,” Aerith said. “You know what? There’s a neat little record store that I like to go to every once in awhile when I have a little extra gil. They just moved to above the plate a couple years ago! We can stop by!”

“Th-that’s fine,” she replied, adjusting her purse. “You’re leading the way…”

“I am!” She pulled her closer, arms still hooked together as they weaved on the sidewalk. “So, how’s everything been going so far? Are you homesick yet?”

“Um...I-I don’t think so,” Tifa said. “I get to see Cloud every day, or every other day at least. Honestly, I don’t miss being at home--my dad’s pissed that I left so suddenly, so he doesn’t have much to say when I call…”

“Aw, that sucks.” Aerith kept them on the main street, the roar of cars forcing them to keep their voices raised. “I always have to remind Zack to give his mother a call every so often--he’s a little forgetful.”

“Is that right…?” Tifa found that she was only half paying attention, responses coming out automatically. _I could listen to her talk all day. About anything, really._

(“...Tifa? Hello~?”

_She shook her head, readjusting the phone on her ear. “Sorry, yeah, I’m here.”_

_Aerith giggled._ “I thought you fell asleep!”

_“N-no! I just like...ah, I’m just listening…”)_

“He remembers the important things, though. Like, he never forgets to write or call when he’s dispatched.” She sighed wistfully. “It’s tough having a military boyfriend, but he’s a sweetie, so it’s worth it.”

Tifa nodded. “I bet.” _Wonder what it’ll be like when...or if Cloud ever gets dispatched. Will he remember to write and call?_

“At least next time when he goes, I’ll have someone to talk to,” she continued, turning her green eyes directly onto her. “Someone to keep me company on the lonely days.”

Tifa’s eyes widened. “A-ah...yeah.” A half-smile crept on her face, and she played with a strand of her hair, tucking it back even though it didn’t need to be.

Aerith arm link loosened as her hand fell to cup hers. “You still need to come over sometime!” Aerith followed up. She swung their linked hands for just a moment before letting go, bouncing a little ahead of her. “Bring Cloud too, we can cram the four of us on that couch if we try hard enough…”

“Oh God--!” Tifa exclaimed. “Unless it’s big, I don’t think so…”

“Come on, Cloud’s pretty small! We’ll just squeeze him off to the side.” Aerith snickered, then took another glance at her surroundings, her face growing drawn and somber. “Here, stay close to me. We’re going through Sector 2 before we head up above the plate.”

 _We’re...pretty close as it is,_ Tifa mused. There wasn’t a clear divide between sections of the slums--all of the buildings had a dingy, unkempt quality to them. But the more they kept walking, the more broken glass she spotted on the side of the road, the more broken windows in apartments, the more downcast eyes on the streets. A man in a trenchcoat passed them, staring directly down at Tifa’s cleavage and not taking his eyes off it until he passed. “This is a kind of...seedy part of town,” Aerith explained. “Let me see if I can remember the safe alleys…”

“Safe alleys?” she asked.

She swapped sides with her and kept peeking down each alley. “Well, at least so we don’t walk into the middle of a drug deal.” She nodded down a particular one, where a group of teenagers were huddled in a circle by a dumpster. A glass vial dropped outside of them, filled with a hazy, blue liquid, and rolled just outside of the ring. Before it could get much further, a pale hand, purple veins showing stark through translucent skin, snatched it like a viper and brought it back in. “Not that way.”

Aerith’s pace picked up, almost in a speed walk. “You know this area pretty well,” Tifa commented as she took a sharp right onto another main road.

“I used to live around here, when I was growing up,” she replied, grabbing her wrist so she could keep pace.

Tifa gawked above her. “Oh, in one of these apartments…?” All of them were squeezed together, the paint peeling off their wooden doors, metal numbers hanging by rusted screws. A car whizzed by, clipping onto the sidewalk, and Aerith yanked her far to the side. _“Shit!”_

“Careful!” she yelped. “And, ah, yeah.” She swallowed hard, then pointed forward. “Hey, there’s where I went to school!”

A rather square building with “MIDGAR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT 2” engraved above the front doors stood like a cement slab among all the scraggled apartment buildings. Crowds of students sat on the steps, some riding skateboards on the railings, others smoking and chatting among themselves. “It...hasn’t changed much,” she said.

A pair of teenagers ran out in front of them--one with dark hair with silvery, gray ends and a Misfits t-shirt bumping smack into Tifa. His companion, in a camo Shinra military jacket and long, platinum blond hair, tried pulling him back on his feet, but ultimately stumbled himself. “Kadaj! Watch out!” they exclaimed.

“Damn it, _you_ watch it!” he spat, swinging his bangs out of his face with his head before looking over the girls. Tifa raised an eyebrow--the kid had a distinct greasy look, from the way his bangs stuck to his face to the acne on his forehead. Upon refocusing, he smirked and lowered his green eyes. “Ladies~,” he then crooned, unable to take his gaze away from Tifa’s breasts. “Nice rack you’ve got there--”

“Ew! You’re like, fourteen!” Aerith barked, pushing Tifa ahead. “Buzz off!”

“I’m _sixteen!”_ he shouted at their backs. “Fuckin’...”

Tifa found herself trying to button up her top, even as it gaped in the middle. _Maybe I should’ve worn a different shirt._ “Yup, nothing’s changed,” Aerith sighed with a frown. “Teenage boys are gross. They’re _all_ gross.”

“You can say that again,” Tifa groaned. “Trust me, I’m used to this kind of stuff. Might as well make my chest a national monument for all the attention it gets.”

Aerith snorted with laughter. “Well, it is quite impressive, if I do say so myself.” She poked at her own small chest, nearly flat under her loose dress. “I’d say I’d envy you, but I dated a girl who had big boobs, and she constantly had back pain.”

Tifa’s heart dropped a beat. “You...d-dated?” _So, she is into girls…_

_A-ah…_

“Does it bother you?” Aerith said, her posture stiffening, hands laced behind her back. Her lips were pursed, and her eyes were fixed to the ground. Nonetheless, she chuckled. “I-I mean, I’m sure you--”

“No,” Tifa replied quietly. She slowed down just enough to force Aerith to look back up at her, right underneath a street sign that said “PUBLIC ALLEY #4”. _It doesn’t._ “It doesn’t.”

Aerith’s mouth made a small “o” shape, for just a moment, before she shook her head with a smirk. “Is everyone from Nibelheim like that? Cloud said the same thing.” She rocked on her toes, a flyaway drifting on her cheek and framing her face. _Did he? Well, Cloud’s different anyway. He’s not like most guys from back home…_

_(“I don’t think you should be hangin’ around that sissy boy, Cloud,” her father said over a pile of mashed potatoes. “Somethin’ ain’t right about him.”_

_“Dad--!” Tifa exclaimed, grip tight around her fork. “H-he’s my friend, don’t say stuff like that--”_

_“This is my damn house, I can say whatever I want,” he replied, much louder than her. Tifa narrowed her eyes._ You wouldn’t say that if Mom were still around. _“I don’t like him. Seems like a nasty queer.”_

_Tifa stood up, rattling the table. “Stop it!” she shouted._

_“You sit down right now, young lady--”_

_“Not if you’re going to call him names like that!”_

“Tifa!” _he bellowed, staring her straight in the eye. “Is there something you’re not tellin’ me?”_

_She gaped at him, squinting even as adrenaline pumped through her heart. “The hell do you mean?”)_

_...so, I guess I’m different, too._

When Tifa came back into focus, she found Aerith glancing up at the street sign, hands wringing behind her back. “Oh…”

“What is it?” she asked.

Aerith slowly shook her head, but took Tifa’s arm once again. “It’s nothing. Let’s just...walk through.”

Her steps became measured as they entered the alley, as if she were walking on thin ice. From what Tifa could tell, it was an alley just like all the others she had encountered in Midgar. It was empty, save for a dumpster at the opposite side, and a pile of blankets and a couple milk crates in the middle. Aerith paused at this, tilting her head. “Someone’s here now…” she muttered.

“Huh?”

She didn’t reply, looking around instead. _Why is it that the people I’m friends with have so many secrets? Have this sort of shell?_ Tifa watched as she crept forward, taking in every inch of the alley. “Aerith...you know--”

Suddenly, she gasped. “Oh. My. _God.”_ She pointed at the dumpster. “Look at that!”

“What? What?” Tifa exclaimed while being dragged to it. The only thing of note was a bicycle with an unusually long seat sticking out of the top. “What is it?”

“Check this out!” Aerith relinquished her arm once again to stand on her toes to try and push the bicycle out of the dumpster. “Ugh...come on…”

Tifa crossed her arms. “What the--that thing is all rusted up!” she said, circling around her.

“So? Tires look good-- _rah!”_ With a final heave, it jerked free, and she went flying backwards into the other side of the alley. The bike, caked in rust and dirt, clattered on the ground, wheel spinning in the air. When she got her bearings, Aerith righted the bike, dusting off the seat. “Look at how big this seat is!”

 _I can’t believe you just pulled a bike out of a dumpster._ “Yeah, sure…” Tifa replied dubiously. “Doesn’t Zack have a motorcycle you can ride on?”

“Yes, but I can’t ride it myself,” she said, looking it over. “Ooh, it even has pegs on the back. This was made for two people.” Aerith’s eyes flashed up with a devilish grin. “You know what that means?”

She didn’t wait for her to respond, only hiking her leg above the bike, tucking the bulk of her dress around her thighs. “Hop on,” she said.

“Um,” Tifa replied, taking a step back. “No.”

“What? _No?”_ She scooted a little forward, patting the back of the seat. “There’s _plenty_ of room for the two of us.”

“That thing is _rusted_ as _hell._ We’re gonna break it!”

“No, we’re not.” She shook the frame. “It’s sturdy!”

Tifa raised an eyebrow. _Not convincing._ “You pulled it out of the _God damned trash.”_

Aerith huffed, twisting her core around so she could properly pout at Tifa. “You are no fun,” she sighed, rolling the bike backwards until she was right beside her. She then clasped her hands to her chest, looking pleadingly at the plate. “I guess I’ll just have to go all by myself, on this bicycle built for two...for me and a beautiful girl…”

Tifa’s face burned. “Oh, all right, _all right!”_ she huffed, louder than she meant to.

_(beautiful girl beautiful girl)_

Aerith giggled while she swung her leg over the seat, settling her feet on the pegs behind her. The way the pegs were situated made Tifa feel like she was kneeling down on nothing, using her thighs to squeeze the seat and her hands to grip the back of it. _This is such a bad idea,_ she thought,

_(beautiful girl beautiful girl)_

even as her mouth felt dry and her heart pounded in her head. The bicycle creaked and whined while Aerith held it steady, and she leaned back a little into Tifa. “I don’t mean to fluster you,” she said, voice laced with laughter.

“S-sure you don’t,” Tifa mumbled, flipping her hair off her shoulder and onto her back. “W-well, are you going to go, or not?”

“Of course~!” Aerith pushed her feet off and began to pedal, wobbling precariously out of the alley before they could pick up speed. “Hey, hold on to me so we have more balance! You’re weaving!”

“I’m fii _iiiine!”_ As she spoke, one of her hands on the seat slipped back, and she flinched to catch herself. The bike wobbled and weaved until she finally wrapped her arms around Aerith, knots in her stomach and her face against her back.

“Are you sure?” Tifa felt her pedaling slow. “I won’t do anything fancy. I’m not Zack ‘Dangerous’ Fair, who weaves in and out of traffic at sixty miles an hour…”

“Holy shit,” she muttered into her back. “No, I-I’m...okay.”

The breeze cooled her face, and she managed to pull her head up to see them on a slope. A sign posted on the sidewalk boasted “UPPER MIDGAR” with a big arrow pointing forward. _My legs are cramped, but otherwise...it’s not_ so _bad._ Each rotation of the wheel creaked, and Tifa tried not to stare at the ground. There was plenty to look at besides--while Shinra HQ was the centerpiece, plenty of skyscrapers and modern buildings towered above them, all in a sandstone beige color. Sharply dressed business people mingled with military personnel in uniform all wandered the streets, much more pleasant than the slums of Sector 2.

At a cruising speed, Aerith lifted her head toward the sky, drinking in the fresh air, and began to sing:

 _“Once in a million years a lady like her rises,_   
_‘Oh, no, Rhiannon’ you cry but then she’s gone, and your life knows no answer._ _  
_ Your life knows no answer…”

She stood up on the pedals, enough to force Tifa’s hands to drop to her hips, and her ass settling right in her face. “H-hey!” she stammered, leaning back. “W-watch out--”

“Hmm~?” Aerith turned profile, showcasing her petite, upturned nose and the curve of her lips. The moment only lasted for a second (although it felt much longer to Tifa--the way her bangs curled around her cheek, and the way the light reflected off her eyes) before the bike weaved considerably, causing Aerith to lurch back into her seat to right it. _“Aack!”_

“Careful!” Tifa clung to her tight as they slowed down to the corner, finally coming to a halt at the next block. “God…”

“Yeah, let’s walk the rest of the way.” Aerith jumped off the bike and smoothing out her dress. When she looked back at Tifa, an odd, shy smile crossed her face, and she chuckled. “That’s enough excitement for one day,” she said, assessing her surroundings. “Oh, we’re close! This way!”

She rolled the bike at a jog, and Tifa loosely held her chest to catch up, right up until she leaned it against the side of a short building with a large front window. The entrance sign read in bold type: “VINYL FANTASY - RECORDS & CASSETTES - NEW AND USED”. “Too bad we don’t have a lock,” Aerith remarked, hands on her hips. “Wouldn’t want it to get stolen…”

“It was in the trash, and looks it,” Tifa replied flatly. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

She shrugged, then grabbed Tifa by the hand once again and pulled her inside. “We just got it, though. I wouldn’t want this to be our only ride!” She snickered to herself. “Come on.”

The store was shaped like a shoebox, with rows and rows of albums, organized by vinyl, cassette tapes, and CDs. Pale blue walls accented by fluorescent lighting set the mood, as well as a haze of smoke near the ceiling. In the very back was the main counter, where a weathered looking man sat back in a rolling chair, cigar in his teeth and a phone in his hand. “So when the fuck are we getting our shipment, then?” he growled. His eyes flicked over to the ladies as they walked in, and he raised his eyebrows before jerking forward, flicking the ash of his cigar into an ashtray. “Listen, long as it’s here on Tuesday with the rest, I don’t give a shit. I got customers. Yeah, bye.”

Tifa found herself shrinking to Aerith’s side as she wandered over to the section with cassette tapes. _He sounds like a card._ With a sidelong look, Aerith squeezed her hand, then called out. “Hello, Cid!”

“Well, well, if isn’t Miss Gainsburough!” he crowed. He paused to take a drag from his cigar and blow a smoke ring. “You got any flowers for me today?”

“Nope! I’m off duty!” she replied cheerfully. All of the tapes were alphabetized, and she pointed a finger down, scanning through and muttering to herself. “Let’s see, F…”

“You know him too?” Tifa whispered, her own eyes wandering over the tapes. _There’s a ton of stuff here...even really old stuff._ Circular, neon stickers on the spines of the cassettes designated whether they were new or used, all mixed in together. “God…”

“I get around,” she replied. “I had to cover a lot of ground when I was selling flowers from a cart.”

“You sold flowers from a _cart?”_

“Say, Aerith,” Cid said, watching the girls carefully. “Did you see there’s a new Mac album out?”

She shot up. _“What?!”_ she exclaimed. “When? Where?”

He chuckled, gesturing to the front of the store. “Check the new releases. It’s a live album.”

She gasped and grabbed Tifa by the shoulders, in turn releasing her hand. “Oh. My. _God.”_ She dashed down the aisle, leaving a startled Tifa behind in her wake as she skidded in front of the new release shelf. “Look, _look!_ It’s the Rumours group! Are you _kidding me?”_

Tifa couldn’t help but chuckle as she wandered to her side, hugging her arms. _She’s cute when she’s excited._ Aerith grasped the CD case with both hands, thrusting it into her face as soon as she realized she was there. “This is _so cool!”_ she squealed. The cover featured five people in black against a cream background, surrounded by white instruments, including a piano, which a woman was lying on. “Ooh, there’s new songs on here too, yes, _yes!”_ Aerith held the album against her chest as she looked over the display. “All there are here are CDs, though…”

“You don’t have a CD player?” Tifa asked.

“No, we don’t,” she replied. “Do you?”

She shook her head. “I just have my Walkman…”

Aerith huffed, then ran up the aisle to the very back, braid swishing as she went. _“Ciiiid!”_ she called. As she ran, her sash slipped off her hips and dropped to the floor. Tifa was immediately there to pick it up, sifting the silky, chiffon fabric between her fingers. She twirled it around her wrist before she got to the counter.

“Whatcha need?” he asked as Aerith leaned over it.

“Do you have this on cassette?” she asked, waving the jewel case back and forth.

“Should’ve got something,” he grunted. Behind him was a darkened, open doorway, clearly leading into a storage room, and he called out toward it. “Leon! Leon.” There was no immediate response, and Cid grumbled and shoved his cigar into the ashtray. “Fuckin’ kid... _Squall!”_

 _“Don’t call me that!”_ a whining voice emerged from the far back, and soon appeared as a teenager with long bangs and a polo shirt that was at least a size too small for him. Pinned on his chest was a nametag--what was written on it originally was covered with a piece of masking tape, and instead had “LEON” scrawled in Sharpie. He glanced at the two, squinting briefly, before addressing Cid. “What?”

Cid held up the CD without looking at him. “See if we have this on tape,” he muttered.

“Sure.” He whirled around, and as Tifa watched him run off, she noticed that he was wearing three belts around his waist and hips. _What kind of guy needs that many belts? They’re barely holding up his pants…_

“Can’t get good fuckin’ help these days,” Cid grumbled. “Jackass comes in here wearin’ four belts on his pants and three on his arms, thinkin’ he’s some kind of hot-shot, then just dicks around and watches TV in the back. Christ Almighty…”

He scratched the back of his dirty blond hair in disgust. Tifa found herself holding her breath the closer they got to the counter, as Cid's aura reeked of cigar smoke and engine exhaust. “The other kid I got workin’ here is all right, but he's got that look 'bout him. Like, if you look at him wrong, he’ll cock you in the fuckin’ throat.” Cid paused to take another drag, blowing smoke off to the side. “Now, if _you_ girls worked here--”

“Sorry, we’re stuck under the plate,” Aerith interrupted, wagging her finger. “Have you been flying much?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I get to take her out every Sunday.” _She derailed that train of thought pretty quickly,_ Tifa mused, drawn more to her than Cid talking. Aerith caught her in the corner of her eye, and gave a quick wink. “Summer’s the best time of year to do it, I’ll tell you what…”

“Good,” Aerith said, then backed up. “We’re going to look at a couple other things, ‘kay?”

“Sure thing, doll.”

She kept a smile on her face right up through when she turned around. “I _hate_ when he calls me doll,” she hissed through gritted teeth, her good-natured grin souring into a grimace. “But, it’s fine. He’s just a crusty old man.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Tifa replied. She lingered close, shoulders touching, while they looked over the tapes. “So, what else are we looking for?”

“Something for you,” Aerith said. “There we go!”

She fished out a tape, still wrapped in cellophane, featuring a man and woman holding a crystal ball together in grayscale, the woman wrapped in gauzy, black chiffon. “It’s so pristine,” Aerith said in a hushed voice. “But this, _this_ is something you need to have.”

Tifa took the tape with the hand wrapped with her scarf and studied the case. “‘Rumours’, huh…” she muttered. _Classic rock? I don’t know if it’ll be my style, but…_ Her eyes drifted up to Aerith’s, who couldn’t stop from grinning. _If she really likes it, then I should give it a shot._

Aerith cocked her head at Tifa’s wrist, then glanced down at her own waist and gasped. “Oh, my scarf!”

“O-oh, yeah, it fell…” She immediately unraveled it and handed it over to her.

“Thank you!” Aerith let it unfurl to its full width, then draped it around her head like a shawl. “What do you think, do you think I could be another Stevie Nicks?” She twirled the extra in one hand and spun around, her dress flowing around her knees. _“Hmm mmm mmm like a bell through the night…”_

It took Tifa a moment to respond, a hand at her lips, even though her smile showed through her cheeks. “Wh-who?” she replied, far too late.

“Oh, _honey,”_ Aerith sighed, skipping back to her. She opened her mouth to say something else, but just smiled instead, pulling the scarf off her head. The period of silence was palpable between them, enough to hear footsteps drifting from the storage room, enough for Tifa to realize she was holding her breath. _Aerith…_

_...she’s so cute…_

“Here.” She stretched out the scarf and wrapped it around her neck. “It’s your color.”

“Th…” Having the scarf so close to her face coaxed a soft, floral scent to her nose, somehow potent enough to make her dizzy. “Thanks…”

Conversation drifted from the front of the store. “Did you find it?” Cid asked.

“Nope,” Leon (or Squall) replied. As they wandered back to the counter, he shrugged and crossed his arms, revealing another belt strap around his wrist. “I don’t know, maybe Loz put them somewhere weird--”

“Don’t blame it on him, he actually _organizes_ shit,” Cid grumbled, an eye on Aerith. “Sorry, we ain’t got a tape for ya.”

“Aww, shoot,” she pouted. “Well, hold on, let me think…” She looked at Tifa as she thought out loud. “One of Zack’s bandmates has this fancy stereo that can copy CDs to tapes. That’s how he got his songs to practice with.” The realization lit up her entire face, and she whirled back on the counter. “I’ll take it anyway, along with--” Her hand wriggled behind her, until she grasped the cassette from Tifa’s hand, slapping it on the counter. “--this.”

Leon sighed, tossing the CD jewel case on the counter. “Whatever,” he said, shrugging. “I’m going to--”

 _“No,_ you’re not.” Cid stood up and walked behind him. “Whatever you’re going to do. Ring these ladies up an earn your fuckin’ paycheck.”

“H-hey!” Leon exclaimed, hands out. “I was just going to have my cigarette break--”

Cid was already in the back, his voice echoing in the warehouse. “You’ve been on ‘break’ for the last half-hour, Squall! Do some work!”

 _“Leon!”_ he corrected with a bark, then just shook his head and gathered the two cases.

Aerith struggled to speak without sounding like she was laughing, but the way her voice lilted in a low tone gave her away. “So...why does Cid keep calling you Squall?” she asked.

“None of your business,” he muttered, punching numbers in the cash register with venom. “Friggin’ hate it, though…it’s going to be 3,100 gil.”

Aerith dug into her dress pockets, pulling out gil pieces and counting them out. “Okay, 200, 400...6, 8…”

“Your dress has _pockets?”_ Tifa marveled, automatically sliding her own purse onto her elbow and opening it up. “And you don’t have to--”

She spoke over her. “Yeah, I know, right? It’s awesome.” Aerith put what she had on the counter and continued to fish around. “Oh, _crap,_ I’m short…” Her hand shook as she shuffled the pieces in her hand, and she blinked hard. "I-I'll just..."

“I’ve got it.” Tifa eyeballed the amount of gil she had out already and complimented it with a handful of her own.

“What? No, this was going to be a present for you!” Aerith insisted, pulling back her arm too late. “I can put that CD back and get it another--”

The money was already on the table, though, and Leon glanced from Aerith to Tifa, trying to judge whether to take it or not. “It’s fine, really. I’ve been getting good tips,” Tifa said, then nodded to him. “That’s all set.”

Aerith fell silent, only nodding herself and glancing away. With that, he sighed and counted out the gil, pushing a few extra pieces away before tapping the amount into the register. “You need a bag?” he mumbled with no eye contact.

“Sure,” Tifa replied.

He groaned while he reached under the counter for a small plastic bag, shoving the CD and the tape inside with a small receipt. Tifa scooped up the remaining money and handed it over to Aerith. “Here,” she said, poking her arm.

She shook herself from the silence she fell into, eyes refocusing. “That’s yours,” Aerith corrected, folding her fingers over the gil.

Tifa shook her head. "I had enough, just--"

“No. _Take it.”_ Aerith's voice suddenly had a bite to it, and her hands tensed on Tifa's.  _Aerith?_ Nonetheless, she managed to take a deep breath, and her face smoothed out. “Really, I’m okay.”

“Are you…” _Sure?_ The last word never came out. _Do you not want to take money from me? I’m doing fine--not great, but better than I would have back home._ The more she studied her face, the truer Aerith’s smile became, and she gradually slipped the gil back into her purse. _You always keep that face on, but I wonder if there’s more to it. I feel like...there’s a lot I don’t know about you._

_I want to know you more._

“You’re all set, y’know,” Leon said, plopping back on the chair Cid was on and kicking his feet up on the counter.

“Oops, sorry!” Aerith chirped, swiping the bag off the counter. “I’m Aerith, by the way. And this is Tifa.” She elbowed her, prompting Tifa into an awkward wave.

He simply stared at them with glazed, gray eyes. “Okay…”

“You might see us around again!” Aerith said, waving enthusiastically. “Bye-bye, Leon!”

His eyes widened just a little as he registered the name, then he flicked his head to adjust his bangs and looked off. “Bye,” he responded.

As they left, Aerith grabbed the tape out of the bag and handed it to her. “Here, happy birthday,” she chuckled. “You’d better listen to that right when you get home! It’s so good. I promise!”

“Okay,” she replied. “Hey, listen…”

“So, where do you want to go next?” she said, staring up at the clear, blue sky. “We can hit up the soda shop that Zack and I always go to for sundaes. Or, just cruise around up here a little longer.” Their bike was still leaned up against the side of the side of the building, and while she was ready to grab it and push it by the handlebars, she hesitated and jumped back to Tifa. “Oh, I’m going to need this back…”

The maroon scarf was still around her neck, and Aerith unraveled it methodically. Tifa felt every trace of her fingertips on her neck, and struggled to keep her train of thought. “Aerith, you know that...you…”

“Hmm?” She cocked her head as she tied it back around her waist, cinching her dress.

“Y-you...you can...tell me stuff, you know,” Tifa managed, taking a deep breath. She laced her hands behind her back so she could fuss with her bracelets on her wrists.

Confusion scrawled itself on her face. “Silly, I tell you stuff all the time!” she replied.

“No, no, I mean…” _God, this isn’t that hard to explain. Come on, Tifa…_ “Like...the good, and the bad. I’m...here for you.” She swallowed hard, watching Aerith’s expression shift from one that was puzzled to something much more aware. _I’m not going to make the same mistake I made with Cloud--spend four years staring at a shell, when I know there’s more underneath._ “So, if there’s something wrong, or something that happened that’s bothering you...you can tell me.”

“Tifa, I--” Aerith started, then looked down at the sidewalk. _That’s denial, I can hear it,_ Tifa thought with a wince. _Don’t do that, don’t say “everything’s just fine” if it’s not._

Her hesitation was brief, for in the next second she bear hugged Tifa around her shoulders. “Thank you,” she said simply.

Tifa nodded before returning the hug, arms around her waist and a warmth in her chest. “Sure thing,” she replied.

Aerith lingered in her arms--first leaning back, then sliding her hands from her shoulders all the way down her arms--before finally letting go. “Why don’t you ride this time?” she suggested with a grin.

“Huh? I don’t know where to go!” Tifa exclaimed.

“I’ll be your navigator, cutie pie,” she said with a wink, and she pushed her toward the bike. “C’mon, c’mon!”

“A-aah!” Tifa found herself laughing nonetheless as she was pushed on to the seat. _I haven’t had a friend like this in a...long time,_ she thought, sliding her hands on the handlebars. _If ever. Cloud’s so quiet...this is something totally new._

Aerith slid right up behind her, comfortably wrapping her arms around her waist. “Okay, if you want to just go back the way we came, that’ll work,” she said, perching her chin on Tifa’s shoulder.

Tifa spun her head instinctively, and bumped her forehead against Aerith’s. “Er, which way was that?” she asked.

“Back that way.” She pointed behind her. “I’ll let you know. Let’s go!”

“Okay, okay…” Tifa pushed her heels off the ground and got the bike rolling, the pedals stiff beneath her feet as they wobbled to an easy pace down the street. _Today went by so fast, like a whirlwind. The sun’s already starting to set._ She tried to control the bike with one hand as she adjusted her purse on her shoulder, but it was a trying task, and she was forced to let it dangle on her wrist as she rode. _I hope we can do this again soon._

_(beautiful girl)_

She smiled to herself, tossing her head so the wind could fully run its fingers through her hair. _We will._

* * *

 

By the time Aerith returned to her basement apartment in Sector 5, it was already dark, and Zack jumped up from the couch to greet her. “Hey, sweetie!” he exclaimed, hugging her tight and covering her head with kisses. “How’d it go?”

“Great!” she sang, returning the affection with a kiss on his cheek. “We found a two-seater bicycle in Sector 2 and rode it up above the plate!”

“Sounds fun,” he replied, beaming. “I missed you, baby.”

“You’re a big puppy,” she said, but still gave him a warm kiss on the lips before pulling out the CD jewel case from her bag. “I got a new album, but it was only on CD. Didn’t you say that one of the guys had a big stereo?”

“Oh yeah, Genesis does,” Zack replied. “You want me to ask him to copy it?”

“Yeah,” she said, weaving back and forth. “And maybe, you know, go over...with me...so I can listen to it on those nice, big speakers…”

Zack sighed, running a hand back through his hair. “I guess we can make a night out of it,” he replied. _“If_ he doesn’t get high…”

“That’s not a big deal--”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Aerith snickered. “Oh, well. Whatever happens, we’ll be in it together.”

She laced her hands with his, and his exasperation softened. “Aw, all right.”

Zack wandered them to the couch, where he pulled her onto his lap, the couch creaking under their weight. “Hey, Zack?” Aerith said.

“What is it, my pretty flower girl?”

She giggled at the endearment, but it was short-lived. “Do you think I’m...closed-off?”

“Hm?” He began to talk into her hair. “What do you mean?”

“Like...I don’t know, I always thought I was really open about things.” She stroked the sash around her waist, playing with the ends. “About who I am and everything. But, when I was out with Tifa today, I…” She sighed. “I don’t know, maybe I’m not…”

Zack’s voice dropped. “I knew that you were homeless for a while, but I didn’t know you were living in Sector 2 until you told me just last weekend.” He stroked the side of her face with his thumb, coaxing her to look up at him. “You’re a tough cookie, you know that?”

She gave a firm nod. “Sure am.”

“Well,” he continued, “you don’t have to be all the time, for everyone. Not for me, or for any of your friends. That’s what friends are for: to help you when you don’t feel like being tough.” He paused to flash a grin. “Y’know?”

Aerith bit her lip, then nodded. “Yeah,” she murmured, relaxing back into his chest. “I know.”

* * *

 

 _“I know there’s nothing to say--someone has taken my place,_   
_When times go bad, when times go rough,_ _  
_ Won’t you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff?”

Tifa laid back on her bed, her Walkman on her stomach as the music from her new tape blasted through her speakers. _We planned to go out again sometime next week,_ she thought. She closed her eyes and let her ears drink in the music. _I feel like counting down the days already._

_(“We can invite the boys next time, if you want,” Aerith suggested, “but it means we’ll have to plan for a weekend.”_

_“No, that’s okay,” she said. “B-besides, it’s easier for me to get time off in the middle of the week…”_

_“Then it’ll be another girls’ date,” she concurred, with a wild grin…)_

She brushed her hair out of her eyes. _I wonder if that was selfish, to ask for more time alone with her._ Tifa opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment, then shrugged to herself. _Cloud comes by so often as it is._

_And besides…_

Tifa smirked as a rush filled her chest. _She seemed excited too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 9/14/16: I came up with a much, _much_ better name for the record store.
> 
> Music roundup! Aerith hums ["Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py3w5fttedA) the whole chapter. (She's singing some live lyrics, so I linked a live performance.) Tifa has TLC's "CrazySexyCool" in her tape player; Aerith picks up Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance" for herself and "Rumours" for Tifa. And at the end, ["Second Hand News"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Fdm3-dnr0%22) plays from that same record. Aerith being a Fleetwood Mac geek is a self-indulgent tidbit that I do not regret whatsoever. 
> 
> This was a beautiful gay date! Barret is slowly adopting Tifa--that whole bar is going to turn into one big ol' found family. I'm sure you're surprised to see Squall Leonhart from FF8 show up at the record store. I figure he shows up with Cloud in the rest in Kingdom Hearts, so it's not too much of a stretch. Aerith is probably a lot more guarded about what she shares with people than she thinks she is. She's seen a lot and has learned to keep a brave face. Also, hello Yazoo again, and Kadaj...if Squall is the type of shitty teenager who's just mostly apathetic about everything, Kadaj is the type to consciously cause trouble. Zack is a good boyfriend. 
> 
> I believe next chapter is another rehearsal one. Stay tuned!


	17. Rehearsal (III)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're walking in on a rehearsal already in progress. ["Good Grief" by Foo Fighters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzHBKqSDUI0) is what they're playing!

_“Since I’m putting down all of the true things around, but I like it…”_

The song was at a breakneck speed, but Zack felt one with it, jamming chords down in front of his very own mic. Sephiroth kept singing at his own, while Genesis was oddly attentive, facing the group instead of his bass amp for once. Flicking his eyes up over his audience, Zack noticed Cloud slip in, nodding once before taking a seat next to Aerith. He watched as they waved to each other, each with their own little smile. _The gang’s all here,_ he thought, rolling his shoulders in his t-shirt.

Sephiroth continued to sing, side-eying Genesis through the next lyric. _“The thought of being ousted comes and goes, comes and goes…”_

In turn, Genesis mouthed the next one with a smirk on his face. _“When I think about it, the wind blows…”_

Before he had a chance to dwell on it, Zack was forced up to his own mic to sing harmonies--a simple chorus of _“hate it”_ over and over again, in a grit that ripped at his throat. _Jesus, I can’t quite get that same sound, it hurts._ He squeezed his eyes shut until the last sound off, when Sephiroth spun around to play the ending riff and signalled Angeal’s final hit on the drums. As the fuzz of the amps faded, Aerith clapped enthusiastically from her seat.

“Thank you,” Sephiroth muttered into the mic with a sigh.

“Hey, I thought you didn’t like to share a mic,” Zack commented, one hand on his hip and the other holding the neck of his guitar.

“I don’t,” Sephiroth replied, rolling up the sleeves of his dark plaid overshirt.

Zack gestured over to Genesis. “Then why didn’t you freak out when this guy over here ran over during the first chorus?”

Genesis wasn’t available for comment, turned back to his bass amp, but Sephiroth just rolled his eyes. “Why do you care?” he sneered, glaring as he stood as tall as he could over Zack. “Why don’t you mind your own business…”

“Take it easy, you two,” Angeal sighed, shaking his head. He looked around the two of them. “Hey, it looks like we’ve got a full house. Zack, why don’t we do your songs?”

“H-huh?” he said, adrenaline spiking in his chest. _That’s right._ “O-oh, yeah!” He laughed and waved to them. “I, ah, I guess we can!”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet,” Angeal teased, hands on his knees. “You were the one who was all excited that they were both coming in so you could play for them.”

 _“Well,_ I…”

Zack glanced back behind him, where Cloud was hiding a chuckle behind his hand. _That’s still true,_ he thought, biting his lip. Aerith, on the other hand, was much less subtle. _“Oooh,_ that’s so _cute!”_ she squealed, kicking her feet under the chair. It was rare to see her in something other than a dress--today, she wore denim short-shorts with a pink shirt tied into a crop top, just sheer enough to see the outline of her bra. _She’s wearing the lacy one today..._

Zack managed to tear his eyes away to meet her playful giggle. “Babe, you hear me play this stuff all the time at home!” he insisted.

“But I don’t get to hear you with a band!” she retorted. “Come on, I want to hear my sunflower sing!”

Genesis muttering from his amp drew the entire group’s attention. “The great and powerful Oz has spoken,” he said, turning around. “Well, which one do you want to do first?”

“The Green Day one,” Zack answered immediately. “I’ve got that one down cold.”

“Fine,” Sephiroth said, turning up the volume on his guitar and strumming one chord. “One thing though.” He stepped back up in front of the mic and faced him. “I want to run the pre-chorus real quick.”

“Okay,” Zack replied. “Want me to lead?”

Sephiroth’s eyelid twitched, as if he were in pain. “Yes. Go.”

 _I can’t imagine the suffering he’s going through,_ Zack thought sarcastically, trying not to roll his eyes. _Not being able to take charge for once? Absolutely terrible._ He took a deep breath before he sang:

 _“Well, I toss and turn all night thinking of your ways of affection,_   
_But to find that it’s not different at all._ _  
_ Well, I throw away my past--”

Sephiroth’s pitch wavered the entire time, and he cut himself off in the middle, shaking his head. “Fuck, I _still_ can’t hear it,” he cursed, gritting his teeth. “Damn it…”

“Want me to do it?” Genesis asked. “I know how it goes, from when it was you and I singing together.”

His face scrunched. “But that means _I_ wouldn’t get to sing,” he mumbled.

“Oh, what a shame,” Genesis sighed with fake sympathy. “Sephiroth Cetra, Shinra’s perfect little angel, doesn’t sing on a whole song--”

“Fuck _off!_ You don’t even _like_ to sing!”

“Nope,” Genesis snickered. “But, if it were any one of us botching harmonies, you would’ve sent us packing by now.”

“You can’t kick me out of my own band!” Sephiroth said, puffing out his chest. Zack snuck a look over to Angeal, who was simply covering his face. _How do you deal with this on a daily basis?_ he marvelled.

“I know, I know,” Genesis sighed. “So just chill the fuck out, all right?”

“Are we going to start, or what?” Angeal groaned.

“Yes,” Sephiroth grumbled, shoving Zack up to the mic, back to the audience. “It’s all you to start.”

“Right.” Zack swallowed and fussed with the knobs on his guitar. “Okay, okay.” _Just like any other rehearsal,_ he thought, adjusting the microphone in front of his lips. His voice echoed through it. “This one is for my baby girl here in the front row.”

“Fuckin’ _Christ,”_ Sephiroth muttered behind him, but Aerith fluttered her eyes and blew him a kiss, which overshadowed the former’s exasperation.

Adjusting his pick in his hands, he strummed an open chord, followed by a hammered tremolo line with his finger, then he stopped. Zack let the silence fill the room for a moment, hearing only the hum of the amps and the pulse of his own heartbeat in his head. _Okay. It’s just me starting. Okay._

The mic was more comforting to look at than his audience for the time being, and Zack inhaled through his nose before he sang:

_“Here we go again, infatuation touches me just when I thought that it would end…”_

He started off slow, but when the rest of the band joined him, they picked up his pace, allowing him to settle into the proper groove and tempo. _“Oh, but then again, it seems much more than that, but I’m not sure exactly what you’re thinking.”_ Zack smirked to himself, trying to keep his own chords in check as he sang. _I didn’t realize how hard it is to balance both at the same time…_

Genesis walked up to the other mic, nodding before they both sang the pre-chorus together. His voice was flat--not in pitch, but in tone, however it blended well enough with Zack’s, creating the right bed of sound. _Wow, Seph really was off._ His eyes followed where Sephiroth had wandered, playing mostly to Angeal rather than anyone else. _Guess he’s not the perfect being he thinks he is, huh?_

_Oh, well…_

Angeal rolled on the snare to guide them into the chorus, and the courage came back to Zack, watching Aerith the whole time as he sang:

_“Would it last forever? Oh, you and I together hand-in-hand we’ll run away...far away.”_

He couldn’t help but grin, especially when she returned it, a flush on her face. _God, I love you, I love you so much, Aerith. “I’m in for nasty weather, but I’ll take whatever you can give that comes my way...far away.”_

Zack backed off mic to laugh, nearly running into Sephiroth as he did so. “Watch it!” he snapped above the noise of the band. “And stay up around the mic!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know!” Zack replied, bouncing as he hung onto the same chord. “I’m having fun, unlike _you!”_

“Yeah, Seph, have some fun,” Angeal added, flourishing with a couple extra cymbal hits.

Sephiroth scowled at both of them, wandering back over to his amp as Zack sang the first verse over again. _Whatever, forget him,_ he thought as his voice lilted through the speakers. _For once, this isn’t about him. This is_ my _song._

His eye caught Cloud when he refocused back on his audience, a dazed smile plastered on his face. As soon as he realized their eyes had met, however, he looked away, biting his lip. _Can’t look at me while I sing, huh…? But, he looks more relaxed…_

_Cloud…_

The interlude crept up on him, another simple chord vamp, but Sephiroth took it upon himself to solo over it. _I don’t remember there being a solo section,_ Zack thought as he turned to watch. Sephiroth let his hair fall over his shoulders, completely obscuring his face as his fingers worked over the fretboard. On the other side of the kit, Genesis leaned back against his amp, keeping a simple, steady beat, then pushed himself off it and walked over to Sephiroth. He muttered something in his ear, to which he nodded as well, finishing off his solo with a slide up the neck.

Genesis then made his way over to Zack. “Drop for a few,” he said. “We’re going to trade fours.”

“Huh?” Zack replied, but clamped his hand over the fretboard anyway. Genesis kept vamping the chord as he walked right beside Angeal, but burst into a fast line as soon as he got there, even more complex than Sephiroth’s soloing. _Holy shit._ Angeal kept an eye on him, only tapping “2” and “4” on the high-hat, nodding. Once the bar turned around and Genesis stopped, he rattled loud on the snare by himself, tapping the toms in odd rhythms in a calculated flurry.

Zack nodded as he watched them go back and forth. “Nice, nice!” he said. Even though Angeal didn’t look up, he still grinned at the praise. _Haven’t heard him get the spotlight here. Dude deserves it, especially after dealing with...these guys._

Genesis and Angeal cycled together a couple more times, and then the former pedaled on the bass as he wandered back to the mic, nodding to Sephiroth. “All right,” Sephiroth said. “Go on and take it out.”

“Got it!” Zack replied. He turned his guitar back up and strummed, just as Angeal played four solid hits back into the pre-chorus:

 _“Well, I toss and turn all night thinking of your ways of affection,_   
_But to find that it’s not different at all._   
_Well, I throw away my past mistakes and contemplate my future,_ _  
_ That’s when I say...what the hey?”

Zack’s voice strained a bit as they came into the chorus, but he kept his breath and sang, standing on his toes while his eyes drifted to the back of the room. _“Far away…”_ He sputtered and coughed, jumping off mic. _Shit…I need some water._ Still, he rounded off the song with the band, sinking to his amp while he played the final lines.

Angeal signalled the final hit, and spoke as soon as the resonance of his cymbal faded. “You okay?” he asked him.

“I’m fine, man, I just-- _hoo_ ,” Zack sighed, coughing again.

“Yay!” Aerith called from her seat, clapping. Even Cloud was clapping half-heartedly, although the smirk on his lips was genuine. _Well, as long as they enjoyed it, that’s what matters most._ “Good job, baby!”

“Thanks,” he replied, slipping his guitar off his shoulder and standing it against his amp.

“Not as easy as it looks, is it?” Sephiroth said, smugness dripping from every feature.

“Yeah, whatever.” He waved him off before heading back toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Zack tried to slam it behind him, but found that Cloud had snuck out alongside, jumping when the door nearly smacked him in the face. “Oh, sorry ‘bout that,” he said. “Didn’t see you there!”

“I-it’s okay,” Cloud muttered, eyes at the floor. They walked down the hall to where a water fountain stood, and Zack immediately cranked the faucet and drank deep. In the corner of his eye, Cloud shuffled his feet. “I, ah...I just wanted to tell you that...you sounded good up there.”

“Thanks, man,” he gurgled.

“Your...voice is really nice,” Cloud continued. When he stood up from the water fountain, however, Cloud blinked and glanced off. _Hm?_ Zack didn’t immediately respond, prompting him to keep sneaking tentative glances back up. Zack found himself grinning

_(cute…)_

and shaking his head. “I appreciate it,” he replied. _Really nice, huh?_ “Well, I’ve got one more that’s ready--”

“Really?” Cloud exclaimed. “A-are you going to sing it now?”

“Yeah! I’ve got my biggest fans here!” Zack grabbed him around the shoulder, squeezing him against his waist. “Wouldn’t want to waste it!” _Every time I can get your eyes to light up, I feel like I’m doing something right._ Cloud giggled against him, and even when Zack let go, he stayed close, attached to his hip. _Funny, this feeling…_

_(walking above the plate, brand new ribbon in her hair, bright against her dingy dress, but her eyes light up just the same, when she looks up at me…)_

Cloud’s pale blue eyes met his for a second, and a jolt ran down his spine. _Seems awfully familiar._

From inside the practice room, Angeal and Genesis had begun to play together again: an aggressive swing rhythm with a speedy bass walk. “Sit back and relax,” Zack advised, patting him on the back before they got to the door. “I’ve got one more song left for ya!”

Aerith glanced behind her and waved, beckoning Zack to her as they walked in. Cloud took his usual seat, while Zack squatted between them, his head on Aerith’s shoulder. “I didn’t know you guys played jazz,” she muttered into his ear.

“Nah, but I think Angeal and Gen used to when they were in school,” Zack clarified. “Obviously. Seph’s not into it.”

While Genesis and Angeal were absorbed in each other, nearly staring each other down as they played, Sephiroth leaned against his own amp, arms crossed with a glazed look toward Genesis on his face. “Hm,” Aerith mused, tapping her finger to her lip. “Are you sure?”

“Eh…”

With a blink, Sephiroth finally registered their entrance, huffing at Zack. “There you are,” he said, grabbing his guitar. “So? Are you doing your other song?”

“Course I am!” he said, jumping up and running over to his guitar. As soon as it was over his shoulder he bounced up and down on his toes, shaking out his picking arm as he did so. “Ready to rock ‘n roll! Hey, guys!”

Genesis glanced up to him only for a split second before returning back to Angeal. “Let’s go right into it,” he suggested, fingers still walking just as fast up the neck.

 _“What?”_ Zack yelped. He picked a couple notes, resonating in harmony with the bassline. _Shit, he’s playing in the right key. Hell...that’s the right line for the chorus of that Smiths song I’m doing. Fuck. Fuck!_ He turned down the volume and desperately tried to mock the opening line, but his fingers felt like lead over the strings. “H-hey, this is _way_ too fast…”

Angeal tried to slow down, but Genesis didn’t budge, only answering with a shrug. “What? Come on!” Zack whined. _I want to sing and play, and do it right! Not have them dick around and leave me behind._

“Here,” Sephiroth said, turning up his guitar. “Forget about the guitar part, just sing.”

“All right…” He stepped up to the mic, slowly sliding his guitar behind him, so it hung on his back. “Is it...uh, is it okay?”

He nodded to the other two, completely ignoring Zack. “One!” Angeal shouted above the noise. “Two! One, two, three, four--”

He cracked down on the snare, and Sephiroth blared the opening riff with impressive accuracy and speed, not even breaking the tempo when the band came back in. _Ah, that’s why,_ Zack thought with an eyeroll. _He wants to show off. Again._ He shook his hair out of his face and pursed his lips at the mic. _Well, two can play at that game._ The band halted, his cue, and with renewed energy, he sang:

 _“Punctured bicycle on a hillside desolate,_ _  
_ _Will nature make a man of me yet?”_

Zack gripped the microphone with both hands, focusing on his own tenor. _“When in this charming car, this charming man…”_ When he opened his eyes, they were right in front of Cloud, and he challenged the wide look he was giving him. _“Why ponder life’s complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?”_

A grin to Cloud, and a wink. _“I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear.”_ Cloud’s face burned a bright pink as he covered his mouth, sinking into his seat. _See, I can impress! I don’t have to_

_(he’s cute when he blushes)_

_be some svelte, silver hawk to_

_(I’m really impressing him…)_

_get attention…_

Zack swallowed and let his gaze drift. _“This man says it’s gruesome that someone so handsome should care.”_ He bit his lip, then jumped up off-mic to shout. _“Ah!_

 _“I’m just a country boy who never knew his place,_   
_He said, ‘return the ring’,_ _  
_ He knows so much about these things, he knows so much about these things…”

Zack turned for a split second to check back in on his bandmates--Sephiroth was focused on his guitar, Angeal gave him an encouraging nod from behind his kit, and Genesis was content to walk his bass facing his amp. _Doing good so far. This song seems even more solid than the other one. They must’ve worked on it more--_

_(“I couldn’t connect with the lyrics…”)_

Zack whipped back to the mic. _Do I?_

 _“I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear._ _  
_ _This man says it’s gruesome that someone so handsome should care.”_

He hummed the next line, blinking back to his audience. Cloud was exactly as he left him, although now he was sitting forward in his seat, while Aerith sat back, tapping her foot to the beat. He caught her eye first, and she simply raised her eyebrows, but when Zack shifted back over to Cloud, the latter hugged his elbows and looked off once again. _Ah…_ He suddenly felt short of breath, even while he sang. _Are you too nervous to look at me?_

_(I’m singing to you…)_

_“La-da-da-da-da-da-da...this charming man…”_

He gripped the mic again, now more focused on Cloud. _This charming man._ At last, he managed the courage to look back up, blue against blue. Zack felt adrenaline rush through his shoulders and back through his spine. _It feels good._

 _(“Do_ I _have competition?”)_

Zack shook his head, shaking the thought before he howled once again. _“Ah!_

 _“I’m just a country boy, who never knew his place._   
_He said, ‘return the ring’,_   
_He knows so much about these things, he knows so much about these things,_ _  
_ He knows so much about these things…”

He tipped the stand back as he sang the last lyrics, letting it fly as soon as he was done. Laughing to himself, he whipped his guitar back around and began playing the outro chords along with Sephiroth. _I’m good, I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about. Nothing at all._

_(why are you telling yourself this?)_

After Sephiroth finished his very brief solo, shaking his hair off his shoulder, he nodded to the others. Genesis walked all the way up the fretboard, while Angeal played a decisive double crash, effectively ending the song. Zack was late on the uptake, squelching on the neck of his guitar in the silence. “Well, aside from _that,_ not bad,” Sephiroth commented.

Angeal choked a laugh. “Just ‘not bad’?” he exclaimed, sounding the kick drum a couple times. “Zack, that’s the best I’ve _ever_ heard you sing.”

“R-really?” He fluffed the back of his hair, grinning big. Even though Aerith and Cloud clapped behind him, he didn’t turn to acknowledge them right away. “Probably because I didn’t have to, y’know, play at the same time--”

“You’ll need to get better at that,” Sephiroth sighed, pursing his lips in disapproval. “I can’t pick up your slack _all_ the time.”

“Oh, give it a rest, Seph,” Genesis groaned, back at his amp. He flipped the next page of LOVELESS with a snap. “It sounded _fine.”_

“And we’re _not_ doing it that fast again,” Angeal added, reaching over to whack Genesis on the back with his drumstick. “That’s _your_ fault.”

“I didn’t see you stopping me.”

“Well, I _tried,_ but--”

“Who cares? Everyone caught up.”

“Christ, Gen…”

As they bickered, Sephiroth began silently putting away his guitar, and Zack took the opportunity to unplug his own. As soon as he was free, he rushed over to Aerith and Cloud, both of them smiling up at him. “Well? Was I good?” he said.

“You were great, babe,” Aerith replied. “How’re you feeling? You look a little flush.”

“Huh? I’m good. Feelin’ good!” He barked out a laugh even as his heart was pounding.

“Th-that was a cool song,” Cloud said. “What’s it called?”

“‘This Charming Man’, by the Smiths.” _Damn, my mouth is dry. I’m going to need more water._ “I-if you want, I can get a tape for you--”

“We are going to Genesis’ place tonight, after all,” Aerith interjected, producing _The Dance_ CD from her purse. “I get to hear this in _high definition.”_

Genesis turned, very, very slowly over to them. “Excuse me?” he said. “Since when?”

 _Fuck! I forgot to ask--_ “Well, y’know how I said I wanted to, uh, get some more tapes?” he started. “I thought that maybe--”

Aerith jumped up and held out the CD. “We don’t have a tape player, and this was _only_ on CD, and Zack told me you have that big, fancy stereo that does copies…” She pouted her lips, even squeezing her arms together so that it pushed out her small chest. “So, _please~?”_

Genesis raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two of them in silence for about twenty seconds, then sighed. “Fine,” he finally replied, eyes more on Zack’s chest than Aerith’s, and he snorted. “Cute shirt, by the way.”

 _Huh?_ Zack thought, glancing down. _It’s just a t-shirt--oh._ It was emblazoned with “D.A.R.E.” in a jagged font, with “TO RESIST DRUGS AND VIOLENCE” in smaller script underneath. _Haha._ “Yeah, and by the way, could you _not_ get blazed while we’re over there?”

Genesis zipped up his case. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Does that shirt stand for ‘drugs are really excellent’?”

 _“Gen.”_ Angeal was already packed up and glaring daggers at his bassist. “Don’t be an asshole.”

“Fine, fine, as you wish,” he remarked, still smiling to himself.

With a shake of his head, Angeal worked his way around his kit and patted Zack on the shoulder. “Nice work today,” he said. “And good luck with this jackass tonight.”

“I can _hear_ you,” Genesis commented.

“Ah, we’ll be fine,” Zack replied, snaking an arm around Aerith’s waist. “I’ll see you.”

As soon as the door shut, Cloud cleared his throat. “U-um, I should...get going too,” he said. When he stood up, his leg caught in the back of the folding chair, forcing him to shake it off. “I’ll see you tomorrow--”

“Okay, man.” Almost immediately, Zack slipped away from Aerith to give Cloud a one armed hug, mashing his face against his shoulder. Cloud covered his mouth as soon as he pulled away, red still in his cheeks. “Get some good sleep tonight, okay?” Zack said. “I’ve got some pretty intense drills for all of you since we’re getting ready to wrap things up.”

“Okay,” Cloud said with a nod. “B-bye, guys…”

“Have a good night!” Aerith chirped, waving after him as he slipped out the door. When he was out of sight, she jabbed Zack’s side. “Good lord, you’re going to kill that poor boy,” she muttered to him.

“What do you mean?” Zack replied. “I’m just giving him a heads-up, so he knows what to expect tomorrow…” Aerith continued to stare at him pointedly, arms crossed with eyebrows raised. “H-he’s going to be SOLDIER, he’s got to be prepared for anything, y’know?”

Aerith clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Right,” she said simply. _Sometimes, I have no idea what you’re thinking,_ Zack thought, making his way over to put his guitar away. _Cloud’s tougher than he seems, he’ll make it_

_(his face was pink the entire time you were singing)_

_just fine…_

“Hey, you coming with us?” Genesis asked Sephiroth, as the latter shrugged his leather jacket over his shoulders.

“Can’t,” he replied. “Kadaj is staying the night. I’ve got to go pick him up.”

“Ah.” He looked directly at him. “So…”

The sentence hung for a moment. “So, no, probably not,” Sephiroth replied. “Later.”

Without another word, he left, leaving only Zack, Aerith, and Genesis left in the practice room. “All right, then,” Genesis sighed, draping his own red jacket over his shoulders. “Let’s get going.”

Aerith laced her hand in Zack’s as the three headed out the door. _“Hmm mmm mmmhmm hmm, on a hillside desolate,”_ Zack hummed to himself. _When in this charming calm,_

_(soft blond hair, round face with those big blue eyes, eyes that light up when he looks at me…)_

_...this charming man._

“Babe?” Aerith asked.

“Hm?”

She cocked her head. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Oh, ah, nothing,” he replied. _Yeah, it’s nothing._ “Just going to have that song stuck in my head all night, that’s all.”

Genesis chuckled. “I’m sure you are,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup: Zack plays the two songs he picked out from a few chapters ago--["Going To Pasalaqua" by Green Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6pzDu7ayLw), and "This Charming Man" by The Smiths. [Here's a Death Cab for Cutie cover of it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vQwH8ZQxFo), probably closest to how this group plays it. In fact, this particular cover might have been the catalyst of this entire fic. 
> 
> This band bickers so much--the 1sts are the kind of friends who just call each other jerks all the time, and yet they'll still have each other's backs no matter what happens, thanks to the hell they've been through. Zack is having some Gay Moments(tm), and furiously shoving them off to the side. We'll see how that turns out for him! Genesis is terrible. 
> 
> And guess what! Next chapter, we'll get more of Genesis being terrible. Zack and Aerith go over to get her Fleetwood Mac CD on tape, with a lot of shenanigans, so stay tuned!


	18. Contemplation

The walk over to the apartment complex was mostly quiet, as Zack was left to stew in his thoughts with Aerith’s hand laced in his.  _ It’s not weird to sing a song for your friends,  _ he thought.  _ People do it all the time. And Cloud’s a good friend of mine.  _

_ (“Aim steady…” _

_ The infantry was lined up by the targets, guns pointed and waiting for their cue. Zack paced behind them, right up until he got to Cloud halfway through the row. His hands shook on his gun, throwing the aiming reticule off. “Cloud,” he whispered in the quiet. _

_ “Hn?” He jerked his head just slightly, eyes following back more than his posture.  _

_ Zack bent down to his level, a hand on his shoulder. “Take a deep breath,” he said, imitating as well. “And just relax. Focus on that bullseye.” _

_ He nodded once in reply, back expanding from the breath, and his arms steadied, level and still like the rest.  _ Much better,  _ Zack thought, taking two wide steps back.  _ “Fire!” 

_ Gunshot rang through the training area, and Cloud’s target had a mark not quite center, but still within the bullseye. “All right, all right!” he cheered, clapping his hands. “Reload, let’s do it again…”) _

He rolled his neck around on his shoulders, catching Aerith in the corner of his eye. In response, he squeezed her hand and gave her a quick wink.  _ It’s no different than when Angeal was training me, way back when. I mean, sure, he didn’t invite me over to his apartment, and we never really hung out outside of work until I was at least 2nd-class, but… _

_ (“All right, you have a good night, Cloud!” Zack saluted him. _

_ Cloud smiled--the faint one that he’d come to expect--and waved. “Night, Zack!”  _

_ As he watched him disappear along with the rest of his crew, a sharp voice pierced behind him. “1st-class Fair.” _

_ He whirled around, shoulders snapping back. “Sir!” His eyes met a Turk with long, dark hair tied back in a ponytail with a firm look in his narrow eyes. “Ah, Tseng!” _

_ “At ease,” he muttered, then took a step closer. “You shouldn’t be so...chummy with your standards.” _

_ Zack’s hands clenched at his sides. “Aw, what? What do you mean?”  _

_ Tseng clasped his hands in front of him, gaze unwavering. “Most of these men you’ll never see again. They’ll be stationed elsewhere, most likely, or…”  _

_ Zack squinted. “Or, what?”  _

_ “Something similar,” he resumed smoothly. His eyes flicked behind him, and when Zack turned to follow it, he spotted Genesis and Angeal heading down the opposite hallway. “I suppose it can’t be helped if some  _ do  _ stay in Midgar all the way through, but…” He sighed through his nose. “Until then, you should address standard-class Strife as such. Understood?” _

_ He sucked in his cheeks, brow furrowed.  _ Sure, whatever.  _ “Yes, sir.”) _

Zack bit the side of his tongue.  _ It’s similar enough. All the rest of the 1sts address each other by name, so what’s so different about Cloud? He’s going to be one of us anyway, soon enough, and then… _

_ We can go on missions together, we can get stronger together.  _ The thought relaxed his shoulders and pick up his pace.  _ Maybe if Aerith doesn’t mind, we could get him out of those shitty barracks and come stay with us-- _

Aerith’s soft humming interrupted her thoughts.  _ “Mmm there you go again, you say you want your freedom,”  _ she sang, then skipped a little. “Ooh, I  _ really  _ can’t wait to hear this--!”

“You don’t smoke, do you, Aerith?” Genesis asked. His voice was oddly low, as if he were trying to make sure Zack didn’t hear him.

Fortunately or not, he did.  _ “No,  _ she doesn’t, and she’s  _ not  _ going to,” he groaned, pulling her closer to his side. 

“Hey, I’m up to try anything once,” she mentioned, sticking her tongue out at him. Zack scrunched his face at her.  _ Fuck’s sake, baby--!  _ “But, really, smoke does bother me. And I’m not about the smell, either.” 

“What a shame,” Genesis replied simply.  _ Phew,  _ Zack thought, his forehead relaxing.  _ Last thing I need is him talking her into getting high. We said we were in this together, so... _

Genesis unlocked his apartment, unleashing the strong waft of incense to them  _ (somehow different than last time,  _ Zack thought as he held his breath) while he tossed his keys onto his beanbag chair. “Make yourselves comfortable, I guess,” he muttered, grabbing the remote for his stereo and tossing it in one hand. He pressed the power button, flicking it behind him as he made his way to the kitchen. “I’ll grab some tapes…”

As soon as the stereo lit up, the tape player began to whir, and the speakers came alive, blaring acoustic guitar and a nasally voice:

_ “Rollin’ my homegrown, smokin’ a big bone, _ _  
_ _ Take a look at that ganja covered in oil…” _

“What the fuck?” Aerith breathed, tilting her head all the way to her shoulder at the stereo.

_ “Get out my tweezers, got pot in the freezers _ _  
_ _ Made a new pipe out of aluminum foil…” _

“Oh,  _ fuck!”  _ Genesis shouted from the kitchen, clattering the cupboards as he raced back out into the living room. “Shut that damn thing off!  _ God damn it!”  _

_ “Wasted away again in Marijuanaville, _ __  
_ Searching for my roach clip on a rope, _ _  
_ __ On a rope! On a--”

Finally, Genesis managed to snap the “stop” button on the tape player, but the damage was already done. Zack feebly covered his face as he laughed into his hand, hugging Aerith close to his chest as she wheezed. “Wow, Gen,” Zack snickered. “You sure live up to your reputation--”

Genesis growled as he ripped the cassette out from the player, nearly stripping the magnetic tape away from the plastic. “Shut the  _ fuck up!  _ This isn’t  _ mine!”  _ he bellowed. He grabbed his bass case and beat the headstock end against the ceiling.  _ “Angeal! Get your ass down here!”  _

Zack looked up as he guided himself and Aerith to the loveseat, noticing a few divots in the precise spot where he jabbed his bass. “He really lives right above you?”

“Yeah, mother _ fucker,”  _ he grumbled, then pointed at Aerith with the tape. “Quit laughing! Or forget about your fuckin’ CD…”

Three knocks on the door, and Genesis stomped over to it. Angeal stood in the doorway with an oddly serene smile on his face. “You rang?” he said with a lilt.

Genesis’ eyes were alight with fire. “Take. Your. Stupid.  _ Tape!”  _ He shoved it into his chest, likely with enough force to shove any other person back into the opposite wall, but Angeal stood steady, barely budging. His whole demeanor stayed crisp and pristine, even as he took the tape and pocketed it, saluting Aerith and Zack on the loveseat.  _ Angeal…? Oh, my God… _

“Hey, guys,” he said. “Say, Zack, do you think you could get me one of those D.A.R.E. shirts in an extra large?”

_ “Get out!”  _ Genesis howled, spit flying from his lips. 

“Aw, you called me down, and now you want me to leave so soon?” Angeal sighed, shaking his head. 

Genesis’ face had turned a remarkable shade of cherry red, and he huffed at him and stormed into his bedroom. Angeal watched him disappear, his grin growing, and he shot Zack a look. “Oh, and another thing, if Gen offers you any brownies, don’t eat them--”

_ “Angeal!”  _

“All right, I’m going.” He winked at Zack and Aerith before shutting the door. “Have fun.”

As soon as the door clicked, Genesis began to mutter again. “Fucker always sticks that tape around, thinks it’s real  _ funny,  _ Jesus fucking Christ…”

“I-is...that the only thing that’s on it?” Aerith asked. “Or is it--”

_ “No,  _ of course not, it’s  _ filled  _ with fuckin’ songs about weed!” Clattering could be heard from the bedroom among Genesis’ cursing. “Including fuckin’ hip-hop  _ trash-- _ I don’t know where he gets that shit! There’s fucking  _ Snoop Dogg  _ on it, for Christ’s sake!”  

_ I have never heard him so animated,  _ Zack thought, short of breath from laughter. Aerith tugged on his t-shirt, beckoning him closer to her face. “Well, that was something,” she whispered, still laced with laughter.

He nodded, a giggle hissing from his teeth. “I’d say that I’m surprised that Angeal hasn’t punched Gen right in the face for all the crap he’s given him, but you know what?” 

“What?”

He ducked low, muttering into the crook of her neck. “This is  _ way  _ better.”

They both burst into laughter, Zack collapsing onto Aerith’s chest and pushing her over to the armrest. She hugged him, and he inhaled her gentle, floral scent, welcome against the pungent incense that seemed baked into the apartment.  _ Her giggle is infectious, always has been… _

“All right, you two,” Genesis said, and Aerith pushed Zack upright. He appeared to have cooled off, but a tinge of red still flared in his cheeks. “Do you have the CD?” 

“Right here~!” Aerith manifested it from her purse once again. “Oh, let me take it out of the shrinkwrap…”

She wrestled with it, picking at the plastic with her nails, until a piece finally gave, and it unraveled in one huge sheet. “Ta-da! What do you think of that!”

“Impressive,” Zack commented, kissing her cheek. “I always have the worst time with that.” 

Genesis grabbed the jewel case from her and flipped it to the back, flickering between it and the two cassette tapes he held in one hand. “Run time’s...80 minutes?” He shuffled the tapes between his fingers. “Better use the 90 minute one…” 

He knelt down in front of the stereo, slipping the CD into the tray while loading the tape. “I’ll get it started, but then you’re in charge, Zack,” he said. “You’re going to have to flip the tape after…” He paused to look at the back of the jewel case again. “...track 9.”

“After track 9, got it,” Zack repeated. 

Genesis handed the jewel case back to Aerith on his way over to the kitchen, and she flipped it over. “Ooh, so after ‘Landslide’,” she said, nudging him. “You know that one, don’t you?”

“Of course, it’s your favorite,” he replied, kissing her hair. He slipped his arm around her shoulder to hug her close. “When I told you I played guitar, it was the first thing you asked me if I knew how to play.”

Audience cheer and the sound of percussion emanated from the speakers. “And I sure did,” he replied, grinning.  _ I actually didn’t, at all,  _ he thought.  _ I had to get lucky and hunt for it on the radio, then record it so I could figure it out. Then, I ran over to the flower store with my guitar… _

_ (“Hey!” As soon as he got there, he whipped his case off his back and stripped down the zipper. “I got a surprise for you!”  _

_ “I guess maybe,” she replied, leaning over the counter. “You’re still in uniform--! Did you  _ run  _ off base?” _

_ “Maybe,” he huffed, slinging his guitar over his shoulder.  _ “Technically,  _ I’ve got to be back for more drills in like...eh, a half hour?” He shrugged. “But, I got this ready!”  _

_ He slapped his capo over the 3rd fret of his guitar, and strummed an open chord, before picking it, letting his fingers slip over each string. Aerith’s eyes widened, her hands clapping over her mouth. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed. “Y-you...you really learned it…!”  _

_ “All for you, the prettiest flower in all of Midgar,” he said, even as he flubbed the next chord. “Heh…” _

_ “A gutterflower, maybe,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Oh, Zack…”) _

Genesis reemerged from the kitchen with a beer bottle in his hand, though he stopped dead in the doorway as the chorus sang:

_ “And if you don’t love me now, you will never love me again, _ _  
_ _ I can still hear you saying, ‘we will never break the chain’...” _

He immediately spun around and disappeared.  _ Weird.  _ Aerith, in the meantime, had edged her way from Zack’s shoulder, leaning forward on the loveseat. “Oh, there are different harmonies here, too,” she muttered, a half smile on her face. “At least, it kind of sounds different?”

“I dunno, babe,” Zack replied. “I haven’t listened to these albums as much as you have…”

“My poor Rumours tape is getting worn down,” she said. “God, the thing’s starting to squeak in our stereo. I’ll have to start borrowing the one I got for Tifa…”

Genesis returned to simply stand in the entryway, this time with a glass tumbler filled with amber liquid and ice. The arrangement of the song had died down to only the bass and drums, and he took a long drink. “Not your thing, huh, Gen?” Zack asked.

He only glanced at him, still drinking for a moment, and he swallowed hard when he finally stopped. “I can take it or leave it,” he replied.

_ Huh.  _ He leaned his head back against the loveseat, letting the music filter through him.  _ I mean, if it weren’t for Aerith, I probably wouldn’t listen to the Mac much either.  _ Zack watched as she tucked a flyaway behind her ear, bushy auburn hair shining in the low light.  _ I’ve really got to figure out...  _

_...when to pop the question.  _

His foot tapped on the carpet, toes flexing in his shoes.  _ I mean, I knew she was something special the moment I laid eyes on her, and...we’ve been together for a while. We haven’t had any real issues since we’ve been living together. My mom loves her.  _ With his eyes, Zack traced her jawline up around her ear, lingering on a simple, metal earring in her ear.  _ Last time we visited… _

_ (“Zack, honey, wait just a second.”  _

_ He jogged back inside, to where his mother beckoned him closer. “I have something for you.” She produced a small, well worn velvet box from behind her back. _

_ “What’s this?” he asked. He glanced behind him--Aerith was standing by his motorcycle, looking out onto the Gongaga hillside. “Wait, Mom--” _

_ “This was your grandmother’s.” She opened the box for him, revealing a small, gold ring--an emerald sat in the center, and two, small pearls sat on either side.  _

_ “This is gorgeous, but…” He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I-I don’t think we’re--” _

_ “Well, when you  _ are  _ ready to make her your wife, you’ll be ready.”) _

The rising cheer of the audience from the recording muffled Zack’s chuckle in the back of his throat.  _ Moms are like that, aren’t they?  _ he mused.  _ I’ve had that ring for a while, but… _

_ I haven’t asked her yet.  _

_ (what’s holding you back?) _

_ I...don’t know.  _

“Mmm, ‘Dreams’!” Aerith exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. She resituated on the couch so she was sitting cross-legged beside him, and weaved back and forth.  _ “Now, here you go again, you say you want your freedom...well, who am I to keep you down?”  _

Genesis glanced over, still leaning against the doorway. “You sing too?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

_ “It’s only right that you should-- _ hm?” Aerith perked up, then laughed. “Oh, no, no. I just sing in the shower, and along with other stuff, you know?” She waved her hand to dismiss the very thought. 

_ Your voice is still nice,  _ Zack thought, smiling at her.  _ When you do sing, it’s pretty… _

Genesis emptied his tumbler down his throat and pushed himself off the doorframe, wandering to the ottoman to set his drink down. “Would you want to sing something for us?” he asked.  

“No,” Aerith said immediately. “No no  _ no,  _ that’s  _ your  _ thing. I’m perfectly fine just to watch.”

“Hm.” Genesis vanished back into his bedroom without another word.

“It wouldn’t be a  _ bad  _ thing--” Zack started.

“No fucking way,” Aerith hissed, speaking quietly enough for only him to hear. “Listening to those guys go back and forth like that drives me  _ crazy.  _ I don’t know how you do it.”

“I just ignore it, for the most part. You know, like when those dogs start barking in the alley at 2 AM--”

“Don’t remind me…”

“Well, it’s kind of like that.”

Genesis knocked in the doorway of the bedroom, holding up a vinyl album, flipping it once in his hands. It was black and white, with a picture of a topless couple staring at the camera--”BUCKINGHAM NICKS” was in large print in the corner. “How about now?” he said with a smirk. 

Aerith looked over the couch, then gasped, both hands perched on the back of the couch as she flipped her body to match.  _ “Holy crap!”  _ she yelped, bouncing on her knees. “Th-that’s...that’s out of print! Where the  _ hell  _ did you even get that?!” 

He stared at it for a second. “I don’t remember,” he replied. “Probably was stoned.”

“When are you  _ not,”  _ Zack groaned.

Genesis glared at him. “Right now, unfortunately,” he retorted. He then sighed and flipped the album again, directing his attention back to Aerith. “So? One song?”

“I-I don’t even have a record player,” Aerith flailed. “So--”

“I can  _ easily  _ bounce it to tape.”  _ God, he’s persistent,  _ Zack thought. 

Aerith bit her lip, resting her chin on her hands. “Well…” she mused, tilting her head back and forth. “I  _ guess... _ I can do  _ one  _ song.” She scrunched her face and held up a single finger. “But only one! Don’t make me an official member.”

Genesis smirked, smug and pleased. “Excellent,” he said, returning the album back to his bedroom. “I’ll make you a tape of this, as well as some songs to pick from--”

“What, I don’t get to pick my own song?” Aerith exclaimed.

“Nope. Need to make sure Sephiroth likes it, too.” Genesis sighed. “Which is a bit of a chore.” 

A heavy knock on the door drew the attention of the three. Genesis coughed out a laugh. “Speak of the devil,” he barked, flinging the door open. “You sure have some selective hearing.”

Zack scooted forward to notice Sephiroth at the door, arms crossed and a sour look on his face. “What are you doing?” he demanded. “Something about letting... _ her  _ sing a song?”

“Hey!” Aerith exclaimed, and Zack replied with a hand on her thigh.  _ The last thing we need is another tantrum from this guy,  _ he thought, biting his tongue as Sephiroth’s blue-green eyes turned on them with venom.  _ Just let Gen handle this, like he usually does… _

“She sings well,” Genesis said, unfazed. “It’d be a waste if we didn’t. We could do a Heart song, or something that’s too high for--”

“You didn’t ask  _ me  _ about this,” Sephiroth sneered. “Quit doing shit behind my back!” 

“I would’ve told you.”

_ “After  _ the fact! Damn it, Gen--”

Aerith tried to pipe up once again. “Really, if it’s too much trouble, I really didn’t--”

Genesis held a finger out to her without turning around. “It’s only going to be one song. And _you_ can pick it out.” His voice oozed with charm. _Suck up._ “I think it’ll make  _ your  _ band sound a lot better.”

Sephiroth glared down at him, his entire face twitching--from his nose, to a vein in his forehead that Zack never noticed before. After a painful moment of silence, only barely masked by the stereo, he grumbled and swept a hand through his hair. “Fine.  _ Fine,”  _ he said. “But we’re getting together to pick out...whatever song for her to sing.”

“That’s exactly what I said,” Genesis replied, voice laced with a chuckle. As he turned profile, Zack’s eyes widened.  _ Now  _ that  _ is a shit-eating grin if I ever saw one.  _ “How’s babysitting?”

“How do you think?” he grumbled. 

_ “Seph!”  _ A whining shout pierced the air from down the hall, just as Genesis turned on his heel to the kitchen. “Seph, where’d you go?!” 

“Hey, is that your kid brother?” Zack asked.

“Please,  _ please  _ don’t remind me,” Sephiroth replied, rubbing his temple before taking a deep breath and replying down the hall.  _ “I’ll be right back!”  _

Genesis returned shortly with two brownie squares in his hand. “Want one?” he asked.

“Me?” Zack piped up.

“Not  _ you,”  _ he snapped. “Angeal sure spoiled that one for me...”

He held one out to Sephiroth, who eyed it dubiously before gingerly taking it with two fingers. “For later,” he muttered, and without a second glance, turned back and made his way down the hall. 

“He’s pleasant,” Aerith muttered into Zack’s ear.

Genesis hung in the entryway, watching him as he left. “You’re not going to take one for Kadaj?” he asked, waving the extra brownie down the hall.

_ “No!”  _ Zack heard him yell. “It’s a school night! Not going to do _that_ to Jenova…” 

Genesis snickered before shutting the door. “It’s like playing in a tiger’s cage with a steak around your neck,” he mused, taking a large bite of the extra brownie.

Aerith raised an eyebrow. “You’re likely to get your head ripped off?” she commented.

Genesis cocked his head back and forth before shrugging. “I was going to say ‘thrilling’, but that’s also true.” With that, he grabbed his empty glass from the ottoman and once again disappeared into the kitchen.

Aerith sighed and scooted around, nuzzling into Zack. “I can see why your spirits were a little low last time you came back from here,” she said, hugging his arm. “This is exhausting. I just wanted to listen to my new CD…”

“I know, baby,” Zack said, kissing along her cheek. “I mean, we’re still listening to it, and you’re getting a tape when we leave, so you can listen to it whenever!”

“I know, but we don’t have  _ these  _ speakers.” She gestured to the stereo. “Oh, well…”

_ “Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night, and wouldn’t you love to love her…?” _

Zack felt himself ease into the warmth of Aerith beside him and the fabric of the couch, his gaze spacing out on the carpet.  _ I’m more tired than I thought,  _ he remarked to himself, yawning.  _ I guess all that singing does take a bit out of you… _

_ (“Your...voice is really nice.”) _

His gaze was only drawn by Genesis making his way back out in silence, pausing to unzip his bass case and pull LOVELESS from the side pocket. He sat back in his beanbag chair and opened it immediately without a second glance.  _ Cloud really...enjoyed my singing. I mean, he always looks really attentive when we play, but there was...something different about it this time. Or, maybe it was more obvious because I was front and center. God, why do I keep dwelling on this?  _

_ (“He said, ‘return the ring’...”) _

_ Ah… _

“Zack?” Aerith said, tapping his shoulder. 

He shook his head. “Hm? What?”

“Your pager’s going off.”

“Oh, shit.” He yanked it out from his belt, squinting at the small display. “Yup, that’s a Shinra number. Give me just a sec.” 

Zack stood up and walked over to the door, letting himself out without shutting it completely.  _ Do I finally have a mission coming up? No, they wouldn’t deploy me when it’s so close to my unit’s SOLDIER exam.  _ He clicked the side a couple times, and held it up to his ear.  _ There’s a voicemail, so… _

A generic voice blared first.  _ “You have. One. New voicemail.”  _ Then, it faded into an apprehensive tenor.  _ “Ah, Z-Zack? It’s, um...it’s Cloud.”  _

Zack’s heart stuttered in his chest, and he found himself smiling as he paced in the hallway.  _ Cloud.  _

_ “I just...I forgot you were out, I tried calling your house, but no one answered...ah, it’s not an emergency, I just had a question. I-it can wait ‘til tomorrow, but you can call the barracks back tonight...y’know, when you get a chance.”  _ He sighed loud, distorting the tiny speaker.  _ “Okay, well, I’ll see you.” _

_ “End of messages.”  _

“Well, that’s not so bad,” Zack muttered to himself, gripping his pager in one hand and barging back into Genesis’ apartment. 

“Who was it, honey?” Aerith asked. 

“It was just Cloud,” he replied, striding through the living room. “Hey, Gen, can I use your phone?”

“Whatever,” he said, turning the page of his book without another word. 

_ Jesus,  _ Zack thought as he grabbed the phone from the kitchen.  _ You might be a little more pleasant than Seph, but you two are cut from the same, self-centered cloth.  _ He shook his head as he pulled out the pager, punching in the same number as the read-out, along with the extension. He balanced the phone on his shoulder as he slipped it back into his belt loop.  _ Now, wonder what kind of question _

_ (shy, shy voice, “Zack, I wanted to ask you…”) _

_ he had… _

The line rang twice before anyone picked up.  _ “Hello?”  _ a deep, sleepy voice replied. 

“Hey, man,” Zack answered. “Is Cl--er, standard-class Strife still up?” 

_ “Think so.”  _ The voice called off speaker.  _ “Strife! Phone call.”  _

Cloud was out of breath when he emerged on the line.  _ “Hello? Zack?”  _

“Hey, how’d you know?” he said with a chuckle. “How’s it going?”

_ “G-good! Sorry to call you like this, especially your pager…” _

“No worries. Just chillin’ here, listening to some tunes at Gen’s place.” He peeked out the kitchen entryway--Aerith tilted her head as soon as she saw him, and stuck her tongue out. He replied in turn before ducking back in. 

_ “Oh, you’re still out? Y-you didn’t--” _

“It’s cool, relax! What did you need?” 

_ “Well…”  _ Cloud paused. Zack could almost hear the twisting of the phone wire over the speaker.  _ “I-it’s just a stupid...question, I could’ve asked--” _

“No, no, don’t say that.” He held onto the counter with one hand, gripping the underside of it.  _ My heart’s pounding. This isn’t a quiz show, I mean, anything he could ask me, I’d have the answer for. For the most part, anyway… _

_ (are you sure?) _

Zack stared at the tiles on the floor, lips parting slightly, before Cloud’s response came in a rush all at once.  _ “Th-the guys wanted to know why 2nds and 1sts carry swords instead of guns.”  _

_ Oh.  _ “Oh! Well, why didn’t you say so!” Zack laughed, pacing down the hall of the tiny kitchen as far as the cord would allow him to go. “It doesn’t say so in the handbook I got you?”

_ “N-no. It’s just a s-stupid trivia question…” _

“It’s not stupid,” Zack assured. “Far as I know though, it’s an old tradition. And now, it catches armies off guard when you start running at them with a sword.” Cloud chuckled at this, egging Zack to keep talking, faster and faster. “Plus, SOLDIER are  _ way  _ more powerful and tough than your run of the mill infantryman.”

_ “R-right. I mean, Sephiroth took down that entire army in Wutai alone…” _

“Sure did. If I were 1st and around then, I probably could’ve done the same.”

_ “Really?” _

“Oh, sure.” He grinned and looked up at the ceiling. “No sweat.”  _ Cloud hasn’t really seen me in a real combat situation yet, has he? Might have to set that up sometime, a little treat before he goes in for his exam. _

_ (“Under this charming calm, this charming man…”) _

_ “S-so, that’s it?”  _

“Ah? Yeah, that’s all I’ve got for you,” Zack replied, tugging at the back of his hair. “Need anything else?”

_ “No, no, that’s it,”  _ Cloud said.  _ “I’ll let you go. Everyone else is trying to sleep, anyway…” _

“Okay. You get some shut-eye too, yeah?” Zack wandered back to the doorway, leaning one hand on it and looking down. “Night.”

_ “Yeah,”  _ Cloud said.  _ “And, um...you sounded awesome at band practice.”  _

“Thanks, thanks a lot,” Zack beamed. 

_ “Good night, Zack.”  _

Intentionally or not, his voice dropped. “Night, Cloud.” 

The line went dead, and Zack let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he hung up the phone. “What did Cloud need?” Aerith asked.

“Oh, just a question,” Zack replied, plopping back on the couch beside her. “Nothing important.”

“Surprised you gave him your pager,” Genesis muttered, still buried in his book. “Higher-ups get fussy about that, especially since he’s just a standard.”

_ That keeps coming up, doesn’t it? Our ranks.  _ “Yeah, well he’ll be SOLDIER soon, and--” He cut himself off under the amused glance Aerith was giving him under his arm. “What? What’s  _ that  _ look for?” 

“Nothing,” she replied. “Cloud told you that you did a good job at practice again, didn’t he?” 

“Yeah? So?”

She tickled his ribs. “I could tell. Just by the look on your face.”

“Ey,  _ hey!”  _ Zack squirmed in her grip, kicking and scooting to the far side of the loveseat. “What, I can’t be happy when someone compliments me?”

“Don’t be like that,” she said, crawling over to rest her chin on his chest. “You’re just cute, that’s all.” 

Zack snorted and poked her nose.  _ Sure, I’m cute. Not like you, though. _

_ (not like him, though) _

His smile faded, even as he stroked her back.  _ I...don’t know if I should be thinking like this. Cloud’s my friend, my standard, my protegé.  _

_ ("Why ponder life’s complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?") _

_ It’s nothing, it’s nothing.  _

_ (is it? _

_ Is it really nothing? _

_ Is it nothing when you can’t wait to see him the next day…?)  _

_ “And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills…” _

“Oh, shit, Zack! Get ready to flip the tape!” Aerith sat up, pulling Zack up in turn by the collar of his shirt. 

He shook his head from the fog he had settled in. “Yeah, yeah, I’m going,” he said, jumping over to the stereo and studying the layout.  _ Cloud’s my best friend, and I want to see him do well. And if...I think he’s cute, then… _

_ (“Zack…!”) _

His fingers curled slightly as he hovered over the tape player.  _ Then that’s...that’s just a part of it.  _

* * *

 

“You don’t have to clean up, here, hon,” Barret sighed. “Just go on up to bed.” 

Tifa huffed as she swept up broken glass, teeth grinding in her mouth. “Let me just…do this _one thing_ right…”

“So, you had a bad night. Everyone has ‘em. Tomorrow’s a new day.” 

“I fucked up so many drinks, and then that  _ fight  _ broke out…” She sniffed and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.  _ Don’t cry, don’t cry,  _ she chanted to herself. It was harder to do with Barret’s steady gaze, infused with sympathy on her. “I just--”

_ “Go.  _ Upstairs.” He yanked the broom from her hands. “Listen, if you can take Marlene out somewhere tomorrow, you can have the day off from working the bar.” 

“D--”  _ Shit, I’ve got to stop doing that.  _ “B-Barret, I can  _ handle  _ it, just--”

“It’s fine.” He swapped the broom to his prosthetic hand and rested his other on her shoulder, kneading his thumb into the crook of it. “Go.”

Tifa nodded, and as tears prickled in the back of her eyes, she ran up the staircase, flinging herself into her room and flopping on the bed.  _ Damn it!  _ She gasped into her pillow, allowing it to absorb the frustration pent up in her chest.  _ Maybe if Vincent had stayed late, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but I almost got punched in the face trying to break it up.  _ She sat up and rubbed her shoulder.  _ Hell, I  _ did  _ get punched… _

_ What a fucking night… _

She hugged the pillow close to her and stared at her phone.  _ Cloud’s probably already asleep, but...I wonder if Aerith would answer.  _ She picked up the receiver, along with her address book, and dialed the number, hunching her back.  _ I’d give anything to hear her voice right now.  _

_ Ring...ring… _

Tifa bit her lip.  _ She’d sympathize, and tell me everything’s going to be okay. I can tell. That’s how she is.  _

_ Ring...ring… _

_ Come on, pick up! Is it that late? You wouldn’t let the phone ring for that long unless you’re not home… _

Tifa held her breath, stifling the burn in her throat.  _ Maybe she went out with Zack. That’s why she’s not home. Fuck.  _ Her knuckles tensed on the receiver, and after several more rings, she slammed it back in its cradle. “Sh-shit…” she sighed, burying her face once again.  _ I really...really wanted to talk to her… _

Her hair spilled over her shoulders, creating a hot curtain around her face.  _ Just...just a bad night, like Barret said. Everyone has bad nights. It’ll be okay.  _ She struggled to take an even breath, but managed to let it out slowly.  _ Tomorrow, I’ll take Marlene out for ice cream, or something. Cloud will probably stop by, and I can tell him about it.  _

_ And I can call her tomorrow, when she’s around. Maybe she’ll stop by, too.  _

_ It’ll be fine.  _

Finally, her breathing evened out, and she stripped off her shoes, clunking on the creaky, wooden floor.  _ Everything...will be fine.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup: That first gem is a parody cover of "Margaritaville" called ["Marijuanaville"](https://youtu.be/TZodwxTsgQY). Then, they're listening to ["The Dance" by Fleetwood Mac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0psjX2Fgpo&list=PL142BA69417068E28), clearly. I've linked a playlist of the entire concert, but the songs mentioned in particular are "The Chain", "Dreams", "Rhiannon", and "Landslide". 
> 
> An alt title for this chapter is "Zack Fair's Discount Flashback Warehouse"--he's got a _lot_ to think about, and he still manages to push his gay crisis right back into the closet. That's not going to hold up for too much longer. Also, the weed tape makes its grand debut! I've mentioned it a couple times before in the [meta blog](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com), which is still worth checking up on. Angeal needs some way to pay back against the years of torment from Genesis Rhapsodos. Sorry I dwell so much on the 1st trio--their dynamic is way too fun to write, but I'll keep it limited to these band chapters for the most part. Also, we will be coming back to Aerith singing a song for the band eventually!
> 
> Tifa had a bad time at the end of the chapter, but it's going to lead us into a more pleasant experience for the next! Her and Cloud are going to hang out, so stay tuned!


	19. Something Sweet

“Okay,” Tifa said, hands on her hips. “Are you ready?”

Marlene, in a sky-blue jumper and a matching bow in her hair, jumped up and down. “Ready, Freddie!” 

She giggled, then noticed a stray lace off her sneakers trailing when she toddled to the door. “Oops, wait wait wait!” she called, dropping to her knees. Her ponytail fell over her shoulder, and she brushed it away. “Your shoe came untied…”

Marlene made a scene of looking down, bending half her back over to see. “I got it!” she said, plopping to the floor and taking a shoelace in each hand. “Let’s see...first you tie it…”

Each motion was careful, but Tifa watched with soft amusement as she made the small loops into a knot.  _ This isn’t technically a day off for me,  _ she thought.  _ But she’s so well-behaved, it feels more like it. Tifa Lockhart, resident bartender and nanny, that’s me.  _ “Bunny ears...ta-da!” 

“Good job,” Tifa said, rising once again. “Now, let’s get going before it gets too late.”

Marlene nodded and jumped down the stairs, two at a time, before reaching the bottom with a thud. “Hey, be careful!” Tifa called, trying to catch up. Without a tumble, however, Marlene beamed back at her, reaching up for her hand as soon as she came around the bar. “Okay, okay…”

_ I’ve got the gil Barret gave me, my purse…  _ She looked up at the timestamp on the TV.  _ Vincent should be here anytime now. Always comes and goes at the same time.  _ “Okay, we’re heading out,” she said, glancing up at Barret behind the counter. “We’ll be back in a little bit.”

He chuckled. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Barret asked, nodding to the opposite side of the bar.

Tifa followed his gaze, finding Cloud sitting by himself with a ginger ale. He gave her a nod, along with a small smirk. His dog tags hung long over his company t-shirt, jingling every time they hit the counter of the bar. “Oh! I didn’t--!” she exclaimed. As she rushed over, Marlene in tow, his eyes widened gently, simulating a question mark above his head. “When did you get here?”

Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but Barret beat him to the punch. “Ah, Clayton here--”

_ “Cloud,”  _ Tifa corrected immediately, even before spotting the exasperation on Cloud’s face.  _ I swear, you do that on purpose.  _

He waved his hand dismissively. “Fine, he got here just a few minutes ago. I told him you’d be down anytime.”

“A-ah, well…” she said, looking back and forth between the two of them before finally settling on Cloud. “I thought you got out at 5 or 6…?”

“Zack gave us a half-day today,” he replied, sipping on his soda. “I thought I’d stop by…”

“Well, Marlene and I were going to take a walk above the plate,” Tifa said. “I guess if you--”

“We’re going to get ice cream!” Marlene cheered, standing on her toes. She still stood behind Tifa’s thigh as she looked up at Cloud. “Do you like ice cream?”

“Yeah,” he replied simply, and his blue eyes flicked up from her to Tifa. “Sounds like fun.”

_ Ah.  _ “Y-you can come with us, if you want.”  Cautiously, she kept Barret in her peripheral.  _ If her daddy will let her run around with a “military rat”.  _

“Yay, Cloud, come with us!” Marlene tugged on his jeans. “Come with us!”

“You know him, sweetheart?” Barret asked, crossing his arms. 

“Mmhm!” Marlene gave an exaggerated nod. “I met him once. He came upstairs.” 

_ Shit!  _ Tifa held her breath, looping a finger beneath the bangles on her wrists and gripping them.  _ Not good, not good! _

Barret scowled. “He  _ what?”  _

Cloud avoided all eye contact with anyone in the bar, focusing on his drink as he hid himself with slumping shoulders. “Th-that was...just…” he stammered, covering one arm with his opposite hand.

_ I can save this.  _ Tifa cut in. “I sent him up there that night it was crowded, remember? You saw him come down!” 

“Oh. That.” Barret cracked his neck audibly, squinting at Cloud. “Guess he’s fine, then.” 

“Hooray!” Marlene tugged on the side of his shirt. “C’mon, c’mon!”

“Okay, okay,” Cloud said with a chuckle, sliding off the barstool. “I’m coming.” 

_ Cloud,  _ Tifa thought, biting back her own smile. Even though he started to put his hands in his pockets, Marlene automatically reached up to hold one finger, and he obliged without a fuss.  _ Seems like every anxiety you have melts away when you’re around kids… _

“Ti?” Cloud’s head tilted.

“Hm?” She shook her head with a swish of her ponytail, realizing that she was staring. “Sorry--”

His eyes scanned behind her, and he let out a sigh. “Let’s go,” he said, starting to drag Marlene behind him toward the door. 

Tifa whirled around to see what had caught Cloud’s attention--Vincent had just entered the bar, his enormous presence along with his trenchcoat nearly casting a shadow over the counter. Like a phantom, he slid past, nodding to Tifa and Marlene. “Hi!” Marlene said, waving enthusiastically and, in turn, keeping Cloud from running outside. 

Vincent nodded to her, then looked long at Cloud, staring until his pace slowed to a crawl.  _ Oh, boy.  _ His stare lingered, even as Cloud shrank back, trying to become as small as Marlene. “T-Ti…” he muttered, swallowing.

_ I’m on it.  _ “Vincent?” she said, walking around so she could sneak between the two of them. “We’re heading out. Everything okay?”

His gaze was forced to flick to her, and he nodded deeply. “Mm,” he said in his low, gravelly tone. “Take care.” 

Vincent drifted to his usual stool, allowing Cloud to scurry toward the door in his wake. “Bye-bye, Daddy!” Marlene called, still waving even as Cloud gripped the door handle. 

“Have a good time,” Barret said. He already had a tumbler in his hand, setting it in front of Vincent. “I’ll take care of ol’ Vinny, here.”

Tifa nodded, then followed the other two, observing Cloud’s enormous sigh of relief as soon as he was clear of the entryway. “You okay?” she asked.

“Fine, I’m fine,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he took another deep breath.

“Really, Vincent’s  _ mostly _ harmless--” Tifa started.

“Easy for you to say,” he interrupted. “Jesus, he nearly ripped my arm off that one time…”

_ I know, I remember, I was there,  _ Tifa thought. “He was probably making sure you weren’t going to hurt Marlene, that’s all.” 

“Vincent lets me comb his hair!” Marlene piped up, and prompted Tifa to circle around to her other side, so she was in between herself and Cloud. “He’s scary lookin’, but I think he’s just shy! I don’t think he’d hurt anyone.”

_ Speak for yourself, kiddo.  _ “When you say it like that, it reminds me of someone else I know,” Tifa said, side-eyeing Cloud.

He tilted his head in question, then scoffed. “H-hey, I’m not scary looking…” he mumbled, staring at the ground. 

“Aw, of course not…! Oh, don’t look like that…”

Cloud continued to pout, until Marlene bumped against him, holding his hand a little tighter. Almost instantaneously, his face smoothed out while looking down at her, and resumed neutrality as he stared up at the plate.  _ I meant the shy part, and how you’d never hurt anyone, even with those dog tags on your neck.  _ Tifa traced his narrow jawline along through his neck, his complexion made a sickly wash from the fluorescent light.  _ You’ve never scared me.  _ “How’ve things been?” she asked. “You got a half-day, so that must be good.”

“Mm, yeah,” he replied. “I mean, our exam is next week, so--”

“Next  _ week?”  _ Tifa blurted. They crossed the street near a slope that filtered natural light through the end. “That seems awfully fast…”  _ Didn’t we just go to the gala together? Time goes by so quickly... _

“I’m part of the accelerated pilot,” Cloud said. “Usually they keep you in standard for a year or so before even starting the exams.” He let the sentence hang for a moment, but didn’t follow it up. 

“Are...you nervous?” Tifa asked. 

Cloud didn’t reply immediately, instead turning his head up to the sky as they emerged from beneath the plate. The wind rustled his hair back, and he shook his bangs away from his forehead to fully embrace the wind.  _ You are, aren’t you? I would be too...I don’t even know what that sort of thing even entails.  _ She glanced along the street, taking a corner where appropriate.  _ You don’t...really tell me what goes on behind those high walls of Shinra.  _

_ Then again… _

_ (“Hey,” Tifa said, curled up in bed with the phone on her cheek. “Has Zack ever talked about what they do over there?” _

“What do you mean?”

_ “Like...for training.” She huffed. “I don’t know, Cloud comes in to visit every other day, and he seems dog tired every time. And he doesn’t talk about it.” _

“Yeah…”  _ A long pause.  _ “Zack never said much either. All I know was that it was a ton of endurance training. I mean, it can’t be _ that  _ bad, can it? He always brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal.”

_ “Maybe…”) _

“A little bit,” Cloud finally answered. “I’m...not the only one though.”

“I bet.”

“Is it like a test? For school?” Marlene asked. “I get to go to school next year!”

“Yeah, sort of,” Cloud replied. “There’s a written part, like a normal test, then there’s a physical part, too.”

“Ooh.” Marlene looked around, then pointed to the opposite street corner. “Tifa, we have to go this way.” She then tugged on her shorts, glancing up with big, brown eyes.

“Hm? I thought the place was that way…” she said, leaning forward toward the next street.

She shook her head, bow shaking, and attempted to pull Cloud around in the direction she wanted. “Daddy always takes me to this one over here. He says--he says they’re the only ones that have the flavor he likes!”

“Oh, okay.” Tifa grabbed her other hand to steady her, checking both ways across the street before leading them to the other sidewalk. “Make sure you watch where you’re going. You don’t want to wear Cloud out by dragging him everywhere.”

“But you have to hold hands when you cross the street!” she insisted, not letting go even when they made it to the other side. “We gotta stick together!”

“That’s right,” Cloud muttered. The soft look hadn’t faded from his face, and Tifa

_ (you’d make a great father) _

found that she was the one being dragged as she watched it. 

“There, over there!” Marlene shouted, using the hand she held with Cloud to point ahead to the small parlor.  _ This is different than the one Aerith showed me,  _ Tifa thought.  _ The other one looks more like a 50’s soda shop, and this one’s more modern.  _ As they walked in, a huge board of flavors was posted on the back wall, and the floor was lined with simple, gray tile. It was mostly empty, with a few booths by the windows and a bored girl at the counter with a book in her hand, loudly chewing gum.  _ There sure are a lot of flavors.  _ She squinted at the board, reading flavors as plain as “chocolate” and as exotic as “super berry nut crunch”.  _ Who orders some of this stuff?  _

Cloud scanned the board for only a moment. “What are you getting?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” Tifa muttered. “Probably just something simple. Oh, they have cherry almond…!” 

He nodded, then bent down to Marlene. “What about you, Marlene?” he asked.

“I dunno,” she replied as well, standing on her toes. “I can’t quite see…”

Without another word, Cloud picked her up by her waist, masking his grunt with a huff outward, and perched her on his shoulder. “Better?” he asked.

She giggled as she pawed to keep her balance onto him, even pulling at his hair a little bit. “Yeah!” she squealed. She leaned forward. “Um...there’s a lot…”

He glanced up with a half smirk. “There is,” Cloud replied, patting her knee. “Let’s see...there’s vanilla, strawberry, rocky road…”

His voice dropped as he continued to list the flavors, quiet enough only for Marlene to hear him beside her, and Tifa took a step back in order to cover her face.  _ Every time...this comes up, I’m always surprised. After we graduated, when he was trying to train himself for SOLDIER, he would hang out by the elementary school… _

_ (“Cloud! Cloud!”  _

_ In the middle of struggling through a pull-up on the monkey bars, he dropped down to the boy who had run up to him. “Hey,” he said, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. The sky was drenched in orange sunset, washing out the playground in fading light. “It’s late. Your momma’s going to be worried.” _

_ “She’s comin’ to pick me up, it’s okay!” The boy tilted his head. “Can you show me how to do that?” _

_ “Hm? Oh.” Cloud wiped his palms on his shorts, then gripped the last bar with both hands. “You just put your strength in your upper arms, and…” _

_ He hoisted himself up again, this time catching Tifa’s eye as she watched from a distance, and dropped back to the ground. The boy gasped and clapped, jumping up and down. “Whoa, you’re strong!” he called. _

_ Cloud nodded, eyes still fixed on Tifa…) _

“Strawberry!” Marlene confirmed. “I want strawberry!”

“Okay,” Cloud replied, slipping her off his shoulder and easing her down to the ground. With a deep breath and a roll of his shoulders, he made his way to the counter. “Excuse me…”

Tifa shook herself from her thoughts as the counter girl blew a large bubble with her gum and set the book down. “Whatcha need?” she asked.

“Can I get three small...cups?” He turned to Tifa in question, and she only nodded.  _ He’s ordering on his own. That’s unusual.  _ “One strawberry, one cherry almond, and one vanilla.”

The counter girl snapped her gum, punching in everything to the register. “Anything else?” 

“No.”

“950 gil.” 

_ Right, Barret gave me money for this.  _ She fished in her purse, counting out gil pieces.  _ Okay, yeah, he gave me plenty-- _

The clink of coins on the counter snapped her head up. “Thanks,” the girl said, sweeping the gil Cloud had placed on the counter into her palm and immediately opening the register. 

“Hey--!” Tifa snapped. “You weren’t supposed to pay for that!” 

Cloud shrugged and slipped his wallet into his back pocket. “W-well, I did, so…” 

“Damn it, Cloud--” She grabbed a handful of gil from her purse, yanked him backwards and shoved it into his opposite back pocket. 

He stumbled back into her, forcing her to catch him by his lower back.  _ “Cripes,  _ Ti--!” he yelped, even drawing Marlene’s attention. His face had darkened to a slight shade of pink. “I-it’s not a big deal…”

“Yeah, well, Barret gave me money  _ specifically  _ for this, so I have to account for everything!” She huffed, then lowered her voice. “Sorry. I don’t mean to yell at you.” 

Cloud faced her fully, hands in his pockets. “You’re not yelling,” he said, then sighed. “And I’m not made of glass, y’know.”

“I know.”  _ I know, but I remember you shrinking anytime a teacher raised their voice in school, anytime you had dinner at my house and my dad and I would argue, and anytime I would get frustrated with you, working on some kind of project. I know _

_ (“I-I’ll...I’ll get…” His hands trembled at his sides, staring up at a menu, eyes wide and unfocused. _

_ “I’ve got it,” Tifa whispered, walking up in front of him. “Tell me what you want.” _

_ “J-just...just get me...get me whatever you’re having,” he whispered, before ducking behind her.) _

_ how you are, _

_ (“Come on, it’s easy! Just put this over here, and--” _

_ The seat scraping as Cloud got up was somehow louder than her voice, and she stopped dead, whipping her head up. “H-huh?” _

_ He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I-I’m...going home,” he muttered, backpack already over his shoulder. _

_ “Cloud, wait…” She jumped over to him and grabbed his wrist, thin beneath her fingers. “I...I’m sorry. We’re almost done making this poster…” _

_ Silence fell between them, and finally, finally, he lifted his head up, swallowing thick. “Okay,” he mouthed, hand flexing slightly, twisting so his fingers held the inside of her wrist…) _

_ Cloud Strife.  _

“Here you guys go.” 

The girl at the counter broke their look with a snap of her gum and the clacking of three, paper cups with spoon sticking out of them on the plastic counter. Cloud took notice immediately, grabbing Marlene’s first and handing it down. “That’s for you,” he said. 

“Yay!” Marlene took it immediately, taking a bite of the sweet, pink cream. “Mmm!” 

“Marlene, what do you say?” Tifa reminded, jerking her head over to Cloud.

She twirled on her toes, standing on them as she faced him. “Thank you, Cloud,” she said in a sing-song voice. 

“Sure thing,” he replied, taking the other two cups, handing the familiar swirl of pink and nuts over to Tifa. “Should we go sit?” 

“Mm.” As she took it, her fingers brushed up against his, and she held the cup in both hands as they made their way to the booth.  _ I know you, Cloud. You’ve grown since I’ve known you, in more ways than one, but _

_ you’re still you.  _

He took a seat at the booth, and Marlene chose the opposite side by the window. Tifa grabbed a wad of napkins from the nearby dispenser before sitting beside her, placing them in the middle. “Now, don’t make a mess,” Tifa told her, to which she nodded with the spoon in her mouth. Cloud smirked at this, swirling his plain vanilla ice cream in its cup. “What?”

He shook his head, redirecting his gaze out the window.  _ You’re something.  _ “So, what else do you have planned for your half-day?” she asked.

“The guys want to have some kind of study session after dinner,” he replied. “Then I’ll be staying at Zack and Aerith’s for the weekend…”

“Again?” she asked. “You’re over there an awful lot.”

“It’s nice being around him-- _ them.”  _ Cloud took a large bite of ice cream, wincing at the obvious coldness. He blinked hard, and Tifa struggled to keep a straight face.  _ You don’t have to hide how much you like being around Zack,  _ she thought.  _ It’s obvious just seeing the two of you together.  _ “B-but really, it is fun. You should come by sometime, too.”

“Yeah.”  _ I should. I keep putting off asking, because of having to watch Marlene.  _ She glanced over to her, watching as she spooning another bite of ice cream into her mouth.  _ This isn’t just a normal job that I can easily take time off for. Still, I’m sure if I asked, Barret would let me, as long as it’s not a weekend night.  _ “Where do you sleep? The couch?”  _ Aerith mentioned that once, didn’t she? _

“Yeah. They have a recliner couch. It’s really comfy.” His ice cream had become a smooth, whipped consistency from constant stirring. “Aerith would be really excited if you did. She likes you.” 

Tifa crossed her legs under the table and hid her arms beneath the table, fidgeting with her bangles. “Y-yeah, I know,” she replied, accompanied by a nervous chuckle.  _ She’s always trying to hold my hand, and buying me tapes that she likes. _

When she glanced back over to Cloud, she realized that he had been staring at her.  _ What? What’s that look for? That crooked smile, a raised eyebrow...like you know something I don’t. It’s not a look I’m used to seeing from you.  _ It soon faded from his face, however, as he took another bite of his ice cream. She followed suit, as hers had barely been touched, melting at the sides.

_ (she likes you) _

Tifa crunched on the almonds, salty against sweet.  _ I know she does…she’s my friend...I mean, it’s no different than how Cloud and Zack are... _

_ (she likes you) _

_ Or the two of us… _

_...right? _

“Aerith is the flower lady, right?” Marlene said, pushing her empty ice cream cup away. Half of it seemed to be smeared on her face, and Tifa broke her fidgeting in order to grab a napkin and wipe her face. “She’s so nice! One time, she brought us a whole, big bouquet! She took me riding in her flower wagon once too!”

“I’ve never seen her with the wagon,” Tifa mentioned. “I only remember that one time she came by with a basket full.”

Marlene beamed at her. “She gave you a pretty rose!” 

“Th-that’s right.”  _ When it was starting to wilt, I pressed some of the petals in my address book to save them.  _ She brought her ponytail in front of her, combing through the ends with her fingers.  _ She’s sweet… _

Cloud cocked his head. “You don’t usually keep your hair up,” he commented. 

“Ah, I wanted to try something different,” she replied, tightening the elastic in the back. “D-does it...look okay?”  _ Aerith wears her hair up all the time. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it down. _

_ (I want to run my hands through her hair…) _

Cloud pushed his cup aside, leaning back in his seat. “Yeah. It looks nice.” He rested his elbows on the table, hiding his mouth with laced hands.  _ And yet, looking at you like this, I wonder if you’re hiding a smile. A smile for me.  _

She flicked her hair away, holding her arm as she glanced into her still melting ice cream.  _ Oh, what are you thinking, Tifa?  _

_ (are you lonely?) _

_ But, how? _

“Tifa?” Marlene asked. “I’m all done.”

“Hm? Okay, honey.” She gathered her cup, as well as her own, and slid out of the booth. “We can get going. Come on, Cloud.” 

He followed silently, staying a half step behind as she tossed the empty cups.  _ I have friends, I’m around people constantly, so why would I be lonely? That’s foolish.  _ She took one last bite of her own ice cream, then threw it away, wiping her hands on her shorts.  _ There’s no reason _

_ (slipping my hand in his own, feeling him squeeze it back and watching some of the anxiety drain from his face) _

_ to feel _

_ (she slid right up behind me on the bicycle, arms around my waist) _

_...lonely.  _

While Marlene played hopscotch against the tiles, the counter girl spotted them on their way out. “How old is she?” she asked, pointing and watching with amusement.

“She’ll be five in the winter,” Tifa replied, holding back Marlene by her shoulders with a thin-lipped smile. “Let’s go…”

The counter girl chuckled. “She looks just like her parents,” she commented with a wink.

Both Tifa’s and Cloud’s heads whipped up. “Oh, no, no, she’s not--” Tifa managed to stutter, scrambling with her words. “We aren’t her parents--”

Marlene twirled in Tifa’s grip, then bounced up to the counter. “My daddy’s at home, working!” she squeaked.  _ Phew,  _ she thought, and in the corner of her eye, Cloud sighed in relief as well. “Tifa’s my babysitter, and Cloud’s her boyfriend who comes and visits all the time--”

_ Short lived! “Ah,  _ that’s enough,” she said with a chuckle, pushing her toward the door. “H-have a good one…”

“What?” Marlene asked as soon as they were outside. She reached out to grab Cloud’s arm. “You’re a boy, and you’re her friend, right?”

If Tifa’s face was flush, it was nothing compared to the shade of pink Cloud wore on his. “Th-that’s true, I-I guess,” he replied, flicking his eyes between her and Tifa. “Let’s...just head back.” 

* * *

 

When they returned to the bar, Marlene immediately ran up around the counter. “Hey, welcome back!” Barret greeted, kneeling down to hug her. “Did you have fun, sweetie?”

“Yeah! I got strawberry ice cream!” she cheered. 

A lilt carried over the bar that rushed to Tifa’s head. “Ooh, strawberry’s my favorite, too.”

It didn’t take long for Tifa to spot Aerith, sitting a couple seats over from Vincent, waving to both of them. Her dress was patterned with daisies, and her denim jacket was rolled up to her elbows. “Oh, so this is where you were!” she said to Cloud. “I think Zack tried to call your barracks.”

“Huh?” Cloud said. “O-oh, I thought he was still on base…” 

She giggled, spinning around in the stool to face them as they drew closer. “No rush. He just wanted to solidify plans for this weekend. He wanted to pick you up on the bike Saturday at around 3.”  _ She came here alone,  _ Tifa thought,  _ so did she come to see me…? _

“That’s fine.” Cloud replied, a small smile on his face as he scratched the back of his neck. “I-I’ll be ready.”

Aerith crossed her legs, adjusting her dress over her knees. “Sounds good. I can let him know,” she said, then raised her eyebrows. “Unless you want to call him yourself?”

“O-oh, it’s cool,” Cloud muttered, biting his lip. “I’ll be...be seein’ him anyway--”

“Ah, by the way,” Tifa interrupted, even as her tongue got caught as soon as Aerith turned her attention to her. “Um...I tried calling you last night, but no one was around…?”

“Oh yeah, we were at Genesis’ apartment, getting that CD recorded over.” Her green eyes scanned her face. “What, did something happen? Did you need me?”

“N-no, I just…” She faltered, feeling the weight of both of hers and Cloud’s stares on her shoulders. “I just had a bad night last night…”

“Aw, honey…” Aerith lamented, reaching out to rub her shoulder. 

“You did?” Cloud asked, close enough to nearly brush against her other shoulder. “You didn’t mention it today…”

“Well, that might be a good thing,” Aerith commented, craning her neck back to him. “Maybe she was having such a good time with you, that she forgot!”

_ A little bit, actually,  _ Tifa thought with a chuckle. She bumped against Cloud’s side, and he returned it with a nod and a smirk. “Yeah, I just...ugh, a fight broke out, I messed up a ton of drinks--”

“A fight? God, you didn’t get hurt, did you?” she asked.

“J-just a little bump--”

“Ti…” Cloud sighed, worry wrinkling his forehead.

“Where, where?” Aerith scanned her arms, even pulling up the sleeves of her t-shirt to examine. “Whoever laid a hand on you, I’ll sock ‘em!” 

“Oh, my God, Aerith…” Tifa nudged her away, holding her arms out. “I’m fine--”

“Tifa’s a tough girl, she can handle herself,” Barret remarked. “She don’t need the two of you fussing.” 

“I’ll fuss!” Aerith retorted, sitting tall on the bar stool while she pouted at Barret. “I’ll fuss all I want!” 

Tifa felt a hand on her back, and when she turned her head, Cloud was close to her ear. “You’re all right, though?” he whispered. “You know, I--”

“Yeah, it was late though,” she murmured back. “I’m fine, really.”  _ I can take care of myself.  _

He nodded, and let his hand slide off, slipping it back into his pocket.  _ If I do need anything, though,  _ she thought, a smile creeping on her face as her gaze bounced from him to Aerith.  _ I know where to turn.  _

“Tifa, do you have any leftover money from today?” Barret asked. 

“Oh, yeah.” She made her way around, past Vincent, and behind the bar, digging into her purse for pieces. “You gave me a lot…”

“Doesn’t hurt to have extra,” he muttered. Cloud and Aerith had begun chatting to themselves--or rather, Aerith was doing most of the talking--and Barret shook his head and spoke low. “You’re pretty popular around here, aren’t you?”

Tifa blinked. “H-huh?” 

“Seems like this kid’s here every other day, and flower girl here comes when he doesn’t.” He patted her on the shoulder and sighed loud. “Good havin’ friends, isn’t it?”

Tifa smiled to herself, leaning across the counter to tune back into their conversation. “There’s still another day on our movie rental, Cloud.” “I-I can’t, really...I should study for the exam with everyone else--” “Oh, come on, you’ve got a few more days! You’re totally ready. Zack told me so!” “H-he did? Really?” “Cross my heart.”

She rested her chin on her hand, as Cloud hid a sheepish look with his hand and Aerith grinned. Intentionally or not, both of them side-eyed her without noticing the other.  _ Yeah. It’s good.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tifa's getting a taste of what it'll be like to date those two at the end of the chapter. We'll have to wait before that comes into fruition though...
> 
> This was one of those chapters that was a little trying to write--hope it came out okay! I love writing sweet dad Cloud, it's good for him. Funny, I get _more_ anxious around kids myself. Hm, not much else to say about this chapter for right now. Next time, we'll resume Zack Fair's Gay Crisis! What fun!


	20. Sleepyhead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"How stupid is it? Won't you give me a minute,_  
>  Just come up to me and say 'hello' to my heart.  
> How stupid is it? For all I know you want me, too,  
> And maybe you just don't know what to do,  
> Or maybe you're scared to say, 'I'm falling for you'. 
> 
> _"I wish I could get my head out of the sand,_  
>  Because I think we'd make a good team  
> And you would keep my fingernails clean.  
> But that's just a stupid dream that I won't realize,  
> 'Cause I can't even look in your eyes without shakin', and I ain't fakin'..." 
> 
>  ["El Scorcho", Weezer, _Pinkerton_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJghf2OcW1s)

Zack wasn’t sure exactly what was on TV that Cloud was watching, but he was positive that he wasn’t really paying attention to it either. He faced him on the other side of the couch, finger picking his guitar in a steady cycle of chords. _Aerith’s been gone most of the morning,_ he thought, leaning his head against the side of the couch. _Just been the two of us. It’s...pretty quiet._

_But, that’s all right._

Cloud’s eyes were glazed over, sleep-worn and heavy lidded, but even in profile, Zack could discern their ice blue color. _That’s all right._ He smirked as he strummed. _Aerith gets a little excited sometimes when we have company, but sometimes you just want to chill, you know? Just like this._ With a deep breath, he began to hum in time with his strumming, even though his transition between chords became clumsy. _“Hmm mmm mmm nn…”_

His voice perked Cloud up, shaking him from his stupor. Zack’s soft focus broke when Cloud tilted his head, watching him play and sing. _Ah._ Because of this, his focus broke, and he coughed. “Whoops…” he sputtered, snickering as he slid his fingers along the neck. “Ah, lemme see…”

“What song is that?” Cloud asked with a yawn.

_Sleepyhead._ “Oh, just something I made up,” he replied, noodling the chords again. “Just kind of...fun to play.”

Cloud nodded slowly, eyes flicking from his fingers up to his face. “Um...have you guys ever done any original songs? F-for the band?”

“Not yet.” _No matter how many times Gen requests to do a song based off LOVELESS._ “Dunno if they would even let me bring in an original, knowing how Seph is.” He chuckled. “Besides, I’d be garbage with lyrics…”

“Really?”

“Ah...I’m no poet,” Zack replied, then sang in a sigh as he slipped the guitar strap off his shoulder. _“I’m just a country boy, who never knew his place…”_

Cloud snickered deep in his throat, barely a sound at all, but Zack caught it as he stood up to turn off his amp. _Yeah, I’ve had that song stuck in my head. It’s so catchy. And yet._ He bit his lip as he stood his guitar up against the amp. _Whenever I think of the song, I think of him too._

The couch springs creaked as Cloud got up, wandering to the kitchen. _Every day, he’s the first one out to the training grounds, sometimes there even before I am. Always...waiting._ He kept his eye on him, watching as he grabbed a glass out of their cupboards and filled it up with water from the sink. Zack himself sat back down on the couch, laying across the whole of it with his feet kicked over the armrest. _SOLDIER exam’s right on Monday. And then if all goes right, he’ll be 3rd-class. He’ll get some more training, but I probably won’t be heading that group. Probably get stationed over by Banora--I hear they’re spread thin on forces._ He laced his hands behind his head. _Who knows when I’ll see him again…_

_Won’t be able to do things like this anymore…_

Zack’s face fell into a grimace. _I’m going to miss him, aren’t I? I mean, I could just put in a request to keep him in Midgar, but who knows how well that’ll go, given what Tseng said the other day. “Don’t get too chummy with your standards”, huh?_

_(“Do_ I _have competition?”)_

He sighed through his nose. _I didn’t think anything of it before, but now I’m not so sure…_

When Cloud came back, he scanned all along Zack, and his thin shoulders dropped. “Really?” he said.

“What?” Zack replied.

He took another drink of water, then set it down on the coffee table while gesturing across him with his other hand. “You’re taking up the whole couch.”

_“What?”_ He grinned and settled in further. “No, I’m not. You’ve got some...some room.” He scooted his legs over a hair, leaving a sliver of a couch cushion leftover.

Cloud tilted his head, forehead wrinkled in exasperation, then shook it. “Zack…” he sighed.

“If you want a seat, you’ll have to fight me for it.” He felt his grin grow wider, and winked at Cloud. _Gotta enjoy the time I’ve got while I still can, right? Cloud…_

_(this charming man)_

Cloud bit his lip and stared at him, pink slowly flooding his face while his fists were twitching at his sides. _What are you going to do, buddy?_

_(do you want something more?)_

_...What more could I want?_

At last, Cloud took a deep breath, and with his fingers out, he lunched for Zack’s stomach, grabbing at it with a barely suppressed grin. “Oh, _shit!”_ Zack cried, squirming back immediately. He howled with laughter, trying to push Cloud back by his shoulders, but he kept at him, determination in his eyes. “You’ve been taking _notes! Ahaha--!”_

“Scoot over--!” His voice was laced with a low laughter, and he managed to get his knees on the couch, hovering over Zack.

“Make me!” It was Zack’s turn to grab at Cloud, tickling his stomach as well. He surprised him with a wild, high pitched giggle, face split into a huge grin. _That’s the face I like to see,_ he thought. _Bright and smiling…_

Under Zack’s fingers, he was rendered completely useless, staggering on his knees as he struggled to keep his balance on the couch. He adjusted so he was straddling one of Zack’s legs, and quickly lost his balance, flopping on his chest. This jammed Zack’s hands under Cloud’s chest, but he quickly pulled them out, leaving Cloud to wheeze and giggle on his chest. Without thinking, Zack ran a hand through Cloud’s hair, blond and fine, fingers lingering at the back of his neck. _What more...could I want?_

_Ah…_

Zack’s breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening just before Cloud managed to lift his head up. _Ah, shit. I’m…_

_(was this what you wanted?)_

_I haven’t had this rush since I met Aerith…_

Cloud propped himself up with one arm, shaking his head before realizing his surroundings. “A-ah, s-sorry…” he stammered, his flush deepening as he tried to sit up. His grip slipped on the cushions, however, impeding his progress.

“Sorry for what?” Zack asked quietly. _I feel God damn light-headed. I forgot you_ weren’t _Aerith for a second and I just...I just…_ His hands steadied his side, and he still felt a smirk creeping on his face. _Oh, don’t fool yourself, Zack, you knew it was him all along…_

“I-I…” Cloud stammered, before giving up and sinking into his chest. His hands gently held around his sides. “Zack…”

“Hm?” _What is it, Cloud? You can tell me anything…_

His own hands reached to his back. _Tell me anything…_

“Is…” Cloud’s breaths were taking on a familiar, nervous sound, and his eyes were tentative as they met his. “Is this...okay?”

The TV buzzed in the silence that settled between them. _Is it? Is it?_ Zack tilted his head, and before he knew it, he found himself nodding. “Yeah,” he murmured, patting his back. “It’s okay.”

Cloud blinked at him, then turned his head to use his chest as a pillow, breathing out deep. _It’s okay, it’s okay,_ Zack chanted to himself, snaking a hand through Cloud’s hair once again. _I want him to be comfortable, keep him safe, see him grow stronger. I want to see him happy. Isn’t that...what friends are for?_

The warmth of Cloud on top of him was beginning to lull him back, even as his mind buzzed. _This is...this is something different, though. I’d take a bullet for Angeal any day of the week, but I don’t…_

_(want to hold him in my arms)_

_...right._

_(“Zack.”)_

Cloud’s breathing had steadied against him, growing deeper with every passing moment. _Maybe it’s something...or, maybe it’s nothing. But right here, right now…_

_...this is fine._

_Being here with him like this,_

_is just right._

Before he could think much else, his eyes fluttered shut, still with a hand resting at the edge of Cloud’s neck.

* * *

 

The rattling of locks and the click of the door jostled Cloud wide awake. _Ah, I fell asleep…_

_...on Zack._

Alarms sounded in his head, even louder than Zack’s heartbeat under his ear, and he shot up, trying to keep his breathing in check. _He said it was okay, I know he did, but still, still…_

“Hey,” Aerith whispered from the doorway. Her smile was pleasant as usual (perhaps wider than normal), but Cloud still sat up immediately, scooting backwards. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up…”

“I-it’s okay,” he muttered. Zack’s hands slipped off his back and fell back onto his stomach, and despite his shaking, Cloud tried his damnedest to pry himself off the couch without disturbing him further. _He held me. Held me in his arms..._ “S-sorry…”

“Hm?” She skated into drop the purse on the table, taking care to make sure it also didn’t make too much noise. “For what?”

_Damn it, that’s what he said too!_ Cloud’s face burned red as he stood up, unable to take his eyes off a still napping Zack. His dark hair was sticking up everywhere, lips gently parted as he snored. _As if...as if he didn’t know…_

_(the way he looked at you with those deep blue eyes, that smile)_

_B-but, he’s not like me...he can’t be...what about Aerith? What about--_

“Zack’s a good pillow,” Aerith commented behind him, making him jump. “And a great cuddler.”

Cloud stared at her as she giggled, adjusting her ponytail. _How can you be so...calm about this? I was just sleeping with your boyfriend! You can probably see right through me, so why are you just_ smiling _at me like that?_

“I-I…” Cloud swallowed hard, staring at the floor. _I shouldn’t stick around…_ “I think I should...g-get going.” _I don’t want to fuck this up. At least I woke up before he did…_

_(“Yeah. It’s okay.”)_

He nodded to himself and bent down beside the couch, resituating his backpack and stuffing his leftover clothes inside. “Already?” Aerith asked.

“Mmm. Should get...back on base.” _He was so playful, and I just fed into it. And even if he does like me, he’s got Aerith, so what should some anxiety ridden queer do for him? Damn it…_

He felt her hand on his shoulder. “Cloud.”

Cloud waited to face her until he stood up, backpack over his shoulder. Aerith’s green eyes scanned his face before she sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong, you know.”

_Really?_ He hoped the question showed on his face, because his tongue felt too thick in his mouth to speak. _Are you sure? Aerith…_

“Zack feels really comfortable with you,” she said, letting her hand run down his arm. “You shouldn’t be worried.”

He twisted his hand around the strap of his backpack. _Really comfortable...yeah, I can see that. So was I, until I freaked myself out._ “Okay,” he mumbled. _I wish I could just stop worrying but…_

_Zack, I really like you…_

He sighed through his nose. _My heart’s still racing. I still...need to get out of here for now. I need a smoke, or a drink, or something._ “You’re still going to go, aren’t you?” Aerith whispered, echoing his thoughts.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll...be okay.”

From the couch, Zack rolled over, eyes slits as he squinted over to them. “Oh, hey, baby…” he murmured, stretching with a big yawn. Even with his adrenaline high, Cloud couldn’t help but smirk at his sleepy demeanor. _I can see why she calls him a “puppy”._

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Aerith replied, still speaking soft. “Good, you’re awake to see Cloud off.”

“You’re leaving already?” Zack groaned, scratching his stomach absently. “Dude, I can take you back…”

“N-no, it’s okay,” he insisted. “I wanna...stop at Tifa’s before I get back to base. I’ll be all right.”

“Okay.” Zack smiled, keeping his eyes on him even as he readjusted. _God, every time...you look at me like that..._ Cloud bit the inside of his cheek. _It feels like you’re doing it more often, too. Or am I just imagining it?_ “Hey, listen…”

Cloud’s heart stopped. “Wh-what?”

“Tomorrow…” He grunted and sat up, smoothing out the back of his hair. “We’re meeting up on the 10th floor at 9 AM. I’ll take you over to the exam floor. Written first, then physical.”

Cloud nodded, edging toward the door. “S-sounds good.”

“I’ll be there the whole time, so you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Zack said, then yawned again. “Right, honey?”

“That’s right. You’ll do great tomorrow!” Aerith cheered. “Just don’t get too worked up over it beforehand.” She winked at him before twirling in her dress and skipping over to the couch.

_Don’t get worked up, huh._ He twisted the door handle, his grip slipping from his clammy hands. _We'll s_ _ee how that goes._ “Thanks,” he said, nodding. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Bye, Cloud!” Aerith said, waving before plopping next to Zack.

Zack waved too, although much more delayed, still with a sleepy side grin. “See you later, man.”

When Cloud made it out the door and up the stairs into the alleyway, he broke into a brisk pace, covering his mouth with one hand. “God, God,” he muttered to himself. “I don’t know how much more I can take…”

* * *

 

“You two looked cozy,” Aerith remarked, nuzzling into Zack’s shoulder.

“Yeah, he sorta...fell asleep there,” he replied.

_“Sorta?_ Honey, he was practically on your lap.”

“Well, y’know, we were messing around, and he just sort of flopped on me.” He stretched and put an arm around her shoulder. “Roughhousing. Like boys do.”

“Uh-huh.” _And I’m sure boys also wrap their arms around each other and cuddle, just like that._ Aerith thought dryly. She crossed her arms. _I wonder._ “Is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

“Hm?” He blinked at her, then quickly looked away. _There’s a flush in your face, dear_. “What do you mean?”

She squinted at him, then shook her head. _Nope._ “Oh, nothing. I’m sure if there was, you would.”

“That’s right.” He kissed her head. “I think I’m still going to get to work early tomorrow, just to make sure everything’s set and ready--”

“--and have breakfast with Cloud?” she finished for him.

Zack snickered. “Yeah, maybe. You’ve got me all figured out, don’t you, babe?”

“Yup.” _More than even you do for yourself,_ Aerith mused, sighing and cuddling him closer. _I love you Zack, but you worry me sometimes. When are you going to figure it out?_

_I’m not going to push you…_

_This is yours to discover for yourself._

* * *

 

At 7th Heaven, Cloud stormed in, taking a seat at the middle of the bar instead of the usual far corner. Barret was behind the counter, and spun around as soon as he sat on the barstool. “Ginger ale?” he asked.

Cloud yanked out his wallet and threw a handful of gil on the counter. “Rum and coke,” Cloud replied. _Anything to get this buzzing out of my head…_

Barret raised an eyebrow, slowly gathering the gil together. “You okay, Clarence?” he said.

_Jesus, I don’t need this right now._ “Yeah,” he responded curtly, returning his hands to his lap only to have them wring his shirt. A glance to the side revealed Vincent staring at him once again, only heightening his anxiety. _And that. I don’t need that right now, either._

“Want me to call Tifa down?” Barret tried.

“S-sure.” _God, Tifa’s going to ask questions too, though. Despite everything, I haven’t told her that I like guys. I didn’t think I’d ever have to. And now all this. Now all this! Fuck…_

Barret slid him a tumbler filled with ice, soda, and rum, then took a deep breath. _“Tifa!_ It’s Cloud!” he called. _Huh, so you_ are _doing that on purpose. Great._

Tifa thundered down the stairs, in jeans and a tanktop, hair tied low with a red ribbon. “Oh, hey!” she greeted, but as soon as she came back around the bar, her face fell. “What’s up?”

“Just stopping by before...I head back in.” He took a long drink from his glass, wincing at the bitter taste of the alcohol. It went immediately to his head, and he found that his hand shook less as he set it back down. “That’s all…”

“Everything okay?” Tifa asked cautiously.

“Sure.” He opened his mouth, then closed it, back-tracking. “Ah, I’m just...nervous, I guess…”

She nodded, leaning as far over the counter as she could, propping herself up on her elbows. “For your exam, huh?”

_Close enough._ “Yeah. It’s tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow--! Holy shit,” she exclaimed. “That’s right, you--”

“Hey. Get a belt,” Barret interrupted suddenly, curling his lip at her rear. “You don’t want customers seein’ that.”

“Ugh, Dad, I was just upstairs!” Tifa retorted, leaning back to pull up her jeans by her belt loops. As soon as she spoke the word “dad”, Barret whirled on her, and her mouth widened into a small “o”. “A-ah…”

“What’d you just call me?” he grumbled. “Marlene’s my only kid.”

“Well, you sure do act like it sometimes! _Christ.”_ She pouted as she returned to Cloud, rolling her eyes. “Anyway…”

“Vinny, you all right?” Barret asked. A few seats down, Vincent’s shoulders were shaking, but upon being noticed, he waved his gold hand before looking back down at his drink. Beneath his sheath of ratty, dark hair, Cloud could almost see a smile peek out. _Huh…_

“So, are you ready for everything?” Tifa asked.

“Yeah, I think so.” He took another swallow of his drink, body relaxing with every sip. “Hey, Ti…”

“Hm?”

He swirled the ice with his stirring straw. “How do you tell someone that you like them?”

“Um…!” She puffed out her cheeks, staring down between her arms at the counter. “Well, what do y-you mean? Is there some girl on base you...have your eye on, or s-something…?

Cloud shook his head. “Not exactly,” he replied. _If I’m going to be honest, the only girl I’ve ever thought of like that is you. But, now…_

_(will it go away?)_

_...ah._

When he didn’t elaborate, Tifa rattled her nails on the counter. “Well, I don’t know. Write a letter or something? I guess?” She laughed, but one look at her clenched hands proved that it was forced. “What do you think I know about that…”

Cloud shrugged, then sighed and drained the rest of the glass. _I drank that way too fast._ “Thought I’d...I’d ask.” He finally looked up to her, only to find distance in her eyes. _Oh, Ti…_ “F-for a friend of mine. Guy in my barracks.”

“Ah.” She automatically took the empty glass, rattling the ice. “What did you get?” She sniffed it. “You don’t usually get alcohol when you come by…”

He shook his head exaggeratedly, even though it made his vision spin. “I wanted a smoke, but...probably shouldn’t pick that up again.”

“Y-yeah.” Tifa dropped the glass in the sink, then returned, hugging her arms. “Listen, if you--oh? Vincent?”

The regular had stood up, and when Cloud turned to look, he found him standing right beside him, looming over. Even the alcohol in his system couldn’t dull the panic that rose in his chest. “U-uh…” Cloud stammered.

Vincent stared at him for a moment longer. “Sorry,” he grumbled finally.

Another long pause. “Wh...what…?” Cloud uttered.

Silence again. Vincent’s reddish gaze fell to his side. “Your...arm. That night. Sorry.”

_Oh…_ Cloud swallowed, instinctively rubbing it. “It’s...i-it’s fine. Ti...Tifa...kind of cleared it up f-for me.”

“Mm.” With a slow nod, his eyes went from Cloud, to Tifa, then to Barret, before turning on one heel, boots heavy as he strode out the door.

“What was that about?” Barret said, watching him disappear. “Guy barely says two words to me, let alone customers…”

“Just an apology,” Tifa replied. “Huh…”

_He still gives me the willies,_ Cloud thought as his heart-rate fell back to a more reasonable pace. _But...maybe what Marlene said was right about him._ He sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling, patchy with dark water stains. _But that’s only one thing…_

_A letter, she said…_

“Hey,” Tifa said. Cloud glanced up, and she had resumed her position at the counter, hands close enough for him to touch. “You’ll be fine.”

_Her eyes...are so warm,_ he thought idly, bringing his hands up to the counter. _She makes me...want to believe it. Every time._ “Thanks, Ti,” he replied.

“When do you get done tomorrow, anyway?” she asked. “If everything goes well, we can go out and celebrate. All four of us, if Zack’s off too.”

_All four of us._ A smirk crept to his face. _All four of us._ “Yeah,” Cloud said. “O-oh, um...I should get done in the early afternoon. We start at 9. I can...call you or something after.”

“Or just stop by.” Her fingers curled near his arm, unable to stay still. “It’ll be my treat.”

“Really?” he said. “Aw, Ti, you don’t gotta--”

“I want to,” Tifa interrupted with a smile. “Hey, after all, you’re going to be SOLDIER. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”

“I…” _Isn’t it? Isn’t it what you’ve been training for this whole time?_ His response hung in his mouth, static. _Or is it...something else that comes with it?_

_I wanted...to prove to everyone that I was strong. That I’m not just some guy who can barely make eye contact to people he talks to. That I can protect people, I can protect the ones I care about. Like mom, like you, Ti…_

_...and like Zack, too._

He nodded finally, and met her look with a faded smile. “Yeah,” he said, gingerly rubbing the inside of her wrist with his fingertips. _Once I make it, then...then I can try to tell him. Then, I’ll be ready. I’ll write him the letter. I just have to...do this first._

For the first time since he woke up, the anxiety plaguing the front of his forehead vanished. _I can put my heart away until then._

* * *

 

_"I'm a lot like you, so please, hello, I'm here, I'm waiting,_  
_I think I'd be good for you, and you'd be good for me..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup! [Here's a Dashboard Confessional version of that song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4s9IEcddzI)\--a little easier to listen to, but it's out of the era, unfortunately, covered in '07. The original is from '96, so it fits!
> 
> I sure wrote this chapter in less than 24 hours! I wasn't going to pass up on blazing through Zack's gay crisis. This is actually a lot gayer than what I initially had planned, but I think it flows better. Vincent and Cloud finally make up, but I wouldn't expect a blooming friendship. Cloud is a super lightweight when it comes to alcohol, so even one drink will make him say more than he wants to. But, he has a little courage for right now.
> 
> Next chapter comes the big day! The SOLDIER exam! Stay tuned...


	21. Overdose

At the edge of the track, Zack watched with a hand over his mouth as his standards finished their last laps around the track. _They’re all keeping good pace,_ he thought, glancing at the stop watch in his other hand. _And sticking together. At this rate, they’ll all be under time._ Per usual, Cloud was lingering at the back of the group, his bangs slicked back to the top of his head with sweat. However, another blond infantryman was right beside him, clearly helping him pace. _Pair that with however their exam results come out…_

_(“Yo, morning!” he greeted as soon as he spotted Cloud at the breakfast table._

_“H-hey!” Cloud replied. Zack felt his grin grow broad as he met his clear, blue eyes. His breakfast tray was full, but largely untouched._

_“So? You ready?” he asked._

_“I-I think so.” He nodded slow and swallowed. “Say, Zack…”_

_“Yeah?” His focus narrowed in on him, even the bustle of the cafeteria sounding distant._ What is it, Cloud? You can tell me anything. You can ask me anything.

_“The...th-the mako,” he said finally. His hands clenched on the table, and for a split second, Zack caught sight of chewed down nails. “It’s not...not gonna--”_

_“Hey.” Zack pulled out the chair next to him. “Don’t even worry about that now, bud, okay?” He reached over and rubbed his shoulder, pulling him close. “You’ve got enough to worry about as it is. You’re gonna do just fine.”_

_Cloud let out a small breath, then spoke low in reply. “Y-yeah. Th...thanks.”_

_“No prob,” Zack said, clapping his back._

_“N-no, for…” He tilted his head up, shyness lingering in his gaze. Anticipation raced through Zack’s veins. “For everything.”_

_Chuckling kept him grounded. “Of course.” He laughed louder and slid his arm off him, the scrape of the chair too loud in his ears as he got up. “Anything for my protege…!”)_

The group had congrated in the middle of the track, doing consecutive push-ups. _We...never actually talked about this weekend. With him, or with Aerith._ His eyes glazed over as he rubbed his thumb over the surface of the stopwatch. _I’ve been...trying not to think about it. But that’s the thing: I can’t. It was so comfortable to be with him like that, and I--_

“Hey. Zack.”

A wad of papers smacked him in the back of the shoulder. Whirling around, a lanky man with bright red hair and goggles seated on top of his head snickered. “You’re spacin’, man,” he said. _Reno, another one of the Turks,_ Zack thought as he brought himself back to the present with the sight of his crisp, black suit. “Got your tests back.”

“Already? Shit,” Zack muttered in reply. _He’s...a lot more chill than some of them._ The front page of the pile was the roster, and he flipped through it without taking any of the markings in. “How’d everyone do?”

“Congratulations, they all passed,” Reno replied, crossing his arms. “Gotta get an 80 or up. Some of ‘em were close, but--”

“How did Cloud do?” _These are all organized by last name. Artemis, Carlson, come on…_

“Eh? Who?” He peered over the pile, flipping through the back. “Oh, Strife. Yeah, he did all right…”

Reno yanked a packet out of the pile, “Strife, Cloud” scrawled in Cloud’s handwriting at the top of the page. In red marker, “90” was sketched and circled right below his name. “Hey, hey, there we go!” Zack said brightly. He checked his stopwatch before looking over at the group. _And then with this…_

The first infantryman finally got up and sprinted over, panting and sweating. “Sir!” he shouted, snapping straight as a board and saluting.

“That’s time, nice work! At ease, Evans.” Zack saluted him and clicked the “lap” button on the timer. “Fifteen minutes under time too. Looks like the others are finishing up…”

Another couple men joined him, both parroting the previous soldier. “Good, good. Get some water, boys,” Zack advised. _If I can get all of these guys to pass, that’d be a miracle, but...come on, Cloud…_

On the track, Cloud was red in the face, struggling to keep up with the last of the others. In the end, it was him and the other blond, and the latter waited for him to rise to his feet before jogging over. _Just a few minutes left, come on._ Zack held his breath, pushing down the urge to cheer for him. _I’d love to, but it’s against protocol. And you can’t get away with that with a Turk around, even if the one that’s here is one of the cooler ones._ At last, Cloud ran over, the blond right at his side, even as he tripped halfway through. “S-- _ah!”_ he yelped. The blond steadied him, then saluted at the same time. _“Sir!”_

“Just in time!” Zack jumped and stopped the timer. “At ease Cl--Strife, Artemis.” _You did it, you did it, Cloud!_ He didn’t bother suppressing his glee as he began passing out the exams, bouncing on his toes as he nearly threw them at each recruit. “And I am pleased to announce that you’re all going to be SOLDIER 3rd-class!”

An exhausted cheer rose from the group, including a few hugs gone around. Zack made sure to give Cloud his exam last, hands on his hips. “What’d I tell you?” he said, face aching from smiling so wide. “You’re in, buddy!”

Cloud’s hands shook as he held the paper, still trying to catch his breath. “I-I…” he huffed, blinking in disbelief at his exam. “I made it…”

“Didn’t expect anything less,” Zack said with a wink, and mussed his sweat soaked hair before clapping his hands together. “Hit the showers, guys, then meet me in the basement lobby--”

“Oy, but don’t take too long,” Reno interrupted, swinging what looked like a cane in his hand. “They’re expecting you downstairs right at eleven-hundred. So, you’ve got…” He shook out his sleeve, revealing a watch band. “Ten minutes.”

 _Shit, that’s cutting it tight, isn’t it?_ “Well, get moving, then,” Zack commanded, pointing out of the track. The group moved along in unison, chattering among themselves, but Cloud lingered behind, head turned back toward him. _Later,_ he thought, trying to convey this to him with a steady look and a nod. _We’ll catch up later._

“Hey,” Reno muttered, just as Cloud fell in with the rest of the company. “They want to do an eval on you up in the main office.”

“Can it wait?” Zack replied. “I wanna stick with--”

_(Cloud)_

“--these guys until they’re _completely_ done. Y’know…” He gestured with one hand. “The mako booster and everything.”

Reno smirked and tilted his head back and forth. “Sure,” he replied simply. “What, you got your eye on one of ‘em? That Strife kid?”

“Y-yeah.” Zack clawed the back of his neck, scratching behind his hair to stifle the heat rising to his cheeks. _Yeah, that’s...that’s how it’s been, hasn’t it? Shoot. I’m...I really need to talk to her._ “Y’know, like Angeal did for me.”

“Yeah, I know all about that.” Reno shook his head. “You Midgar 1sts are something else. Guess that’s why they keep you here, huh?”

“What? What do you mean?” Zack cocked his head.

“Most of the other SOLDIER that get to where you are, they’re all lone wolf types.” He spun his cane and started walking toward the door. “But you, Rhapsodos, Hewley...hell, even Sephiroth Cetra, you all stick together.”

 _Jesus, it’s pretty generous to call Sephiroth a “team player”,_ Zack mused. _Then again…_ “What’s so bad about that?” he asked.

Reno spun around, balancing his cane on his shoulder while he leaned back against the door. “It makes ‘em nervous,” he answered with a smirk.

* * *

When Zack bounced out of the elevator into the basement lobby, his crew was already there and waiting, in fresh uniforms and all with varying degrees of relief on their faces. “Okay, we’re all here?” He did a quick head count, then pointed to the right. “Go on down to the lab, door’s labeled for you. Strife, hang back with me.”

 _I hate calling him by his last name like that,_ Zack thought, running his teeth over his tongue. The others moved on ahead, and he followed them with Cloud at his side. _Cloud suits him much more than Strife does._ “I’m going to hang around until you get out, okay?” Zack muttered, hand automatically on his back. “Make sure you’re doing all right.”

“Okay,” Cloud replied, hand stuffed down into his uniform pockets.

“You’ll probably feel a little woozy, that’s normal,” he continued as they rounded the corner. _Not that I...really remember too much. Just seeing others, and what Angeal told me. Hell, I’m pretty much parroting what he said to me way back when._ “There’s a lobby, they’ll call you in one at a time, then a recovery room on the other side. That’s where I’ll be. If you’re good enough so you’re standing, you’ll be sent straight to the 3rd-class barracks to get your new uniforms and everything. If not, you stay ‘til you are.”

“Got it.”

“Then…” Zack bit his lip. “Once you’re feelin’ okay, maybe you and I can go out for drinks, or something. To celebrate after all that hard work.”

“Mm, yeah,” Cloud replied. “Tifa wanted to see me after I got out anyway. We can go...together.”

His oddly gentle tone made Zack’s heart hammer in his chest. “S-so it’s a date!” he replied with a chuckle. _I sound just like Aerith, God, God! Is this...is this really how it’s going to be?_ The door approached, simply labeled “LAB”, but had a paper sign taped to it reading “SOLDIER VACCINATIONS”. _Forget about it, forget about it for now, Zack. He still needs to do all this, I still need to talk to my girlfriend. And figure out if this_

_(warm asleep on my chest, running my hand through his hair)_

_is...what I think it is._

He jogged ahead of the group as they began to clump up in front of the door. “Okay, boys. Go on in the lobby,” he said, holding open the door for each of them. “I’ll be waiting on the other side. Lab guys will take right care of you.”

Cloud glanced up at him, with a soft smirk and a wave, and Zack returned it with a pat on his shoulder. _Don’t worry,_ he thought, breaking into a jog around the hallway. _I’ll be right there when you get done. I’ll be there for you._

* * *

The door going into the recovery lobby clicked open, and Zack stopped his pacing, the toe of his boot squeaking against the linoleum tile. _Blond hair--but freckled. Nope, that’s not him._ “How’d you do, fresh 3rd-class Artemis?” he asked, approaching the infantryman. He bent down and peered into his eyes, now a glowing, light blue. _That sure is mako eye. That blue glow._ “...Link?”

Slowly, Link nodded, a dazed look on his face. “Well, you’re walking, so that’s good,” Zack said, ignoring the tightness in his chest. “Why don’t you head to the 3rd-class barracks? Everyone else is up there waiting.”

Link mumbled a reply, then took even, measured steps out into the hallway behind him. _That’s ten of my men,_ Zack thought, starting to pace again. _Hasn’t been in any kind of order. And it’s been a while. Half-hour? An hour? I don’t remember how long it’s supposed to take, but...not this long, even for the first shot._ He pulled his pager out from his belt and clicked it a couple times. “Yo, Angeal,” he said into it. “Got my standards in the lab. How long is it supposed to take?”

He clipped it back on his belt and paced again. The lobby was small and dark, with only the white light filtering in from the clouded window to the lab. _Cloud should already be out by now. I’ve got a bad feeling. What if he had a bad reaction to the mako? I’ve heard it can happen. I mean, I was fine, but--_

Zack’s pager beeped again, and his hands were so tense that it fumbled as he tried to yank it out again. He clicked the play button. _“Shouldn’t take anymore than an hour,”_ Angeal replied over the voicemail. _Fuck,_ he cursed to himself. _It’s been at least that. And this isn’t just one, I’m missing_ five.

He rushed to the door and tried the handle. _Locked. Of course._ He rapped his knuckles on the window. “Hey, what’s taking so long in there?” he asked. _Damn it, damn it._ His own breathing echoed loud in his ears, fingers clammy and slipping on the metal handle of the door. There was no reply from inside. _I can’t, I can’t just leave him. Even though I don’t remember much from my boosters, I do remember Angeal being out here, waiting for me each time. And every time...he looked relieved._

_What do they do in there?_

He narrowed his eyes. _Fuck it._ With a deep breath, he focused all his strength into his arm, and overtwisted the door handle, snapping the lock inside and forcing the door open. _SOLDIER ain’t just about blue eyes and a slick uniform. It’s got the strength to back it up…_

“Hello?” Zack called. The lab area was small, only enough room for four stretchers lined up side by side. Two of them were occupied--on the one closest to him lay a stocky, ginger infantryman. _That’s the kid I had run a hundred laps for calling Cloud a faggot._ He walked over to him, each step echoing in the tall, pristine white room. Foam drooled from his mouth, stained pink with blood, and veins on his arms stood out an eerie, greenish color.

Zack’s mouth went dry. _Oh, shit._ “H-hey…” he muttered, shaking him gently. Peering over his face, his eyes were wide open, pupils dilated and unseeing with a bare rim of bright blue around them. With a shivering hand, he placed two fingers against his neck. _There’s...no heartbeat._ “F-fuck,” he whispered, taking a deep breath and closing the soldier’s eyes. “What...what’s…going on here…”

While the next two cots were empty, the last one was also being used, and upon seeing the face, Zack’s heart plummeted into his stomach. “No, no,” he muttered, rushing over. “Cl-Cloud…!”

Cloud’s pale complexion looked sickly in the light, but the steady rise and fall of his chest gave some peace of mind. His arm was hooked up to an IV, steadily dripping iridescent mako down into his veins. _That's not right. It's only supposed to be a shot. One shot._ A couple wires were taped to his forehead, stringing back behind to a TV monitor displaying line graphs in green. His eyes were barely open--the only reason Zack could tell was the intense, cyan glow they gave off beneath his eyelashes. _Please, please, oh Christ, oh no..._ “Hey, Cloud, can you hear me?” he said, hands on his shoulders. “C-c’mon, wake up…”

After a moment, he did respond--eyes a little wider, but unfocused. “Z...Zaah…” he breathed.

 _That’s something, thank God,_ Zack thought, scanning over the machine. With clenched teeth, his pulse pounded in his ears, shallow breathing cascading in time. _That’s something, but that still--_

“Excuse me?” A grating, nasally voice floated behind him, along with the click of a pen. “1st-class, you aren’t authorized to be in here.”

“I came in to check on my men.” Zack ran a hand over Cloud’s forehead, clammy with cold sweat, before he addressed the voice. “I sent fifteen in here for their boosters, and only ten came out.”

The man in the lab coat before him pushed his glasses further up his crooked nose. His dark hair was slicked back into a short ponytail, eyes fixated on the clipboard in his hand. His lip curled up just enough to see his yellowing teeth, emanating smugness. On his left breast, where Zack could barely make out, his Shinra name tag was labeled “DR. HOJO, HEAD OF SCIENCE”. _The head of the department is here?_ he thought, crossing his arms. _This is just supposed to be a routine booster…_

“Well, you know how it is,” Hojo remarked, waltzing over to the far cot. His nose wrinkled at the still infantryman. “Some take to mako better than others.” He picked up his arm, thumb indenting on the man’s sickly skin. “Ugh. This one’s blood has gone sour. Pity.”

 _Blood gone sour._ Zack suppressed a whimper in his throat with a deep swallow. _Fuck. This isn’t right...this isn’t right..._

Hojo scrawled down a note on his clipboard, then sighed. “I’ll just have to scrap him for parts…”

“Wh... _what?”_ Zack exclaimed. “‘Scrap him for _parts’?_ Wh-where are the others? A-are...are they dead too?”

“For now, yes,” Hojo said coolly, brushing past him on his way to Cloud. “Now _this_ one _may_ have potential.” He tapped the bag of mako hanging on the IV rack. “If this doesn’t saturate him, we can take a sample--”

“Hold up,” Zack interrupted, trying his best to loom over Hojo even as he gripped his arms to keep his hands from shaking. “What kind of game are you playing, here? I didn’t bring my company in just to see them get used like lab rats--!”

“Then you should train stronger SOLDIERs, don’t you think?” he replied, chuckling low in his throat. “The weaker ones can be disposed of. Spliced into something stronger. Where do you think our vaccines come from?”

Zack stared at him, the hum of the IV punctuating the air every few seconds. _They’ve been...using SOLDIERs to experiment on? How...how is that…_

_(“Hey, you’re Angeal’s 2nd, aren’t you?”_

_Zack flicked his lighter, lighting up the cigarette in his mouth as he addressed the 1st strolling out to the smoking area. “Fair, or something, right?” he said again, pulling out a cigarette from behind his ear. Or, at least, Zack_ thought _it was a cigarette--the end where normally brown tobacco would show was a moss green. Nonetheless, he lit up and let smoke drift slowly out his nose._

_“Yeah, just got promoted,” he replied, blowing out a stream of smoke._

_His eyes flicked over. “That right?” The 1st approached him, glancing at his arms. The smell wafting off him was pungent, making Zack hold his breath. “Huh. How’s SOLDIER treating you so far?”_

_“Fine,” Zack replied, raising an eyebrow._ This guy hangs around Angeal a lot, but he’s never talked to me. _“Haven’t gotten to do any field work yet, but Angeal says he wants to take me on patrol with him sometime.”_

_“Eager to fight some monsters like us, eh?” the 1st muttered, taking another hit of his “cigarette”._

_“...What?”_

_“You don’t know?” He chuckled--a wheezing lilt. “SOLDIER...and monsters, we’re all the same. You and I just have a nicer coat of paint.”_

_He leaned up against the side of the building, tilting his head all the way back with his eyes closed. “Whatever. You’re still going to want to be 1st, aren’t you? Well...don’t ever say I didn’t warn you…”)_

_...possible?_ Zack wiped a hand over his mouth, hot anger beginning to bubble up the back of his neck. _I thought Gen was just spouting bullshit, but…_ “So, you tell me something,” he said finally. “What am I going to tell the families of these men when they hear that they’ve been _used_ like this?”

Hojo laughed. “That’s the least troublesome,” he replied. “Headquarters take care of that. They’ll be ‘killed in action’ on record. It’s very tidy.”

The IV whirred again. _Very tidy?_ Zack fumed as he glared at Hojo, who walked back over to Cloud’s stretcher. _You kill my company, and call it_ tidy? _You...you fuckin’ put him in a coma, and you call it tidy?_ Cloud’s eyelids flickered, and Zack winced, biting his lip. _No…_

“I wonder how he’ll react if we increase the drip,” Hojo muttered, a wrinkled finger hovering over the machine.

 _That does it._ “No,” Zack growled, slapping his hand away from the IV. “No, you don’t get to touch him _again.”_

Hojo’s permanent smirk faded into a grimace. “I don’t believe that’s _your_ call to make, 1st-class.”

“He’s _my_ responsibility, on _my_ honor as SOLDIER,” he continued, hands balled into fists as he backed Hojo up toward the opposite wall. “And damn it, if I can’t save the others you’ve fuckin’ _murdered,_ then let me save this one.” _Let me save Cloud. Please._

_Please..._

“Your honor?” Hojo slipped a hand into his lab coat pocket, fishing around slowly. “And what difference does it make if you _can’t_ save him?”

Zack froze. _Don’t say that._

Hojo’s narrow eyes flicked over his shoulder, sucking through his teeth. “He seems to be deteriorating at this rate. His body is too frail. I should’ve known.”

_No, no. Cloud’s not weak, he's not frail. He can’t die. Shut up…!_

“Another imperfection, pity.” His hand rose out of his pocket, featuring a sheathed syringe filled with clear liquid. “But at least I can--”

 _“Stop it!”_ Zack bellowed suddenly, and lunged his fist straight into his face. The crunch from Hojo's nose was audible, spewing blood as the force of the hit rammed him hard into the back wall. _“You don’t have the right to play with people’s lives!”_

Hojo’s eyes rolled back into his head while he slid down the concrete wall, a small trail of blood smeared by his hair left in its wake. Zack panted, adrenaline coursing through him as he raised his hand up. Blood was

_(we’re just monsters)_

caked over his knuckles,

_(with a different coat of paint)_

visible even over his gloves. “A-ahh…” he huffed, shuddering as he ripped the glove off his hand. _Protect your honor, protect your honor_

_as SOLDIER…_

_Christ, what does it even mean to be SOLDIER, anymore?_

_(“chemically engineered military personnel_

_...not the kind of fight the average person wants to take…”)_

He shook his head and staggered back over to Cloud. _I need to get him out of here. I need to get out of here._ Zack’s eyes darted over the set-up, first hovering over the IV connected to the inside of his arm, then to the wires taped to his head. “Wh-where...fuck, I don’t...I don’t…” he mumbled to himself. _Where do I start? I can’t just rip him out of here…_

Footsteps echoed down the hall, accompanied by the beep of a security door. “Hojo? I heard something-- _oh,_ my God!” An older woman in a lab coat bent down by Hojo’s side--looking back, Zack noticed that the frames of his glasses were bent, and the lenses were cracked from the impact of his punch. _Shit, shit._ Finally, she whirled up at him, braid bouncing on her back as she surveyed him. “1st-class? What happened here?”

“I-I…” he stammered, looking back and forth between her and Cloud behind him. “I need help.” The strength had vanished from his voice, leaving it to warble plaintively in the air.

The doctor stood up slowly, adjusting her own glasses on her face, flicking her eyes from Zack down to Cloud. “This is...one of your standards?” she asked, approaching the cot. Within a second of observing him, she flicked off the IV machine with a sharp click, then stood on her toes to examine the bag of mako. “200 milliliters? That’s way too much. Damn it, Hojo…”

“Wh-what?” Zack said, weaving from one foot to another. “What is it?”

She opened one of Cloud’s eyes--the cyan glow was sharp, but his pupils dilated properly, even as he groaned faintly. “This is an overdose, even at a slow drip,” she muttered, pulling out gloves from her lab coat pocket. “Standard injection caps at 20 milliliters, and by the looks of it...he’s had half that bag.”

“Oh, God…” Zack covered his mouth while she removed the IV from his arm. “H-how...how--”

“Hojo works on his own terms, and he has enough clout on the board so no one stops him,” the doctor muttered, removing the wires from Cloud’s head. “He would experiment on his own kin if he had the chance…”

Zack turned to glare at him, still unconscious with his head lolling on his shoulder. _You bastard. You bastard! And Shinra just...lets it slide._

“This is severe,” she said, taking his pulse by his wrist. “Pulse is stable, but I’m afraid an antidote would oversaturate his system and make it worse.” She looked over the stretcher to the other infantryman. “That’s probably what happened to him…”

Reaching underneath the table, the doctor grabbed a roll of gauze and medical tape and began to wrap Cloud’s arm. “D-Doctor,” Zack said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “D-do you...will...will he…”

He trailed off, and when he did, she paused to look up at him with clouded green eyes. “I...cannot say for sure,” she said. The rip of the medical tape was louder than her voice. “If he’s given time to rest, then his body may adjust. He’s stable now--”

“Good,” Zack said. Just as soon as her hands were off him, he jumped around to the other side of the stretcher and swung Cloud’s arm around his shoulder. _That’s good enough for me._ “Then he can rest with me.”

“No, _no!_ You shouldn’t move him--!” she snapped, stretching her hand out over Cloud's chest.

Zack stood up straight and held his bare hand out to her, trembling. “P-please, ma’am,” he said, voice beginning to whine. _Don’t, don’t stop me, just let me take him home, let me take him home, so I can watch over him myself. So I can take care of him._ His eyes flicked down to her badge. “...Lucrecia. J-just…” The back of his eyes stung, as well as his throat. “I-I don’t wanna hurt you, j-just...let me take him. I d-don’t trust him to st-tay here.”

Time paused for what seemed like an eternity, only the click of a clock’s second hand echoing in the lab. Zack’s vision blurred with each tick. _I’m going to protect you now, Cloud, even if I have to bloody my hands even more. I’ll do it._

_You deserve it…_

_Cloud…_

Finally, Lucrecia nodded. “Then go,” she replied. “I’m...sorry.”

Zack blinked, and a set of tears streamed down his cheeks. “Thank you,” he muttered. He adjusted Cloud on his shoulder, then dragged him out the door, through the lobby, and into the basement hallway. _Thank you, Lucrecia. Thank you…_

Every other step he took, Cloud’s feet tripped beside him, and it was a struggle to keep him balanced. “Easy, just relax,” Zack muttered to him, regardless of whether or not Cloud could hear him. “We’ll get you set up…” _You can rest at home, and then…_

_...damn it, we’ll have to wait and see--_

“Zack! _Zack!”_

Down the hall, Angeal jogged to him, with Genesis shortly behind. “You didn’t answer your pager-- _Jesus,_ what happened?” he exclaimed, bending over. “Cloud?”

“I can’t stick around, man,” Zack replied, shaking his head. “I’m taking him home with me. I’ve got to go.”

“Wait a sec.” Angeal blocked his path, side stepping every time Zack tried to go around him. His dark blue eyes narrowed down, a firm clench in his jaw. “You _need_ to tell me--”

 _Fuck, I don’t have time to deal with this._ Zack grinded his teeth. _Sorry, Angeal._ “Damn it, he’s got mako poisoning! I need to _go!”_

Zack checked Angeal in the shoulder as he ran past, snaking through the hallways. _“Zack!”_ Angeal called after him, but no footsteps followed him, and his voice grew fainter with every step he took. _I...can’t believe that worked,_ he thought, taking a fork in the hallway. _If he really wanted to stop me, he would have. He can take me one handed. But he didn’t._ He emerged in the parking garage, and kept to the sides as he ran over to the 1st-class parking lot. _Angeal...must know something about this. It’s no secret that Shinra is shady. I didn’t realize...they were_ this _bad…_

_Experimenting with their own men?_

_(“Good morning, sweetie,” he greeted. Aerith hovered above him in bed, and he reached up to stroke her cheek. “What’s that face for?”_

_He didn’t get to examine her worry ridden brow for more than a second, for she hugged him tight, knocking the wind out of him. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said into his ear, kissing the edge of his earlobe…)_

Zack’s bike was parked in its usual place and he settled Cloud on the back, balancing him on the seat. He lifted each leg up to rest it on each respective foot peg. _Not batting an eye if one of them is killed?_

_(“Hey, you made it,” Angeal said with a sigh._

_“‘Course I did,” he replied with a grin. “Why wouldn’t I?”_

_“Aerith was fretting when I dropped you off at your place,” he said, cracking his knuckles. “That little seed of worry got to me, I guess.” His forehead smoothed out, and he clapped him on the shoulder. “Anyway, welcome to 1st-class…”)_

He jumped onto his bike, making Cloud’s hands lace around his stomach. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it slow,” he murmured, revving the bike. “Just...h-hang on tight, okay?”

Zack shook his head and backed the bike out of the parking space. _You’ll make it fine, you’ll be all right,_ he told himself, even as his chest ached. _We’ll...let you rest at home, and you’ll get better…_

_A-and if you don’t…_

_Someone will have hell to pay…_

* * *

 

Angeal shook his head. “Well, fuck. I’ll have to try and catch him at home to see what the hell that was all about.” He turned back to Genesis, who was staring wide eyed at the floor. “Gen?”

He yanked his pager out of his pocket and clicked the side. “Sephiroth. Band room. _Now.”_ He swallowed hard and wiped his mouth. “Shit…”

“What’s that about?” Angeal asked.

“Did you see the kid’s eyes? He’s fucked up,” Genesis replied, starting to pace back down the hall. "Gotta do something..."

“What’s this?” Angeal said with a raised eyebrow. He followed him, even as he began to pick up his pace. “You care about someone other than yourself for a change?”

Genesis rolled his eyes. “Listen,” he muttered. “I know Zack’s the one you wanted to keep an eye on, but I’m not going to let _anyone else_ get fucked like we did.”

Angeal found himself startled by the intensity in Genesis’ deep, blue eyes. “I’m not going to have history repeat itself,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo! I tried not to foreshadow this Pain Nugget last time in my notes, but now we're here! I'm [not sorry](http://archiveofourown.org/series/412927) about sneaking a Link cameo in here. Poor Cloud! Zack has decided to take matters into his own hands. Hojo is an asshole, per usual, and Lucrecia has done something good. She deserved better.
> 
> Hm, I guess I don't have much to say right now! We'll ride home with Zack next chapter, so stay tuned!


	22. Refuge

It took a couple of rings before Aerith realized the phone was going off, given how loud the stereo was cranked. “I’m coming!” she called. She clicked the radio off as she bounded through the living room in her pink dress. Hauling it off the receiver, she answered with a breathless lilt. “Hello~!”

_ “Hey, Aerith? This is Angeal.”  _

“O-oh!” She cleared her throat and clutched the it with both hands, so her elbows were tucked close to her chest.  _ I thought for sure it’d be Zack... _ “Hey, what’s up?” 

_ “Ah, well…”  _ He paused and sighed.  _ “It’s a...little hard to explain. Is Zack there yet?”  _

“No…?” Aerith paced away from the door and began to circle the couch. “I mean--”

_ “Well, he should be there soon. Listen, can you keep me on the line until he does?”  _

“Sure, sure.” She twisted her braid around her shoulder and played with the end of it.  _ Angeal sounds worried, but playing it off like he’s not.  _ She bit her lip and meandered into the bedroom. Clutter of clothes and miscellany were everywhere, but she unearthed a maroon, rotary telephone on her nightstand, right beside an alarm clock. She lifted it off the cradle and placed the receiver on the bed.  _ I’ve got a bad feeling about this.  _ “Is everything okay?”

_ “That’s what I’m calling to ask him about.”  _

A rumble that rattled the caged windows jumped her. “Oh, that must be him. He took the bike today,” she muttered.

_ “Right on time,”  _ Angeal replied humorlessly.

She had barely managed to get out of the bedroom when Zack burst through the door, still in uniform, with Cloud under his arm. “Hey, baby--” she started. “Oh God,  _ Cloud--!”  _

As soon as he slammed the door, Cloud’s head lolled back, showing off his slacked jaw and half lidded, glowing eyes.  _ That’s just how Zack’s eyes looked,  _ she thought, wide eyed.  _ But way, way worse. “Is he there? Aerith?”  _ Angeal asked over the line. 

Zack whirled on her. “Take him, hon,  _ take him,”  _ he said. He slipped him off his shoulder, and Cloud immediately weaved, forcing Aerith to steady him with one hand. At the same, Zack flipped all three deadbolts on the door, including the chain lock at the top.

“What is going on?” Aerith asked, staggering to the couch. She slipped the phone into the crook of her shoulder in order to ease him down with both arms, resting his hands over his chest. “Yeah, he’s here…”

“Who’s that? Who’s on the phone?” Zack demanded, voice sharper than usual.

Upon looking at him, Aerith could see a sheen of sweat across his furrowed brow. “It’s Angeal,” she replied, holding the phone out. “He wants to--” 

He huffed and snatched the phone out of her hand, shaking his head. “Yo,” he said, turning away from her.  _ Jesus, what the hell?  _ she thought, staring at his back for a moment. She took a couple steps backwards, then snuck into the bedroom, grabbing the phone receiver off the bed and covering the mouthpiece.  _ Good thing I set this up, I don’t think he’s going to want to talk to me about this… _

_ “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”  _ Angeal said.  _ “Running off like that?”  _

“I wasn’t going to  _ leave  _ him there!” Zack retorted. The echo was distracting from both the living room and the phone line, but Aerith kept her face pressed to the phone. “They poisoned him! They don’t give a shit what happens to him!”

_ “You punched the head of the science department unconscious.”  _ Angeal’s voice was oddly steady, especially in comparison to Zack’s.  _ “Do you know what that’s going to cost you?”  _

“I don’t  _ care!”  _ Zack yelled. “They gave him  _ five times  _ the amount of mako! Christ Almighty, that’s probably more than you or I have, all at once! Not to mention four of the other men in my company are  _ dead,  _ or worse!” 

_ “Wait a sec. How much mako?” _

“I think the lady said a hundred milliliters, or something…”

_ “God…”  _ Angeal marvelled. “ _ What  _ are  _ they doing down there?” _

“That’s what I’d like to know, too. Hell, there was one there that Hojo said his blood went  _ sour.  _ What the fuck’s that supposed to mean? I-I…” 

_ “...Your company only had fifteen, right?”  _

“Yeah, that’s right.” Zack sucked in hard, and Aerith heard him pound his fist against the front door. “Fuck,  _ fuck!” _

Angeal sighed, very heavy.  _ “So, what are you going to do?”  _

Aerith hugged her knees to her chest, holding her breath in order to keep her presence secret. “Well, I’m not going back until he wakes up, for one,” he replied. “Doctor lady said that h-he’s stable--”

_ “Dr. Crescent, wasn’t it?”  _ he interrupted.  _ “We saw her sopping up Hojo’s nose. Funny enough, she seemed sympathetic.”  _

“Yeah, she helped me get Cloud unhooked.” Zack’s breathing was audible over the line. “I-if...he doesn’t wake up in a week...I’m taking him to a hospital. And I’m telling them  _ everything.” _

_ “I don’t think that’s a wise choice.”  _

“God damn it, does it even matter? People are dying! Families are losing their l-loved ones! That bastard scientist b-barely even batted an eye--” 

_ “Zack.”  _

_ “I don’t want to lose him!”  _ he outburst, loud enough to pang fear in Aerith’s chest.  _ Sweetheart…  _ “I-I...h-he’s  _ my  _ responsibility, and I...I…”

_ “Zack, listen to me,”  _ Angeal said, low and soothing, like a father consoling a child.  _ “I know. Every time you came out of that lab, I held my breath hoping that you wouldn’t be on a stretcher. But…”  _ He paused to think, and Zack waited in silence.  _ “...you’ve really got to be more careful.” _

“I-I…” His voice choked. “I-I just...I just can’t sit back and watch my best f-friend die, you know? I c-can’t…”

_ “I know. We’ll do our best to take care of things here. Lay low and stay safe, all right?”  _

“I will.”

_ “Keep me updated on Cloud. And don’t you  _ dare  _ take him in anywhere without telling me, understand?”  _

“Y-yeah.” 

It was reluctant, and Aerith could tell--as well as Angeal, who sighed in exasperation.  _ “I mean it. I  _ really _ don’t want to be the one to have to take you in, worst case scenario.” _

“All right, all right.” Zack sniffed and cleared his throat. “Fine…”

_ “He’ll be all right. You just have to be patient.” _

Zack’s voice dropped to a whisper, low enough so Aerith could only hear him over the crackle of the phone. “Sure.”  _ Angeal has probably told Zack a lot of things to make him feel better, whether they’re true or not,  _ Aerith thought.  _ I really…really hope this isn’t one of them.  _

_ “All right. I’ve got to go. We need to brainstorm.”  _

“Yeah. Bye.”

Zack hung up the phone without another word, and Aerith followed suit. As she swung her legs over the bed to head back in, he met her halfway, right at the doorway of the bedroom. His shoulders were drooped, even as one hand hung on the doorframe. “You heard all that, didn’t you?” he said.

She nodded and immediately wrapped her arms around his waist. “I did,” she replied, nuzzling her face against his chest. “I’m so sorry, baby…”

Zack held her tight, stroking the back of her braid and resting his lips on her head. “This is fucked up,” he whispered, kissing her. “I…”

“Shh.” Aerith felt his breath hitch in his chest, and tried to rub his back. “It’s going to be okay…”

He let go of her in order to make his way back to the couch, perching on the armrest over Cloud. “I don’t know,” he muttered. “I hope so.”

“What did they say again?” Aerith chose to kneel by Cloud’s side, brushing a lock of his light blond hair out of his face and feeling his forehead. His eyes had shut fully, and on the surface, he looked like he was simply sleeping. “He feels normal, not like he has a fever or anything. He’s breathing fine…”

“She said he was stable,” Zack muttered, eyes downcast. “Who knows, maybe it is just a matter of time. I just…” He ran a hand over his mouth, one eye twitching. “I...I didn’t know this was going to happen...if I did, I wouldn’t have--”

“You can’t change the past,” Aerith interrupted.  _ Oh, Zack,  _ she thought as he looked over to her, drenched to the skin in worry.  _ You care about him so much. You would’ve gone in his place, wouldn’t you?  _ She stood up and reached for his hand, clasping it in both of hers. “We can only do what we can now. Okay?” 

He nodded, dazed, and managed to give her a weak smile. “Okay,” he replied quietly. “Thanks, sunflower.” 

Aerith kissed his temple. “He’ll be all right. We’ll keep him comfortable until he wakes up.”

_ (if he wakes up) _

_ No, there’s no room for that.  _ She bit the inside of her cheek hard to shake the thought.  _ For his sake.  _ “Shoot, I should probably call Tifa,” Aerith said, walking to the phone. “She’s going to want to know.” 

“Mm.” Zack didn’t budge from his spot, his focus adjusted to fix on Cloud’s steady, sleeping body.  _ God, I hate seeing you like this. It’s not like you to worry. You’re supposed to be my sunshine…  _ She watched him for a moment, thumb over the dialpad of the phone, until she finally shook her head.  _ We’ll all have to do our best.  _

The line rang four times before it picked up, and a small, high voice was what answered it.  _ “Hello?”  _

“Hi, is this Marlene?” Aerith asked. 

_ “Uh-huh.” _

“This is Aerith, sweetie.”

_ “Oh! Hi!”  _

She giggled at her enthusiasm. “I’m actually calling for Tifa. Is she busy?” 

_ “Uh…”  _ A small pause.  _ “I think she just left. She said...she said she had to go check on her friend, and Daddy let her go.” _

_ Shoot. I just missed her.  _ “Okay. When she comes back, can you tell her that I called?” Aerith said. “Otherwise, I’ll try to catch up with her later.” 

_ “Okay!” _

“Tell your daddy too, okay? Just in case.”

_ “Okay.”  _

“Bye-bye, honey. I’ve got to go.”

_ “Bye, flower lady!”  _

Aerith smiled as she hung up the phone, but it soon fizzled into a drawn look. “Sounds like she’s already gone looking for him,” she said. “Do you think she’ll be able to put the pieces together?” 

“Maybe,” Zack mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, tugging the back of it.  _ You’re...upset. And not helpful right now,  _ she thought, hugging her elbows.  _ I'm guessing...if she can find the other 1sts, they can fill her in and send her here.  _

She paced around the couch, approaching the radio to try and ease the deafening silence, but stopped short as soon as she saw Zack’s head dip into the crook of his elbow.  _ I don’t think having her here will make Cloud wake up any faster...and it probably won’t ease the tension, either.  _

In the end, Aerith found herself kneeling at the opposite end of the couch, idly combing her fingers through Cloud's hair.  _ Wake up soon,  _ she pleaded in her head,  _ I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle two of my flowers wilting over the one they love... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A transition chapter, short and sweet! Zack is so worried, and rightfully so. Even though Clerith isn't one of the romance ships in this poly, Aerith's still quite fond of Cloud. I wonder what kind of miracles the other 1sts will make happen so Zack doesn't get executed...
> 
> At any rate, we're journeying to Shinra with Tifa next time! Stay tuned!


	23. Restlessness

With a cigarette smoking between her fingers and her trusted, worn, brown leather jacket over her shoulders, Tifa power walked down the streets of Midgar with smoke trailing from her nose.  _ Maybe it’s nothing, maybe he just got hung up over there,  _ she thought, taking another drag.  _ But it’s been hours. I called his barracks, and no one picked up the phone. If he did get moved up, I don’t have the number.  _

_ This was exactly the kind of shit I was worried about when he first joined.  _

She hesitated at a fork in the road.  _ I took this path up here when I went to the gala,  _ she thought, eyes flicking to the other path.  _ But Aerith mentioned that there’s a back way around that’s easier to get into. I wonder if it was this way?  _ She flicked the ash off her cigarette and burst down the side street, her pace turning into a jog.  _ Might as well… _

_ Cloud...I hope you’re all right.  _

_ (“What’s the matter?” Barret asked.  _

_ She stopped mid-pace, her nails in her mouth. “Huh? Oh, I’m just...anxious.” She huffed and smoothed her hands against her jeans as she started to walk again. “Cloud’s going for his SOLDIER exam today, and he said he’d be out in the early afternoon, but I haven’t heard anything…” _

_ “No calls or nothin’, huh?” He sighed loud through his mouth, running a hand back through his short, wiry hair. “I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, glancing over at Vincent in his usual stool. “What do you say, Vinny?” _

_ Vincent said nothing, barely acknowledging him with a shrug and a sip of his drink. _

_ Tifa bit her lip, then covered her face with her palm. “It’s not like him,” she muttered. “What if something’s happened?” _

_ “Who the hell knows,” Barret grunted. “Maybe if he was a dishwasher, or worked a friggin’ normal job, I could let you know for sure.”  _

_ Tifa stared at him. “But…?” _

“But,  _ he’s with those bastards at Shinra. He might come out with another arm comin’ out of the back of his head.” _

_ “Barret!”  _

_ “I’m just saying--hey, where are you going?” _

_ Tifa charged up the stairs, grabbing her cigarettes and her jacket. “I’m going to look for him!”) _

Snaking around the back path, the lower windows of Shinra HQ shown with the same white light that illuminated beneath the plate.  _ Thanks Barret, for not inspiring  _ any  _ confidence in me with that.  _ With each puff of her cigarette, she hoped it would quell the nagging in the back of her mind, but the back of her neck still stayed tense no matter how much smoke filtered through her lungs.  _ Plus, I don’t even know what goes on behind closed doors, because he won’t tell me! So, what am I supposed to expect? Damn it, Cloud... _

Huffing up the incline, Tifa spotted a SOLDIER in a red uniform smoking beside a door.  _ This must be it. She mentioned it was a smoking area.  _ Running her tongue over her teeth, she threw her cigarette down to the cement, crushing it beneath her foot.  _ Time to do this.  _

She kept her pace steady, slipping through the side door, and breathed out when he barely acknowledged his presence.  _ Clearly he doesn’t care about security.  _ She was faced with a stairwell that went both upstairs and down.  _ I guess up?  _ She glanced up toward the ceiling, and was faced with dizzying cascade of white stairs racing endlessly upwards.  _ I...forgot how big this building was. I might not have thought this through.  _ She huffed to herself and raced up the stairs.  _ Whatever...if I have to go to the front desk and go through all those hoops, then I will… _

Tifa took the door onto the 3rd floor and swung around the hallway, blank and white throughout. There were a few rooms passing on her right side, most of them empty, but she stopped short when a drum kit was visible through one.  _ There are amps and cables in here too,  _ she thought, cupping her face as she peered into the caged window.  _ Didn’t Cloud and Aerith mention that Zack’s in a band? This must be where they practice… _

“What are you doing here?”

Tifa muffled a yelp. When she spun around, she was face to face with a SOLDIER a foot taller than she was, arms crossed over his black uniform, with silver hair spilling over his shoulders. His over-bright, green-blue eyes bore into her. “Well?” he said. 

“Y-you’re...Sephiroth,” she managed to say.  _ One of the 1sts that Zack’s with. I remember him from the bar, and the gala...it’d be impossible to forget him, anyway.  _

He used a finger to sweep a lock of hair off his shoulder. “That’s right,” he replied. “You haven’t answered my question.”

_ Jesus.  _ Tifa clutched the sleeves of her jacket with her fingers, nails indenting the leather.  _ If he recognizes me, he clearly doesn’t care.  _ “I-I’m looking for Cloud-- _ well…”  _ She tried to keep eye contact, but his unwavering stare made her want to shrink even more. “Or Zack. S-see, Cloud was supposed to have his SOLDIER exam, or something, this  _ morning,  _ and I haven’t heard from him, and now it’s...it’s…”

Sephiroth held a finger up to her, and she trailed off. He glanced behind his back, and when his gaze returned to her, it was slightly less stern. “You work at 7th Heaven,” he stated.

“Y-yeah…?”  _ So, he does recognize me.  _

“Zack took Cloud home,” he muttered. “To his apartment. Does that mean anything to you?”

“Wh...what do you mean?” Tifa replied.  _ He took him home?  _

He spoke slower. “Do you  _ know  _ where that  _ is.”  _

“N-no, I’ve...never been there…”

Sephiroth sighed heavily, looking at the ceiling for a moment. “You’re lucky that  _ I  _ happen to know. I just looked at it.” He took another scan down the hallway, then backed her into the door of the rehearsal room and began to whisper. “Sector 5, near the church off 2nd Avenue. Look for his motorcycle.”

“Okay.”  _ That’s not too far from the bar, but...it’s still not a lot to go off.  _ “Uh, is there an address--”

“It’s a basement unit,” he continued, just as quietly. “So the apartment’s likely in an alley.” 

“G-got it.”  _ Why is he being so cryptic?  _ Tifa thought, swallowing hard.  _ Something happened. Something  _ definitely  _ happened.  _ “Should I...be worried?”

“Which way did you come in?” Sephiroth asked instead.

_ Yes. I should be worried. Fucking great.  _ “Through a back way, I think...there was a SOLDIER smoking--”

“Good. Go back out that way.” He stood up straight and flicked his bangs.

“S-sure, but…” Tifa grinded her teeth in her mouth. “What happened? You’re being really dodgy--”

“I  _ told you  _ where he was, isn’t that enough?” Sephiroth growled, causing her to take a step back. “Don’t just stand there, go.” 

Walking backwards, she nodded before spinning on her heel and bolting back toward the stairwell.  _ Gladly,  _ she thought, taking the stairs two at a time and not breaking pace out the side door.  _ Sephiroth’s the great war hero, isn’t he? Well, he sure isn’t very personable.  _ She grabbed another cigarette from the pack in her pocket and slowed down just enough to light it. With one drag, she slipped it between her fingers and started jogging again.  _ That’s the least of my problems. Cloud, what happened to you? Why won’t anyone tell me?  _

_ Please be all right, please… _

* * *

 

Despite the decidedly vague instructions Sephiroth gave her, finding Zack and Aerith’s apartment proved to be easier than she anticipated. It was the church she found first, tall and run down, with pale sunlight filtering from above the plate, and a couple blocks later, she spotted a black motorcycle parked in an alley.  _ This...should be it,  _ Tifa thought.  _ There the apartment building, and the alley has a stairway going down. _

Tossing her cigarette into the street, she jumped down the stairs, the sound echoing in the cement stairwell, and knocked three times on the door.  _ “Fuck!”  _ was the first thing she heard, in a strained tenor. “Hon, get in the bedroom. It’s probably a Turk.” “Zack--” “I’m not going to let them touch you, or him--” “Will you just  _ relax?  _ Here, let me--”  _ “No!  _ Just get  _ back!”  _ “Why on  _ earth  _ do you have your sword here?” “Listen, you don’t fuck with those guys, all right? They may not be SOLDIER, but they’re just as dangerous. Maybe even more.” “Z-Zack, cut this out! Y-you’re scaring me--!” 

_ Holy shit, what is going on?  _ Tifa hugged her arms and bounced on her toes. “You  _ guys!”  _ she shouted, right into the door. “It’s me! It’s Tifa! Let me in!” 

There was more bickering. “See? It’s just Tifa, put your sword away.” “What if it’s not?” “I can recognize her voice, damn it. Just let me--”  _ “No,  _ I’m opening the door.” “You…” 

Three locks clicked, and the door opened just as far as the top chain would allow, revealing half of Zack’s face. Upon seeing her, he sighed and unlatched it, opening it just wide enough for her to pass. “Hey, just come in,” he mumbled. He was still in his uniform, and the sword he held at his side was half as tall as he was, dragging on the floor. “Come on!” 

Tifa scurried in, and was immediately met with the sight of Cloud on the couch. “What happened?” she asked immediately, rushing to his side. She knelt down, and placed a hand on his clasped ones against his chest. The contact made him snap his eyes open, glowing cyan, and he gasped--body tensing all over as if he’d been touched with a livewire. It passed quickly, and before Tifa could do much more, Cloud's head drooped to the side, chest falling into a steady rhythm of sleep.  _ Oh my God… _

“Mako overdose,” Zack answered. He was wandering around the couch, while Aerith stood planted at the entrance of the kitchen, watching him with wary eyes. “Those fucking assholes were going to turn him into a lab experiment…”

“What?” Tifa gaped. “E-experiment? B-but...but he--”

“Christ, I got there just in time,” he sighed, sheathing his sword in its holster behind his back as he held the back of the couch with both hands--one gloved, one bare. “D-doctor...says he’s stable, but...but…”

“Zack,” Aerith said quietly, walking up behind him. “Why don’t you...take off your uniform and get comfortable?” 

He whirled on her. “B-but--!” he started, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “Wh-what if someone comes? I-I’ve got to...I need to--”

“Tifa,” Aerith said. She swallowed to keep her voice steady, and when she turned her head to her, her look was oddly blank. “Did anyone follow you here?”

“No,” she replied.

“Did you see anyone in a suit lurking in the alley?”

“No.”

“Of course she didn’t!” Zack exclaimed, throwing up his hands and pacing back around the couch, ending up on the other side of Tifa. “Th-they’re not  _ supposed  _ to be seen!” He knelt beside her and ran a hand over Cloud’s forehead. This time, he didn’t flinch, or respond at all, and Zack sucked in hard. “Oh God, Cloud, I-I’m so sorry…”

His voice wavered, and it made the weight on Tifa’s chest feel even heavier--a weight that drooped her shoulders and burned her throat. “S-so...what happens now?” she murmured.  _ I don’t even know what mako is. I don’t know what it does. All I know is that...glowing eyes isn’t normal. And neither is this odd sleep… _

_ Cloud… _

“We just have to wait,” Aerith sighed, taking measured steps between them and putting both hands on Zack’s shoulderpads. “Hopefully in a day or so, he’ll adjust and wake up…”

“I hate this,” Zack whispered through clenched teeth. “I-I hate this…”

She kissed the back of his head. “Honey, go change. You’ll feel better.” Her voice was a soft, soothing cascade, and even Tifa felt relaxed by it.  _ I don’t know how you do it, Aerith,  _ she thought. Zack nodded with eyes squeezed shut, then stood up and dragged his feet to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.  _ How do you manage to be so...steady? I can… _

_ (wide wide eyes glowing pupils dilated and unseeing) _

_ barely _

_ (what if he never wakes up what if he never wakes up) _

_ keep it _

_ (he’d be buried in Nibelheim in the old cemetary at the edge of the mountain) _

_...together. _

When the bedroom door clicked shut, Aerith turned her attention to Tifa, kneeling behind her and hugging her waist. “I tried calling you at the bar earlier, but you’d already left,” she muttered, resting her chin against her shoulder. “I’m glad you made it here…”

“Mm.” Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, and the more she looked at Cloud, still but steady, the more they threatened to come.  _ Damn it.  _ She inhaled sharp and turned in Aerith’s grip, throwing her arms around her shoulders and burying her face in the crook of her neck.  _ I’m scared… _

_ I knew you should’ve never joined. You never had anything to prove, but God knows no one could stop you.  _

_ If you knew this is what you’d be subjected to, would you have even tried? If you knew they were going to hurt you like this… _

“How’d you find us?” Aerith asked. “I know you haven’t been here to our humble abode before…”

“O-oh, I…” She shook her head and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “I ran into Sephiroth. He told me where to go.”

“How nice of him,” she commented sarcastically. “He’s a piece of work…”

“Y-yeah…” Tifa’s voice caught in her throat, and she cursed herself for not stopping it.  _ Just keep it together, Ti, keep it together-- _

_ (“Ti…”) _

_ Ah… _

Tifa dipped her head back into the crook of her shoulder. “Aw, it’s okay,” Aerith soothed, stroking her hair. “Cloud will wake up. He’ll be all right.” 

“A-are…” Tifa stammered. When she opened her eyes, colors blurred together in her sight. “Are you sure?” 

“Mmm…” She sighed, heavy as she lifted her head. “Not a hundred percent. Maybe...ninety-five.” 

The obscurity of her sentence made Tifa giggle, and Aerith pushed her away just enough to see it, returning it with her own, weak smile. “Nothing we can do right now. We can be here for him, though, when he does wake up.” Her eyes flicked up. “See? Don’t you feel better?”

Zack had emerged in a t-shirt and sweatpants, looking more tired than he did before, and he simply wiggled his hand at her before wandering to the kitchen. “Oh, baby…” She squeezed Tifa’s shoulders before standing up. “Can I get you anything, Tifa?”

“N-no, it’s okay,” she said, also rising to her feet, but keeping her eyes on Cloud. “I should...let Barret know I’m here. He’s going to want me back behind the counter soon, I bet.”

“Sure,” Aerith replied. She backed into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around Zack’s waist as he opened the refrigerator. As soon as she did, he stared up at the ceiling, blinking hard.  _ I never thought he’d get...emotional like this,  _ Tifa thought as she edged toward the phone.  _ He really wears his heart on his sleeve. And he really cares about Cloud… _

_ Should I be...more upset?  _

_ I don't know what to do… _

She dialed the number for the bar, and after only a single ring, Barret answered.  _ “Hello?”  _

“Hey, it’s Tifa.” 

_ “How’d you make out? Did you find him?”  _

“Yeah, at Zack and Aerith’s place.” She swallowed and fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket. “Cloud’s sick. W-we don’t know when he’s going to get better.”

_ “Damn. That’s too bad.”  _ There was a pause on the line, giving Tifa time to kneel back beside Cloud, stroking the side of his arm.  _ “When are you coming back? We need you here.” _

“I-I’ll be back soon. I’m going to want to keep checking on him through the week, though.”

_ “Yeah, sure, that’s fine. Just be back here within a half-hour.” _

“Okay.” 

_ “See you soon.”  _

The line went dead, and she pressed the end button, wobbling to her feet. “I’ve got to go,” she said, voice shaking. “I-I need...need to…”

Aerith perked up, still holding Zack, and patted him before rushing over to her. “Are you okay to walk home?” she asked. “Take a deep breath…”

“I-I’m fine,” Tifa insisted. Her body told otherwise--she was holding her breath as well as her arms across her stomach.

Aerith frowned and shook her by the arms before she could get a chance to wriggle away. “You can tell me stuff, the good and the bad,” she said, tilting her head. “Isn’t that what you told me?” 

Tifa nodded, avoiding her eyes.  _ Yeah. It is. But, still…  _ “I-I’m just worried about him,” she replied. “Th-that’s all. A-and I have to work, so I can’t stay to make sure--”

“Zack’s got permanent Cloud watch covered,” Aerith remarked. “I know, I want to keep an eye on him too, but not all of us are salaried.” 

“That’s true.” She bit her lip to bite back a smirk, even if it did ease the tension in the back of her neck. Zack was watching them quietly, leaning up against the entryway of the kitchen with a beer in his hand. “B-but...yeah, I should go.”

“Okay, honey.” Aerith scooped her into another full hug. “You’ll be back tomorrow?”

“Uh-huh. Hopefully for a little longer,” she said. “I can bring some food if you want.”

“No, you don’t have to,” Aerith said, waving her hand. “We’re--”

“Tifa.” Zack’s voice was lower than usual, but it snapped both of the girls’ attentions to him. “Do you need me to walk you home?” 

She blinked. “N-no, I’ll be fine--”

Aerith whispered in her ear. “He’s worried about Shinra. He got into...a little trouble getting Cloud out of there.”

“Trouble?” Tifa asked.

“I can fill you in later,” Aerith said, louder this time. “Barret’s waiting for you.”

“L-listen,” Zack said, shuffling back toward the couch. “If you see anyone in a black suit hanging around here, I want to know.” He sighed heavy, then sat on the armrest of the couch and stared at Cloud. “Don’t w-want...anyone else g-getting...getting hurt ‘cause of me…”

“Sweetie, it’s not your fault…” Aerith tried, but when he didn’t look up at her, she simply sighed and turned back to Tifa. “Okay. We’ll see you later.” 

Tifa nodded, and had one hand on the door before she hesitated, her hand twisting against the cold metal.  _ I thought I would see Cloud walk into the bar today, with the real smile he only wears once in a while. “Ti, I did it,” he would’ve said. “I made SOLDIER…” _

_ Cloud…!  _

She winced and ran back over to the couch, dropping to her knees with a thud. “Tifa?” Aerith asked.

“J-just one second,” she replied. Tifa pulled Cloud’s bangs back, revealing his forehead, and kissed it gently, cool beneath her lips. 

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she murmured, her throat barely voicing the words. “I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative chapter title: "Everyone's A Fucking Mess".
> 
> Don't know if I have much to say about this one. Next time, we'll be back here the next day.


	24. First Day

The next morning, a sleepy Aerith rolled over in bed, expecting to spoon Zack beside her, but was disappointed to find nothing but a mound of sheets. Grumbling, she rolled back over to where she could see the alarm clock.  _ 9:30. I guess he would already be up. He doesn’t really know how to sleep in after running off to SOLDIER at 6 or 7 in the morning most days.  _

_ But… _

She stretched and adjusted her slip back over her shoulder, sliding out of bed onto her bare feet. The gentle twang of an unamplified guitar filtered out of the living room.  _ “Nnn nnn hmmm nnn most of me is getting there…”  _ Zack’s voice trailed behind it, and stopped as soon as the creak in the floor announced Aerith’s presence. “Morning,” he greeted.

He was seated on the armrest of the couch, still hovering over Cloud. “You’re up early,” she said, standing on her toes and kissing his cheek.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he replied weakly. It was easy to tell--his eyes were heavy, accompanied by dark circles underneath them. A steaming cup of coffee was sitting on the end table, as well as a notebook with various things scrawled on it, some scribbled out.  _ Writing…?  _ As well as that, his pager was discarded on the far side, disassembled with the batteries out beside it.  _ I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing... _

Aerith sighed. “Anything from him?” she asked.

Zack shook his head. “Nope. He stirred a little bit a couple hours ago, but didn’t wake up.” He rested his arm over the body of his guitar, resting his face in his arm. “Shit…”

“Just give him some time,” Aerith soothed, stripping her slip on her way back to the bedroom. She began to dress, picking up a simple, green dress off the floor to throw on. “From what I heard, he needs the rest…”

“Not this much.” He strummed his guitar again, a finger-picked line that bounced between two chords.  _ That’s a new one,  _ she thought as she wandered back out, tying her hair back into a scrunchie.  _ It sounds longing… _

Aerith rushed to the bathroom to wash her face, and his voice lilted through again.  _ “How will I know when-- _ ugh, shit…” He cleared his throat, then tried again.  _ “How will I know when most of me is getting there? How will I keep myself from holding back-- _ no, that doesn’t…” 

The click of a pen and clattering on the couch echoed from the living room, and she peered out with a towel over her mouth. Zack started scratching out words on the notebook, then kept the pen between his lips as he scowled at it. “Let’s see…” 

His leg jerked, and he suddenly looked up. “Oops, sorry, bud,” he murmured, chuckling at first, but it quickly went sour. “Didn’t mean t-to...”

_ Zack.  _ Aerith held her breath as she slipped into the kitchen, grabbing her purse.  _ I wish you wouldn’t...let this eat at you. I know, I know. You feel responsible. But…  _ She tiptoed back through, eyes flicking between Zack and Cloud’s still sleeping body on the couch.  _ It’s more than that, isn’t it?  _

“Honey?” she said quietly. “I’m taking off. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

“Oh…” He jerked his head up, as if waking from a dream. “Do--” Zack hesitated, looking back and forth between her and Cloud. “A-ah…”

“It’s okay,” Aerith said with a small nod and smile. “Stay with him. I’ll be okay.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, showing his teeth. “All right,” he replied. When his eyes turned on her, they reminded her of a caged dog’s--pained and trapped. “J-just...triple lock the door when you go.”

“Okay.” Despite the heaviness in her heart, Aerith blew him a kiss. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”  _ His smile is thin, he’s been so worn thin,  _ she thought as she unlocked the door and backed out. She lingered against it as it closed, sighing heavily.  _ And I can’t show that I’m just as worried. It’ll only upset him more.  _ She took her keys and locked the three deadbolts, as well as the handle, and jumped up the stairs.  _ And what’s better, the flower shop will be quiet, so I get  _ more  _ time to think about this-- _

A rattle in the alley stopped her thoughts dead, and she whirled on her toe, broken asphalt grinding beneath her shoe.  _ I thought I heard something.  _ Her heart pounded in her head, until the ambient noises of the city filled her ears with their mechanical drone. Shouldering her purse, she darted down out of the alley,

_ (“Hey, kid!” A warm wad of spit in her hair. “Wake up, street rat!”) _

into the main street with her ponytail bouncing on her back.  _ Just my imagination,  _ she thought with a huff.  _ Zack being on edge makes me on edge… _

* * *

 

In a dark corner of Public Alley #6 in Sector 5, a cool voice murmured in the shadows. “She’s left the apartment. He didn’t go with her. I will be standing by.”

* * *

 

Tifa paced behind the counter of the bar, no customers in sight except for Vincent in his usual spot.  _ Barret said I could go anytime, just to let him know,  _ she thought, staring at the TV.  _ But he just left to be with Marlene, and I don’t want to go so soon… _

Her hand itched into her back pocket and yanked out a pack of cigarettes. Flicking it open revealed only one left.  _ What the hell? I swear I had a half a pack… _ She frowned.  _ Then again, I had a couple out searching for Cloud yesterday, and then a few more after that. Ugh.  _ Tifa closed it and tossed it under the counter, crossing her arms.  _ Maybe I should drop the habit too, _

_ like he did.  _

A grunt from across the bar drew her attention. “Another?” she asked automatically, but when Tifa reached his glass, she found it was still half full. “Huh…?”

Vincent glanced up at her, beneath a sheath of tangled hair and the headband tied around his forehead. “What’s wrong?” he mumbled.

Tifa’s mouth took on a small “o” shape as she gripped the counter. “Um...well…”  _ Is it really that obvious? So obvious that the tavern regular asks me what’s wrong? Jesus.  _ “I-it’s just...just…” She bit her lip, rattling her nails on the counter. “Y-you know my friend, who comes in here? Cloud. The one that you, uh...well, y’know…” His stare bore into her, and she swore she spotted the beginning of an eyeroll. “Well...he’s sick.”

His eyes widened just a little, head edging forward.  _ Right. He’s not much of a talker.  _ She sighed and looked off down the counter. “Something...something happened with his SOLDIER exam. I don’t know many of the details. Zack said that it was a ‘mako overdose’, hell, I don’t even know what that  _ is,  _ or what it  _ does,  _ but I-I saw him…” Tifa swallowed to catch her breath. “H-his eyes were glowing, like, literally glowing...and he’s been sleeping, like in a coma, a-and--”

“Mako…” Vincent interrupted slowly, his gold prosthetic balling into a fist on the counter, and his pasty brow furrowed. “Hojo.”

“U-uh…?” Tifa stammered. “What was that?”

He shook his head. “Bastard,” he cursed. Glancing down, Tifa spotted claw marks etched in the dark wood of the bar, bright enough to be fresh.  _ I want to ask more questions,  _ she thought, taking a half step back,  _ but who knows if I’d get any answers. I don’t know what any of that means… _

After a moment, he stared back up at her, as if encouraging her to go on, and before she realized it, she was talking again. “I-I’m really worried. They didn’t seem...confident that he was going to wake up. I don’t know. I don’t know!” Tifa ripped herself from the counter again and started walking in place. “I  _ never  _ wanted him to do this. He’s been trying since we were in high school, and the  _ instant  _ he could get in without doing a pre-lim test, he did. Didn’t tell me, or his mother, or anyone. And n-now…” 

She pushed her bangs back with the palm of one clammy hand, huffing through her teeth. “N-now all this…” she finished with a whimper. “God…”

The door into the bar flew open, and in whirled Aerith, holding a basket full of white roses. “Hello~!” she greeted, bouncing to the bar. She jumped on the stool right beside Vincent and plopped the basket on the counter. “I just got done work.”

“H-hey, Aerith.” She tried to smile, tried to absorb the radiant energy emanating from her, but it only exhausted her.  _ How are you so bubbly? After…  _

Her thought train stopped short as she watched her inhale deep into the rose basket. “Mmm,” she murmured. “I thought I’d have these ready to brighten up our place when Cloud wakes up.” 

Tifa nodded. “Yeah.” She met Aerith’s eyes, and even though she grinned at her, Tifa could instantly tell by the shape of her face that it was put on.  _ It’s hard for you too, isn’t it?  _ “H-here, let me just tell Barret I’m leaving, and we can go together…”

Vincent shifted in his stool. “Wait,” he said. With both pairs of eyes on him, he sunk into his trenchcoat. After about a minute of grueling silence (Tifa only hoped she looked as patient as Aerith did), he finally sighed and spoke again. “Sorry about your friend.” 

Tifa stared at him. “Th...thanks--”

Quicker on the uptake, Aerith spun in her stool toward him, making Vincent jerk back. “Oh, Cloud will be just fine!” she insisted. “We’re just keeping him nice and cozy at our place until he’s feeling better.”

With a nod, Vincent sank back over the bar. “Good,” he croaked, before taking a long drink out of his tumbler, leaving it empty.  _ Now you need a refill,  _ Tifa thought. Her hands automatically started reaching for the proper bottles even without looking, tucked close beneath the counter.  _ Aerith, you’d better be right, _

_ and not just putting this on… _

Aerith scooted off the stool and rushed to the side door, flinging it open to reveal the staircase. “Oh Barret~!” she called. “I’m stealing Tifa away!”

“Aerith, is that you?” he called down. His voice was soon accompanied by thundering footsteps as he made his way down the stairs. “You’re gonna steal my best employee?”

_ Your  _ only _ employee,  _ Tifa thought as Aerith giggled, making way for him. “Yup! Sorry,” she replied. “She has exclusive visitation rights for Cloud.”

“Why don’t you just take him to the hospital?” Barret grunted as he shuffled behind the bar. 

“Um…” Aerith paused, preoccupying herself with her flower basket, poking the roses. “Th-there’s...nothing they can do that we can’t. B-besides, it’d be too expensive.”

“Huh.” Barret stared at her with dark eyes. Tifa swapped Vincent’s glass with a fresh drink, dumped the old one in the sink, then quickly shuffled around to be at Aerith’s side. “If you say so--”

“I’ll be back in an hour, hour and a half,” Tifa stated, sharp enough to snap his attention. Beside her, Aerith let out a slow sigh. “I just want to see how he’s doing.”

“All right.” He nodded and crossed his arms. “Send him my best.” 

Aerith waved cheerfully enough as they left, but as soon as they were outside, she grappled her flower basket with both hands. “That was close,” she sighed, staring at her feet as they walked. 

“Why?” Tifa asked. “Why  _ can’t  _ you take him to the hospital?” 

“Remember how I said Zack got into trouble getting him out?” Aerith’s pace was exceptionally brisk, making Tifa half jog to keep up. “Well...he punched the head of the science department. That’s  _ part  _ of why he’s so tense right now.”

_ Jesus.  _ “What, are the hospitals run by Shinra, too?”

“Close enough. He doesn’t want anything else to happen to him, so that’s why he’s keeping him at our place.” Aerith whipped her head back and forth before crossing the street, grabbing Tifa’s wrist in the process. “Besides…”

_ This is more of what I was expecting, this anxiety,  _ Tifa thought as they passed alley after alley.  _ But...I don’t know if I’m reassured.  _ “Besides what?” 

Aerith shook her head. “Nothing.”

_ “Aerith.”  _ Tifa jumped in front of her, holding her by the shoulders. “Tell me, what is it?” she insisted, grinding their pace to a halt. The Sector 5 church cast a shadow over them, the odd ray of sunlight reflecting in Aerith’s wide, green eyes. 

She blinked, then her shoulders dropped, eyes scanning around them. “I think we  _ are  _ being watched,” she whispered. Her basket slipped into the crook of her arm as she tentatively held Tifa by her waist. “Which is what Zack was afraid of.”

“Watched?” 

“By Shinra’s secret service, the Turks.” She shook her head and wrenched Tifa’s hands off her shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.  _ Do not  _ mention it to Zack,” she commanded, making an “X” with her fingers in front of her face. “He’s already bad enough as it is…”

“Got it,” Tifa said. 

They reached the alley of her and Zack’s apartment, and Aerith nearly jumped down the entire flight of stairs, key in hand. “Let’s see how he made out,” she muttered, unlocking the three deadbolts with impressive speed.  _ I suppose when your door’s in an alley of the slums, there’s a reason for three locks.  _ Tifa glanced behind her, eyes darting around Zack’s bike and the cracked asphalt.  _ Being watched…just because he wanted to save his friend… _

_ This is such a mess… _

“Honey, I’m home.” The bounce managed to return to Aerith’s voice. “I brought Tifa--oh, you’re right where I left you…”

Zack rubbed his eyes and then nodded to them. “Hey, babe. Hi, Tifa,” he greeted with a salute, then sighed and yanked his guitar off from around his shoulder, leaning it up against the couch. “‘Fraid I don’t have any news for you…”

“Still asleep?” Tifa said, tiptoeing to the edge of the couch. Cloud was still where she left him--still in uniform, chest still rising and falling in a steady rhythm.  _ I can still see the glow in his eyes, even when they’re not fully open,  _ she thought, studying his face.  _ It doesn’t seem as bad as it was yesterday. Or am I just imagining things? _

“I brought some flowers~!” Aerith chirped, running water in the kitchen. She came back out into the living room with a vase stuffed full of the white roses, and after a moment of searching, planted it on top of the TV. It wobbled the rabbit ear antenna on the top, and she carefully readjusted it to the proper position. “Thought it might brighten up the place…”

“White roses…” Zack muttered, giving the vase a long stare. “We...forgot to give him the carnation you got for him that one time…” 

Tifa watched Aerith’s face fall watching Zack’s distant look, and she ran up around the couch to hug him tight around the waist. He returned it, still staring at the flowers with sunken, tired eyes.  _ I wish there was more I could do,  _ Tifa thought, resting her hands on Cloud’s chest.  _ But if Aerith can’t cheer Zack up, neither can I.  _

“You look tired, sunflower. Why don’t you take a nap?”

“I just had another coffee, I won’t be able to sleep…”

She crossed her legs underneath her bottom, stroking the top of his hands. To her surprise, Cloud groaned in his sleep, eyelids fluttering, before settling back into his former trance. Tifa bit her lip.  _ Whenever you do wake up...we’ll be here waiting.  _

* * *

 

“Honey. It’s almost midnight. Come to bed.”

Zack sighed, squinting at his notebook in the low light. “I’m not tired,” he grumbled. His guitar was back in his lap, strumming the same chords he had been playing all day, except this time, he had a chair pulled right up to the side of the couch. Despite his words, he yawned, and tried to shake it off.  _ I...am tired,  _ he thought.  _ But I’m not going to be able to sleep. I know I’m not. I barely slept last night.  _ His gaze fell on Cloud’s sleeping body, acutely aware of the tenseness in his brow, even if his breathing was steady.  _ Cloud… _

_ I’m sorry… _

_ What if… _

_ it’s too late… _

“Zack?” Aerith said, her hands on his shoulders. “Could you do me a favor?”

“Hm?” He tilted her head back into her bosom, offering her the best smile he could muster. It took enormous effort.  _ Aerith… _

“Could you play a song for me?” she asked, stroking the side of his neck with one finger. “You know,  _ that  _ song?”

Her polite request was accompanied with a tilt of her head.  _ That song, that song...which song?  _ Zack leaned forward, lips pursed in thought, until the answer dawned on him. “Oh!  _ That  _ song.”  _ She wants to hear “Landslide”. The first song I ever played for her.  _ He glanced around him, then stood up and rushed to his guitar case, fishing his capo out of the side pocket. “Just...one sec…” 

In the meantime, she took a seat on the couch armrest (which was starting to creak from the constant weight), while he clipped the capo to the third fret of his guitar. “Are you going to sing?” he asked.

“Mmhmm,” Aerith replied with a nod, wiggling in her seat. “Just for you.”

He chuckled as he sat back down, stretching his fingers out before resting them on a chord on the fretboard.  _ Damn, my fingers are sore from playing all day. I guess I’m playing something different now.  _ He strummed the opening chord. “Ready?”

“Yup.”

Zack finger-picked the line, settling into a steady rhythm within the cycle of chords.  _ It’s a pretty relaxing song,  _ he thought, watching Aerith weave to his beat.  _ If I remember right.  _ As soon as he cycled through the progression twice, he nodded to her, and she began to sing:

_ “I took my love, and I took it down. _ __  
_ Climbed a mountain and I turned around, _ __  
_ And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills, _ _  
_ __ When a landslide brought me down…” 

He let himself sink into the sound of her voice, and he closed his eyes.  _ Mirror in the sky, what is love? Ah.  _ Zack sighed.  _ I wish I knew for sure...I know I love her, but do I _

_ love him, too?  _

_ “Well, I’ve been afraid of changing ‘cause I’ve built my life around you…” _

When Zack opened his eyes, his gaze was on his notebook, and fell on a line in his own, scratchy handwriting.  _ “You all feel like home.” It’s true. I wake up in the morning, I kiss her, and then I run down to base to hang out with you. Sure, it’s work; sure, it’s training, but I always want to hang out with you more than just for that.  _ Aerith’s voice trailed off, and instead of trying to solo himself, he elaborated with his finger picking.  _ I wanted to be more than just your commanding officer, someone you could depend on. Someone who could help you whenever you needed it. _

_ And...well, I fell through, didn’t I? _

His breath choked in his chest, masked by Aerith’s singing picking back up.  _ I was supposed to keep you safe. Sure, I might be doing it now, but is it too little too late?  _ He glanced back over at Cloud and bit his lip.  _ Damn it, is it? When will you wake up… _

_ When will I see you smile again? _

_ “Oh well, a landslide will bring it down…” _

Aerith finished, accompanied by a long strum from his guitar.  _ God, Cloud, you don’t deserve this,  _ Zack thought, resting his hand over his guitar and burying his face in it.  _ I should’ve done better… _

“Zack?” 

He shook his head, and he didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he had to gasp for air, burning in the back of his throat. “I-I’m fine,” he managed to say, rubbing his eyes against his arm. With effort, he lifted it up to show her, try to reassure her with a smirk, even a classic grin,

but the sympathy in her emerald eyes saw right through him. “I-I…”

She stood back up and leaned over him, kissing his temple and wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s okay,” she murmured. When she wasn’t looking right at him, he was more lenient about letting the few stray tears fall from his eyes, dropping straight onto his arm.  _ Is it, hon? Is it really okay…? _

_ Is it really going to be okay? _

“Come to bed,” Aerith reiterated, rubbing his chest and kissing the back of his head once again before releasing him. “You can watch him in the morning.”

Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah,” he muttered, eyes unfocused as he took off his guitar once again. “I’ll...be right there.”

While Aerith wandered to the bedroom, Zack shuffled to the side of the couch, right beside Cloud. “W-we’ll be in the bedroom if you need anything, okay?” he murmured, running a hand through his hair. “Good...good night, Cloud.”

After another five minutes, Zack found it in himself to stand up and make his way to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure most of you know this song pretty well, but Zack and Aerith sing and play ["Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4M53xndqiU) together. 
> 
> The Pain Train continues...figuring out what exactly to do for this chapter was a bit tricky, as I didn't want to repeat myself too much while still giving the impression that time is passing by without skipping things. I ended up using [a flash I wrote](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/142252856951/flash-time-5) a couple months ago as fodder for the last leg of this chapter. It's looking pretty grim for our crew, but have hope--! It'll work out in the long run...
> 
> ...until then, we forage on to the next day, when things get tense between Zack and Aerith. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!


	25. Second Day

“Zack, you _need_ to go out today.”

“I can’t! I’m not going to leave him here…”

Muffled arguing filtered from behind Zack and Aerith’s bedroom door, and Tifa only sighed, sinking down into the chair situated in front of the couch. _They got into it out here, and I’m glad they tried to take it away from me, but I can still hear them…_

“We don’t have any food in the house, and I don’t have a lot of gil. Just go out, cash your check--”

“Oh, and run into someone from Shinra? ‘Hey, Zack, heard you’re on the fucking run--’”

“I _would_ do it for you, but I’m not on your account. This is your first check since you got promoted, and it has a nice bonus…”

“Well, I’m not going. I’m not leaving.”

“I can watch Cloud.”

“What happens if someone ambushes the place?”

“Then I’ll deal with it! I’m tougher than I look--”

“I’m _not_ going to take that risk. I’m not losing you, too.”

Tifa ran a hand over her mouth, hugging her other arm around her stomach. _He still hasn’t woken up,_ she thought, eyes resting on Cloud. _How long is this going to keep going?_

Aerith’s sigh was audible behind the door. “Sweetheart, we still need to _eat.”_

“I-I know, but...damn it, I want to be here when he wakes up--”

“You staring at him all day isn’t going to make it go by any faster.”

“What the _fuck,_ hon?”

“What?! We don’t know when--”

“Weren’t _you_ the one saying ‘oh, he’ll wake up soon’? It’s been two...three days!”

“I know, I know, but we can’t just sit around waiting--”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to be a bitch about it--!”

“You-- _ugh!”_

Tifa jumped as Aerith burst out the bedroom, rubbing her forehead with a scowl on her face. She rushed around to the closet and dragged her denim jacket out, tossing it over her arm. “Baby, I’m sorry,” Zack sighed, following her, but keeping his distance. “I didn’t--”

“I’m walking Tifa home,” Aerith stated, lacing up her shoes.

“A-Aerith, _wait,”_ he said, panic creeping into his voice. “I’m sorry I called you a bitch, I didn’t mean to, I just...I’m--”

Zack trailed off. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he scratched the back of his shoulder, unable to look at either of the girls. Aerith crossed her arms, the sound of her shoes against the floor audible with the silence in the room. “Zack,” she said quietly. “I love you. But, I’m still going to go.”

When he looked up, his cerulean eyes were clouded with anxiety. “W-wait--”

“I think we both need space to cool off,” she said. Her eyes flicked to Tifa, prompting her to stand up and walk to her side. “I’ll be back later, okay?”

Zack leaned his head forward. “Promise?”

She snickered. “Promise.” With only another nod, Aerith turned around, a hand on Tifa’s back as she guided her ahead out the door. As she glanced back to get one more look at Cloud, Tifa saw Zack slink to the chair she was seated on, plopping on it and immediately putting his head in his hands. _Zack…_

Aerith let out a long, groaning sigh as soon as they were up over the stairs. “Damn it…” she muttered, staring up at the plate, then back over to Tifa. “You don’t mind that I follow you home, right?”

“N-no, it’s all right,” she replied. “Are--”

“Yeah, Zack and I are okay, we’re fine,” Aerith interrupted, slowly slipping her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. “He’s just stressed and tired. And so am I, to be honest. I just--” Her face twisted. “I wish he would see the big picture. The world doesn’t stand still just because of this. We’ve still got to live…”

Tifa nodded slowly. _I wonder if I would be any better, if I were in Zack’s place. If Cloud was recovering at the bar, I doubt I’d want to leave either. I don’t know…_

“He’s such an overgrown puppy sometimes,” she said. “He’ll be better once he’s had time to relax. And once Cloud wakes up…”

“Yeah,” Tifa replied. “I hope he does soon--”

“Tifa Lockhart?”

The two of them spun around. In the alley, a woman with honey colored, wavy hair in a crisp, black suit held out a worn, brown wallet. “I believe you dropped this,” she said with a half smile.

Tifa patted down her jean shorts, finding only her store keys in the front pocket. “Oh my God! Thank you so much!” she exclaimed, jumping over and stuffing it back into her back pocket. “H-how did you know my name?”

She laced her hands behind her back. “Your ID is in there,” she replied matter-of-factly. Even though her eyes were a warm gold, nearly the same shade as her hair, there was a coolness behind them, and Tifa felt unease in her stomach. _She didn’t...take anything, did she?_ Absently, she fished her wallet back out, flicking through the folds. _Doesn’t look it--_

“Hey,” Aerith said, stepping in front of Tifa. “You’re a Turk, aren’t you?”

Her expression did not waver as she studied Aerith. “What gives you that impression?” she asked back.

“Your outfit. Plus…” Aerith held her elbow with one hand, while placing a finger to her lips. “Zack mentioned someone like you once...you’re...Cissnei?”

She closed her eyes and straightened her posture. “Yes.”

“You’re here to watch Zack, aren’t you?” Aerith’s eyes narrowed, her tone sharp.

“I _was,”_ Cissnei clarified, then sighed through her nose. “I was assigned to survey Zack Fair after his recent actions. But…” She paused, eyes flicking between them. “My mission was just terminated.”

Aerith stared and blinked. “What?” she muttered in awe. “What do you mean?”

“I just got a call from my higher-up. He told me the matter had been settled privately. It seems you have friends looking after you in the higher ranks.” This time, her smile was more genuine as she nodded.

Aerith covered her mouth. “That means...Angeal…”

Cissnei addressed this with a subtle nod. “Provided that he returns to HQ in five days time or less with standard-class Strife, his repercussions will be waived,” she said. “You’re lucky.”

“I guess maybe,” Aerith sighed, flashing Tifa a relieved smile. _I can only imagine what “repercussions” could possibly mean,_ Tifa thought, clutching her wallet in one hand. _Just by the look on Aerith’s face…_

Cissnei chuckled, then pulled something out of her right ear and clutched it in her palm. “How is Cloud?” she asked quietly.

“He’s still asleep,” Tifa piped up. Both pairs of eyes snapped right to her, and she fidgeted to stick her wallet back into her back pocket. “A-ah, but...didn’t Zack say he was stirring?”

“Off and on,” Aerith said. “Rolling in his sleep, some noises, but no talking…”

Cissnei nodded, looking off. “That’s good,” she replied. “He’ll probably regain consciousness soon.”

“D-do you think so?” Tifa blurted.

She met her eyes, auburn to gold. “Yes.” She brought her hand back up to her ear, and with a nod, she walked out of the alley, disappearing down the cross street. _She seemed serious. Not guessing, like the rest of us are, hoping and praying._ Tifa bit her lip. _Maybe she’s right…_

“I only know Cissnei because Zack used to go on and on about how cute she was,” Aerith muttered, rolling her eyes, but it was soon replaced with a chuckle.

“Oh my God,” Tifa commented.

“But, this is good,” Aerith continued, linking their arms. “This means Zack isn’t going to get hurt, oh, thank _God.”_ She jerked her hands up into a praying motion in front of her face, jostling Tifa’s arm and making her stumble. “I’m going to kiss Angeal the next time I see him…”

Tifa bumped into Aerith’s side trying to keep her balance. “Did he set this up, or something?”

“I overheard him and Zack on the phone, he said that he was going to take care of it. Probably him and the other 1sts, too.” She flashed her a grin. “That’s one less thing to worry about, then!”

 _One less thing,_ Tifa thought, managing to smile along with her. _Maybe for you, it is…_

* * *

 

“Tifa?”

“Hm?”

Aerith sat cross-legged on Tifa’s bed, rocking back and forth. “Do you know how to french-braid?” she asked.

“A little bit, not well though. Why?” Since they had arrived, Tifa had changed into an oversized t-shirt (printed with “NIBELHEIM CLASS OF ‘94”) that hung to her knees and tied her brown hair into a high ponytail. _It’s cute,_ Aerith thought, pulling her own scrunchie out of her hair. She tossed it from shoulder to shoulder with her head, letting it fall around her like a curtain. _Just like that little bit of pink in her cheeks…_

“I’d do it myself, but my arms get tired,” she said. “You know how it is, with long hair.”

“Yeah,” Tifa replied, pulling her own ponytail around. “I’ve been thinking about cutting mine lately…”

“Oh? You’d look cute with a bob.” Aerith made a slicing motion with her hands right underneath both sides of the back of her jaw. _I’d miss it, but it’d still be cute._

Tifa chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, nothing that drastic. Maybe just...to my shoulders?” she said as she sat on the bed beside her. “That’d be something different. My ends are getting frayed…”

“I can imagine.” _This is...much easier than being at home,_ she thought as she spun around so Tifa could run her hands through her hair. _I’d much rather distract myself with a cute girl right now then try to comfort a sad puppy who...let’s face it, won’t be cheered unless his chocobo wakes up._ “Ow, _ow,_ be careful, don’t comb it through too much. It’s too wavy for that.”

“S-sorry.” Tifa gathered it all behind her back, then began to take small portions near the top of her head and braid them together. “Gosh, your hair’s so thick…”

“Yeah, forget about taming it with a brush,” Aerith replied. “That’s half the reason why I keep it up so often--because it’s hard to tame.”

“Why don’t you cut yours?”

She snorted. “Oh, _please,_ I’ll look like a mess. It poofs out even more when it’s shorter. At least now it has the weight to kind of look straight.” _Unlike me._ She bit her lip at her own quiet joke.

Tifa had finished with the top of her head already, and began to braid the bottom of her hair. “Ugh, it’s a little messy…” she fretted, shuffling up to her knees and examining it closer. “I don’t have much practice.”

“Here, let me see.” Aerith ghosted her hand above her head, brushing Tifa’s fingertips in the process. “It feels fine to me.”

“Aerith, you can’t _see_ it.”

“I can! I can see it with my fingers.” She reached back behind her and began to paw at her face--missing at first and hitting near her collarbone, but wandered back upwards. “See, here’s your cheek, and your nose--”

“Ey, _hey!”_ Tifa squawked, letting her almost finished braid fly back as she scrambled to the opposite end of the bed. She was laughing, however, and Aerith caught it in time to fully drink it in. _It’s so nice to see someone laugh for a change,_ she thought. _I think we all need it, after this--_

_“Ring, ring…”_

The phone on Tifa’s nightstand blared with its shrill ring, and she clambered over to try and stop it. “I’ll bet you anything that’s Zack,” Aerith commented, taking her braid and laying it over her shoulder. It was nearly completely braided, and she took the strands leftover to finish it. “Wondering when I’m coming home…”

Tifa shrugged, receiver already in her hand, then held it up to her face. “Hello?” she answered. Her eyes grew wide at the floor. “O-oh, hi there! How...how’d you get this number? ...Cloud gave it to you?”

She swallowed hard, then covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “It’s Cloud’s mom,” Tifa whispered.

Aerith’s fingers stuttered. _Oh. Oh, no._ “I’ve been good, yeah. Working at a bar here in the middle of Midgar,” she continued, rapidly twirling her fingers around the phone cord. “Mmhmm! Yeah, it’s been fine. My boss has a kid that I look after too. ...C-Cloud’s been good too, workin’ hard, y’know.” Her laugh was nervous, but was cut short. “Oh, he…

...hasn’t called in a week?”

 _Right, right. Mothers always worry about their sons when they first go away,_ Aerith thought, slowly tying the end of her hair with her scrunchie. _For Zack, even though he’d been in Midgar for a few years, his mother would complain about him not keeping in touch when he finally would call._ She watched Tifa stand up and pace in place. _And now, with Cloud like he is…_

“H-he’s just been busy, I think,” Tifa replied, eyes darting to Aerith for help. She only nodded. _It wouldn’t be a good idea to tell her that he’s sick. I don’t think. Even if Shinra’s not watching us so closely anymore. A lot of people know as it is._ “I-I mean, I haven’t seen him i-in a little while either! You know how he can get when he’s focused on something.”

Tifa squeezed her eyes shut. _So much for getting away._ “Uh-huh. Yeah.” Every other word she spoke trembled more, smoothing only temporarily with a swallow. “I-I’ll...I’ll let him know. I’ll have him call you as soon as I see him next. ...Okay. ...You too. Say hi to everyone for me. ...B-bye, now.”

She hung up the phone with a deafening clatter and gasped, holding a hand over her mouth. Her shoulders trembled, her eyes blinked rapidly, and after a sniff to catch her breath, she finally spoke. “S-she...she was all, ‘have you heard from Cloud?’ A-and I...I…”

“Shh, honey,” Aerith murmured.

“I-I...I couldn’t _tell her!”_ she outburst, rushing back to the bed and hiding her head in her arms. “I-I couldn’t s-say, ‘gee, I dunno, ma’am! You’re son’s i-in a c-c-c- _coma_ a-and we...we dunno...we dunno when he’s gonna...gonna w-wake up--!”

“Come here, c’mere.” Aerith opened her arms, and Tifa collapsed into them, her face hot and damp on her neck. She clutched her back as if she were drowning. _Honey, honey,_ Aerith thought, stroking the back of her hair. _You’re going to be okay, it’s going to be okay…_

_I’ve been saying that a lot lately…_

“I-I...want him to wake up…” Tifa sobbed, her hands beginning to claw against her shirt. “I-I’m sc-scared…”

“I know, I know.” _Don’t cry, sweetheart,_

_(I’m here, I’m here, you’re safe with me)_

_everything will be okay,_

_(let me dry all your tears, I’ll kiss them away)_

_everything...will be okay…_

_(I love you…)_

As Tifa cried, Aerith allowed herself one kiss on the top of her head--long, soft, and deliberate. _I want to take more,_ she thought, nuzzling against her. _But not while she’s upset, no, I can’t. It’s not fair, no matter how badly I want to._

_Tifa…_

She sniffled, lifting her tearstained face up to be face to face with Aerith. “I-I’m sorry,” she choked, wiping her face with the back of her arm. “Y-you...came over to r-relax…”

“No, no, don’t be sorry.” _I did come over to relax. But, when both of the people I love are distraught over the same thing, what can I do?_ Aerith gave her a smile and wiped an oncoming tear away from her cheek with her thumb. “It’s been hard for all of us.”

Tifa nodded, staring down at the bed. _There’s one thing, though,_ she mused as she cupped one of her hands in both of hers. _Even though Zack has been more vocal about how upset he is, he’s only cried_

_(curled in a ball, face buried in his pillow, “I c-can’t sleep,” he stutters, “I k-keep dreamin’...about him being dead…”)_

_in front of me. Just like you, Tifa._

Aerith took a deep breath. “Cloud will be okay,” she said. “He’ll be okay.”

“Well, he’s sure t-taking long e-enough…” Tifa shook her head, red rimming her eyes. “Ugh…”

She squeezed her hand, resisting the urge to bring it to her lips and kiss it. “I...should probably get going. See how everyone’s doing back at my place.” _Don’t kiss her, don’t kiss her, not even her cheek. Damn it._ Aerith bit her lip and swung her legs around the bed, stretching as she rose to her feet.

“D-do you...need me to walk you home?” Tifa offered. “I-I can get dressed--”

“Jeez, why does everyone think I’m a fragile flower?” Aerith huffed, flexing one arm for Tifa. “I grew up in these streets, I’ll be good.”

Tifa smirked and licked her lips. “Okay,” she replied. “Thanks...for c-coming over. Even i-if I did--”

 _Ah, ah, no apologizing._ “Of course,” she interrupted as she slipped on her denim jacket. “I’m always here if you need me. If you get upset, you can call me anytime.” Aerith winked and put on her best smile, and when Tifa returned it, a small spark of relief resonated in her heart.

“Thanks,” Tifa replied, shifting her knees underneath her. “Have a good night.”

Aerith backed toward the door, shuffling until her back hit the metal of the door-handle. “You too.”

The hallway was dark, but she managed to tiptoe down the stairs back into the bar, where Barret was alone, wiping down the counter with a cloth. “Headin’ back?” he asked.

“Yup,” Aerith replied with a wave. “Night.”

“Have a safe walk,” he said. “I probably don’t have to tell you how it is out there.”

 _Everyone, I swear to God._ Aerith chewed her lip. _I lived in Sector 2, by_ myself _for a while, I don’t need a bodyguard. I’m my own bodyguard._ “Mmhm,” she muttered absently. “Take care.”

The streets were quiet, and she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets as she headed around the corner at a brisk pace. _I’m seriously hoping Zack already went to bed,_ Aerith thought, head bent toward the sidewalk. _Because I’m going to be the next one to break if I have to dry his tears tonight, too…_

* * *

 

The first thing Aerith did when she arrived back at their apartment was press her ear against the door. _Let’s see if he’s still awake._ When there was silence on the other side, she began to undo the locks. _Doesn’t sound like it. Everything’s quiet._

_That’s good. I’m exhausted…_

Her predictions proved to be misled, however, the moment she opened the door. The first thing she saw was Zack--he was kneeling beside Cloud, head down on his chest with his arms surrounding it. _Oh, no._ The next thing she saw was the assortment of beer cans on the coffee table, covering his notebook and nearly the whole surface. _Oh, no, no, no._ His guitar was no longer leaned against the couch, instead in a heap on the floor, forgotten. She took a long, deep breath as she leaned back against the door to close it. _Here we go._ “I’m home,” she greeted.

Zack groaned and groggily lifted his head up. “Baby? ‘Ssat you?” He leaned his weight back onto his feet and stumbled upward, weaving as he walked over to greet her. “You’re home…”

 _You’re drunk,_ she thought as he staggered into her, forcing her to hold him by his waist for balance. His eyes were unfocused, and the scent of beer on him was strong. “Come on, sweetie,” she said, guiding him gently backwards. “Let’s get you some water and into bed--”

“N-no, I gotta...gotta stay here,” he mumbled, vaguely gesturing over to the couch. “Wh-what...what if he wakessss up without me?”

“I’m sure if he does, he’ll come and see you,” Aerith reassured, her tone steady and even despite the ache in her heart.

They barely breached the edge of the couch when Zack resisted her, with a hand on her head that dropped clumsily over her cheek. “Wh-what am I...gonna do…?” he slurred, his breathing picking up. “WhatamI gonna do...if he doesn’t...doesn’t w-wake up?”

“I _told_ you, don’t say that,” she replied, like a broken record. “He’s going to--”

“I never t-told him,” he continued, as if he didn’t hear her. “I never told h-him that I...that I…”

Aerith froze before staring up at him. “That you what?” she breathed.

He opened his mouth a few times, with no sound coming out, then he managed to focus on Aerith’s face for a moment. “Baby, I…” he stammered, taking her cheeks in both hands. “I love you ssso much, you know that?”

She held his hands, patting one of them gently. “Of course I know, sunflower,” she said, trying to edge forward. “You--”

“I-I didn’t mean to...to call you a bitch.”

“I know.” She dragged his hands off her face and held them, soft but firm. “Why don’t we go into the bed so you can rest?”

He nodded at first, taking a step back only to trip over his own feet. “Ssshit, shit,” he mumbled. “‘Mm just an...an asssshole…”

“No, no, you’re not,” Aerith insisted as she managed to sit him down on the edge of the bed.

“But I hurt you, and I let him down…” His head lolled back on his neck, and it was only when she sat down beside him that she realized tears were streaming down his face. “I-I let him...down…”

“Shh…” Aerith rubbed his back--small circles starting from around his shoulders down through his spine. _I bet Cloud wouldn’t think so, and neither do I. You carried him here yourself…_

“I j-just wanna...make him happy,” Zack babbled, running a hand back through his spiked, dark hair. “Sssseems like...whenever h-he sssmiles at me, iss like...I’m doin’ somethin’ right.” He swallowed, and it make a clicking noise in the back of his throat. “I wanna...help him follow h-his dreams…”

Aerith only nodded. “I know, baby.”

His breath hiccuped. “I...I wanna hold him again...like that--’member that time? Jus’ this...this weekend…that was...was...nice…”

She gaped at the floor. _This is...not what I was expecting,_ she thought, slowly raising her head to meet Zack’s. _Are you...finally telling me how you feel about him?_

“Jeeeesus Christ,” he mumbled. “I-I can’t...I’m...I…”

 _He’s trying to, anyway._ “It’s okay, Zack,” she said. “You can tell me.”

Zack stared at her, giving her an opportunity to really study his face. From the worry creases on his forehead, to the dark circles under his eyes, to the blotchy patches on his cheeks from crying. “I…” he started, and Aerith held her breath--whether to avoid the smell of alcohol or otherwise. “I’m falling...in love with Cloud.”

 _Wow,_ she thought, a smile itching at the corner of her face. _It sure took you long enough._ “Yeah?” was all she said.

“I-I just…” He sighed and tipped himself back, flopping down on the bed. “I k-knew I wanted t’be his friend, y’know? Wanted to...to help him out, an’ I wanted...a _protegé.”_ His eyes widened as he drew the word out, and Aerith scooted further up beside him. “B-but then, then it...I dunno, it started--started t’feel different…”

Zack paused, sniffling as he stared at the ceiling. “It was like...I was fallin’ in love with you all over again. Except...except still lovin’ you, too…”

She nodded. “I know how it is,” she soothed, patting his chest. _I’m glad that you’re telling me this,_ finally, _but I wish you would stop crying…_ “Cloud is cute, isn’t he?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, he is…” A dreamy look crossed his face, and Aerith desperately suppressed a giggle. _That’s better._ It shook quicker than she wanted too, as a wave of panic washed over him. “W-wait, i-is...ss’at all right?”

“Of course it is, hell, look at _me,”_ she said, pointing to herself with both hands. “I bet something like this wouldn’t have even crossed your _mind_ if it weren’t for me around.”

Zack only nodded solemnly, trying to take a deep breath, but it choked in the process. “N-not...that it matters,” he mumbled. “Not that it matters if he don’t wake up…”

“Don’t…” Aerith laid beside him, hugging him tight.

“I don’t wanna...miss my chance…”

“You won’t.”

“I want him to be okay, Aerith…”

“I know you do.”

He groaned and rubbed his head. “Nngh...my head hurts…”

With a deep sigh, Aerith sat up. “Maybe if you didn’t drink ten cans of beer all in one go, it wouldn’t,” she muttered under her breath. _Shoot._ He didn’t react to her comment, however, only rolling to his side with a downcast look. _I’m getting tired, too. It’s been a long, long day._ “Sorry, baby. Let me get you some water.”

She puttered out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where she grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the tap. _Congratulations, Zack, you’ve finally admitted your crush on Cloud,_ she thought, the faucet squeaking as she turned it off. _It only took something like this to make you realize it…_

She shut the light off as she went, and passed in front of Cloud at a snail’s pace. _Imagine, if Shinra didn’t try to use you, how this would be._ Aerith wandered in front of him, placing the water glass on the last scrap of space left on the coffee table, and knelt at his side. _You’re so sweet, and you have people who love you…_

From the bedroom, Zack started to snore. _Figures. Let him sleep and have a hangover in the morning. He’ll probably forget all this, too._ Aerith took one of Cloud’s hands, limp and warm, and laced it with hers, squeezing gently. “We’re waiting for you,” she whispered. “We’re all waiting for you…”

“Nnn…”

Cloud’s eyes opened for a moment, their glow less pronounced, but still present, then fluttered shut, easing back into the rhythm of sleep. _Please._ She trembled as she pulled her hand away, careful to place it back over his chest. _Please…_

Aerith picked up the glass of water, holding her breath as she flicked off all the other lights in the apartment, leaving it washed with an inky dark. She made it into the bedroom, water on the nightstand, before she crumbled by the side of the bed, knees tucked against her chest. It was only then when she allowed herself to cry.

 _Please, please, wake up soon,_ she thought. _So we can all be happy together..._

Her tears were silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took exactly 102,007 words for Zack Fair to admit that he has a crush on Cloud. And he hasn't even said it to _him_ yet! This fic is the definition of slow burn--we're all burning very, very slowly.
> 
> This chapter is a mix of emotions...! I used [this flash](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/144535269866/flash-time-23) for the bit between Tifa and Aerith as inspiration. I tend to use those flashes to gather ideas, whether they end up being canon or not. Poor Aerith is trying to be positive for everyone, but it's really tough. You know, I think even if Cissnei were ordered to take Zack in by force, she'd probably be lenient about it. She's good. 
> 
> I promise we'll have some good news next chapter, so stay tuned!


	26. Third Day

It took Cloud some time to realize that he was awake.

At first, he was aware of his neck, stiff beneath the sagging cushion of the couch. Then, the scent of it, carrying thirty years of mothballs and memories. And then, the darkness behind his eyes, tinged with a faint blue. _Ugh…_

One eye open, and then the other. His head swam as he tried to focus, the texture of the ceiling doubling in front of him. It was hazed with a wash of blue, and he blinked a few times until the color faded. _I’m...at Zack’s…? How did I get here…?_

_I’m so tired…_

Slowly, he tried to sit up, even when his muscles protested, burning in his back and shoulders. _It feels like I’ve been doing drills for days straight, with how sore I am._ Biting his lip, he managed to scoot up just enough so his head was propped against the armrest of the couch. _Feels like I'm sitting on something, at least my legs,_ he thought, squeezing his eyes shut again, then directing them forward. _Ah…_

On the opposite end, Zack was sleeping with the recliner up, and Cloud’s legs were draped over his thighs. He was snoring gently, head lolled on his shoulder toward him. _He’s been...out here?_ The familiar rush of blood to his cheeks made him feel more awake, and he tried to clear his throat. “Z...Zack?” he croaked, voice ragged from disuse. “Zack…”

Zack shook his head, forehead wrinkling. “Nnngh…” he groaned, resituating. “I’m still sleepin’...”

Cloud found himself grinning, and took a few moments to let the smile run its course on his face before stretching his legs out over him. This stirred Zack even more than his voice, his eyes opening a crack while his head bent forward. “Hn?” He stared at his legs for a moment, then glanced over to his face, eyes slowly widening. “C-Cloud?”

Zack’s entire face lit up, starting with his smile and ending with his forehead relaxing. “Hey, hey, sleepyhead,” he said, voice so gentle that it made Cloud hold his breath. Zack fussed with the recliner for a moment, trying to snap it back in, but abandoned it for the sake of scooting closer. “How’re you feeling?”

“T-tired,” Cloud yawned, stretching his arms up. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall opposite him. _It’s only noon? But it was 11-something last I remember…_ “How...long have I been asleep?”

“Three, four days?” Zack replied. His eyes darted all over his body, hands twitching at his sides. At last, he bit his lip and lunged forward, clutching Cloud close to his chest. “At least that…”

Cloud froze against him, inhaling the scent of his shirt. _Three days? Zack…_ Mustering his strength, Cloud weakly returned the hug and allowed Zack to adjust his posture, scooping him into his lap. He perched his head on top of his blond spikes. “God, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Zack whispered, lips against his head. He chuckled, but it was faint. “Th-thought I...was going to lose you for a sec, there…”

“I’m...okay,” Cloud replied into his shoulder. _I think._ He took a deep breath, then realized that his head had dropped onto his shoulder before he righted it. _I still feel woozy...but…_

His fingers curled at Zack’s shirt, and he felt a gentle pressure on the top of his head. _Being here...is good._

At last, Zack broke away from him, holding him at arm’s length with a grin. It faded slightly as he studied his eyes. “Shit, do you still have mako eye?” he muttered. He cupped his hands right around his eyes to shield the light, drawing close enough for their noses to touch. “I guess they aren’t _glowing_ anymore but…” He withdrew, allowing Cloud to breathe again. “Looks like that’s their new color.”

“What color are they?” Cloud asked, swinging his legs over the side of the couch. He stood upright, but vertigo throttled him, forcing him to flop back onto the couch. _My head’s spinning...I feel like I’m going to be sick…_ “N-nngh…”

“Easy, easy,” Zack said, steadying him back on the couch. “You stay there. Looks like you’re not at a hundred percent.” Worry etched itself onto his forehead, and Cloud noticed dark circles under his eyes for the first time. _He’s been worried. About me…_

Cloud blinked slow, the wave of nausea passing. “Yeah,” he mumbled, loosening his standard-class uniforms scarf around his neck. It fell onto his lap, and with it undone, he realized how warm he was. “So--”

“Here, can I get you anything?” Zack asked, leaping up from the couch. He also clearly stood up too fast, as he held his head. “Ugh, man, I _still_ haven’t slept that off…”

“What?” Cloud asked.

“Hangover,” he replied with a sheepish look before making his way into the kitchen. “Anything to drink, or eat? ...Oh, wait. That’s right, we don’t really have anything…” The sound of cupboards opening and shutting echoed through to Cloud’s ears. “I got paid yesterday, but I didn’t cash it because I was keeping an eye on you…”

Cloud smirked, but covered it with one hand. _He said he’d have my back no matter what, didn’t he? No matter what._ “You know what? That’s okay, I can just order in. Or something. Shit!” Zack dashed back into the living room, stopping short at the edge of the couch and looking around. “I ought to call Angeal, I told him I--”

His eye caught a notebook sitting on the edge of the coffee table, and he picked it up, scanning it over. “I _did_ end up finishing this,” he muttered, snorting. “Drunk me can do something right, I guess.” He tossed it back and clapped his hands, glancing back over to Cloud, red in his ears. “Ah...s-sorry, I’m just--I’m really glad you’re up and about!”

Cloud nodded, still hiding his smile. _I can tell._ Zack whirled in place for a second, clearly at a loss of what to do first, but he eventually settled on the phone at the wall by the door. After dialing, he leaned against the wall, staring at the table. “Guess it’s time to get my pager back into commission,” he muttered, then shot his eyes up. “Hey, Angeal, it’s Zack. Cloud’s awake. We’ll be in tomorrow. Call or page if you need me.” He hung up and swiped his pager and a set of batteries off the table. “That’s that…”

“You…you haven’t been on base?” Cloud asked.

“No, course not. Not after all that.” He raised his eyebrows at him as he clicked in the batteries. Immediately, the pager began beeping, and he clicked a button to silence it, fumbling. “Ah, you probably don’t remember much of anything, though…”

Cloud sucked in his cheeks and stared down at his lap. “Not...a lot,” he said. “When I got there, they took my vitals, then hooked me up to a machine…”

_(“Lay down, son,” the doctor said, pushing Cloud onto the stretcher by his chest. He looped a large bag of iridescent, blue-green liquid to the IV pole, screwing it into the slender tubes leading into his veins. “You’ll be much more comfortable…”_

_“Doctor?” A younger man--Cloud couldn’t imagine he was much older than himself--in a lab coat stared over the other one’s shoulder. “We’ve been giving the others just syringe injections--”_

_“I know,” he replied sharply, pressing a few buttons on the machine. It whirred to life, and began dripping down, thick and blue through the tubes. “And that’s fine. I’m taking these ones for my own research.”_

_“B-but sir--” He took a deep breath, as if reciting from a manual. “Standard-class mako boosters are only 10mL, often diluted with sugar water to ease--”_

_“You know what?” The doctor whirled on him, just as Cloud began to feel the first waves of fatigue sinking over his body. “You’re dismissed. Leave. Now.”)_

He shook his head. _I think I blanked out after that. Except…_ “I remember...you coming in sometime. I heard your voice.”

_(“Hey, Cloud, can you hear me?” Distant, as if called from miles away. “C-c’mon, wake up…”)_

Zack tilted his head. “You did, huh?” A crooked, relieved look took him over as he wandered back to the couch. He plopped right beside him, thighs flush against one another. “Yeah, things were taking too long, so I came in to check in on you. Good thing, too.”

The close contact would normally have caused Cloud’s heart to race, but he found it dulled by the fatigue still hanging heavy over him. “They...gave me too much mako, didn’t they?” he asked.

Zack nodded. _“Way_ too much. R-really...could’ve killed you. Christ…” He swallowed and hunched over, hands clasped together on his knees. A second of silence passed, then he chuckled, dry. “I was so pissed that I, uh...got into a little trouble.”

“Trouble?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Shouldn’t be. We’ll see when we go back.” He shook his head, and gave him another smile, sitting up to rub his back. “Shit, do you want something to change into? That uniform isn’t very comfy…”

“Er, s-sure,” Cloud said, making another attempt to stand up. He was met with success this time, able to stand steady, but even holding his arms out made him ache. “If I can even get out of it…”

“I can give you a hand,” Zack offered.

 _“No,”_ Cloud blurted, adrenaline racing through the back of his neck. The alertness it gave him was somewhat of a relief, sharpening his focus, but the heat in his face was unwelcome. “I-I think...think I can get it.”

Zack nodded, a half grin plastered on his face. “All right. I’ll grab you a t-shirt or something.” He hummed as he made his way into the bedroom, shuffling through clothes. “Jeez, I don’t know if any of my stuff is going to fit you, though…”

With a sigh, Cloud managed to undo his belt, sliding off the suspenders that were attached to it and letting them hit the ground with a clank. _At least I wasn’t wearing any of my armor, or I’d be even more stiff,_ he thought, staring into space. His fingers fudged with the buttons, a strange effort to push them through the holes. “Is Aerith at work?” he asked.

“Yeah, she’ll be back in the late afternoon,” Zack replied. “Tifa should be coming around, too--”

Three knocks on the door. “Hey, it’s me.”

Cloud’s head shot up, hands paused over his chest. _Ti._ “Would you look at that!” Zack exclaimed, bolting from the bedroom. “I’ve got it-- _fuck!”_ In his excitement, he forgot to duck out of the bedroom and whacked his head on the doorway, dropping a bundle of clothes in his arms.

Cloud snorted with amusement, even as Zack frowned and rubbed his head. _God, he’s cute._ “A-are you okay?” he asked, desperately trying not to snicker.

As soon as his eyes turned to Cloud, his face stretched into a grin--although it wasn’t one he was used to seeing. It was almost apprehensive, especially accompanied by a lip bite and a flush in his cheeks. _Zack…?_ “I’m good, I’m good,” he replied, immediately looking down and pulling at the back of his neck. “Damn...I-I’m comin’, Tifa!”

With an extra pair of lounging pants and a shirt over his arm, he unlocked the deadbolts and flung the door wide open. “Hey, look who’s up!” Zack said promptly, gesturing over to Cloud.

Tifa peered around him, then gasped. “Oh, thank God!” She ran over to him and hugged him tight, the force from it nearly knocking him over. The smell of mint and cigarettes wafted from her hair, and he returned her hug with a gentle touch around her back. “You’re awake…”

“Yeah,” Cloud replied, nodding. _You’ve been coming to visit too, haven’t you? Even though you’re working and everything. You would…_

_(Cloud coughed into his sleeve, sniffling as he swallowed and took another drag of his cigarette. “Why don’t you go home?” she said, hugging her leather jacket around her shoulders. Snow fell gently beyond the small shelter of the smoking area behind the school, and steam mixed with the smoke around them. “You’ll feel better if you rest…”_

_He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. It’s just a--” He sneezed, the ash from his cigarette dropping into the melting ice on the pavement. “J-just a cold…”_

_Tifa huffed. “God, you’re stubborn, sometimes,” she said. “I’ll come by to give you the homework we had.”_

_His eyes lit up. “Really?”_

_She raised her eyebrows with a smirk and a nod…)_

Cloud weaved on his feet, the strange, blue haze beginning to cloud his vision again. _How long ago was that?_ he thought, arms dropping away from Tifa’s back. _We were...juniors, maybe?_

_(“...Cloud…”)_

His eyes began to flutter shut.

_(“Thanks for letting me stay over tonight,” Tifa said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Dad was being an asshole…”)_

“Cloud? _Cloud!”_

Tifa’s hands gripped him by his arms, jerking him back awake into the present. Auburn eyes darted all about him, studying his face with intense scrutiny. “I-I’m…” Cloud said thickly, as the haze faded and brought his surroundings back to true color. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth as he struggled to continue. “I’m…” _I’m still recovering. God, I hope this doesn’t last for too long…_

Tifa’s gaze was drawn upward, and Cloud felt Zack’s hand on his shoulder. “Take it easy,” he murmured, holding him steady as she relaxed her grip. “He’s still a little woozy...but hey, he’s up and about…!”

“Guess that’s true,” she replied, not completely convinced. Zack assisted in easing Cloud back to the couch, while Tifa sat beside him, still fixated on his face. “Your eyes…”

“Bright, aren’t they?” Zack interjected, laying his clothes on Cloud’s lap. “They aren’t glowing anymore, so that’s probably how they’ll stay.”

Cloud gathered the bundle on his lap, fingers acutely aware of the texture of the fabric. “What color are they?” he said. _Well, I can talk again. Zack didn’t answer me last time…_

_(he was too excited to see you)_

_...ah._

“They’re…” Tifa started, turning his head toward her with one hand. Her fingers were cool on his cheek. “Like...a really bright blue. Like a robin’s egg, or cyan.”

“That’s what mako’ll do.” Zack paced in front of the couch, though his gaze kept drifting back to Cloud. “Angeal told me his were brown before SOLDIER. So were Gen’s, I guess. Dunno about Seph…”

“What about you?” Tifa asked.

“I’ve always had blue,” he replied, fluttering them. A smile fled to Cloud’s face before he could stop it, but Tifa rolled her eyes. “They’re just a little brighter now than they were as a kid. Usually mako doesn’t do much if you’re already blue, but...the sheer _amount_ they gave you I guess did that…”

Cloud nodded, and silence fell among them. _I wonder what’s going to happen now,_ he thought. Beside him, Tifa’s hands fidgeted in her lap, while Zack stared out the small window. _I guess I’m SOLDIER 3rd-class now, but how is going to work now that I’m still recovering from the mako?_

_(you’re still too weak)_

Cloud winced. _No, that’s not it. They gave me too much,_ way _too much, for some_

_(research experiment)_

_reason…_

“Oh--!” Tifa nudged him. “Your mom called me. When did you give her my new number?”

“Huh? Really?” he said, blinking. “Not too long after you gave it to me, I think…”

“She said you haven’t called her in a week--!” she exclaimed, crossing her arms. “She’s been worried!”

Zack laughed. “Shit, you sound just like Aerith talking to me when I don’t call my mother,” he said, pacing back across the room. “But she was probably expecting good news from you soon, Cloud…”

“Yeah.” _I was here last weekend, and then it’s been a few days that I’ve been out...it hasn’t been a_ full _week but…_ “I’ll...call her when I’m back on base.”

“You guys are going back?” Tifa asked.

“Yeah, we’ve got to,” Zack replied, hands on his hips. “I’ve got to have some words with the higher ups at Shinra about this. It ain’t right.” His eyes narrowed and he shook his head. “It just...ain’t right.”

He sighed out of his nose, and his expression cleared when he turned to the two on the couch. “Hey, enough about that, though,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Cloud’s up, we should celebrate! Here, ah…” He looked back and forth, then settled on squatting by the TV and pulling out a wicker basket with a clatter. “I can put on a movie, order in some grub once Aerith gets in…”

Tifa leaned against Cloud’s shoulder. “I was...worried,” she murmured. “I...I wasn’t--”

“It’s okay,” he found himself replying into the side of her hair, scrunching Zack’s t-shirt in his lap with one hand. “I’ll...be all right.” _I think I’ll be all right. I don’t really know anything about mako, but...I feel like the worst is over. Once these dizzy spells go…_

His eyes flicked back over to Zack. He had paused in his rummaging, looking over at the pair (mostly Cloud) with a glazed look. As soon as he was caught however, he quickly turned his attention back. “Ah, you guys like _The Breakfast Club?”_ he asked, holding up the VHS tape and opening it up. “It’s one of the few that’s rewound…”

“You guys don’t rewind your tapes when you’re done?” Tifa exclaimed. “God, rental places must _hate_ you.”

“Hey now, we are kind! We rewind!” he retorted, snapping it out of the case. He eased himself fully onto the floor, legs crossed, and turned on both the TV and the VCR below it. “Just...not as much when it’s our stuff. Aerith falls asleep on me, or we start making out--”

 _“God,”_ Tifa huffed, scrunching her face. Cloud found himself biting the inside of his cheek. _I bet they never finish a movie together._

_(wouldn’t you like it to be the same for you?)_

Zack winked at her, then turned to Cloud. “Hey, if you want to try and change in our room, go right ahead.”

“Okay,” Cloud said. Gathering the clothes in his arms, he stood and took measured steps around the coffee table into Zack and Aerith’s bedroom. Walking proved to be easier than he expected, even if his feet dragged beneath him. He gingerly took off his shirt, the buttons going by easier this time, and slid off his pants, a neatly folded paper falling out of the pocket. _Shoot. I need to keep track of that,_ he thought, slowly bending over to pick it up. His dog tags fell forward and back against his chest as he turned it over in his fingers. The writing was dense enough that the words nearly bled through to the blank side of the note. _I’ll...give it to him sometime. Soon. If I can get the courage to…_

He tucked it back into the pocket of his uniform, out of sight. From the living room, Zack and Tifa’s voices carried. “Hey, don’t start it! Wait ‘til he gets back!” “I’m waiting, I’m waiting! Jeez, I didn’t even touch anything!”

Cloud smirked and shook his head, pulling the t-shirt over his head. It fell past his crotch, just like the dress shirt he had worn for the gala. _Figures._ The pants Zack had given him were easy to put on, but barely fit on his hips, threatening to slide down over his ass. Pulling the drawstring around the waist solved this problem, but he kept stepping on the cuffs as he shuffled out. _His stuff’s so big,_ he thought, wobbling to the couch. _But...it’s his,_

_so that’s all right._

He took a seat next to Tifa, and Zack immediately joined him on his other side. “Scoot over,” he said, ruffling his hair. “Can’t let Tifa hog you all to herself.”

“Hey!” she said, leaning forward to scowl at him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not ‘hogging’! You’ve been here the whole time, anyway…”

“Not when he’s been awake!” Zack insisted, scooting closer. “C’mon, it’s starting…”

* * *

 

Aerith was surprised that none of the deadbolts she had become accustomed to unlocking over the week were locked when she arrived back home. _Huh. I wonder what the occasion could be._ She unlocked the door handle and slipped inside, quickly shutting the door behind her. As soon as her eyes focused, she grinned. _Oh, good._

In the center of the couch was Cloud, surrounded by Tifa and Zack on either side. Tifa was curled up close to Cloud, leaning on his shoulder, while he was leaning against Zack in turn. Zack had his arm around the back of the couch, but Aerith could tell it was slipping, threatening to drape right around Cloud’s shoulders. The TV blared dialogue from the movie they were watching: _“What’s the matter John? You gonna cry?” “Hey, keep your fuckin’ hands off me! I’d expect better manners from you, dick…”_

Zack glanced up at the movement from the door. “Oh, hey, babe,” he greeted. He let his arm drop to Cloud, squeezing him against him and dragging him out of his daze. “Look who finally woke up!”

“I told you he would,” Aerith replied, flashing a wide smile to the entire group. “How’re you feeling, Cloud?”

He blinked up at her. _God, his eyes are bright still, way brighter than Zack’s._ “Okay,” he said quietly, offering her an equally subdued smile. _But, that’s still the Cloud we know._

“Good,” she said. She felt Tifa’s eyes on her, and offered her a wink as she crossed her arms. “There’s just one problem, though.”

“Huh?” Zack said, shifting. “Wh-what is it?”

She tried to put on a serious face, but it lasted for only a second. “There’s no room for me,” she concluded, shuffling off her shoes. “Well, you know what that means--!”

Aerith dashed to the couch, dress fluttering behind her, and flopped herself over the laps of all three of them, her head right below Tifa. _“Hey!”_ Zack cried, laughing as he resituated her legs.

“I could’ve scooted over!” Tifa exclaimed, pink rising in her cheeks.

“But this is so comfy!” Aerith insisted, wiggling her rear. It got a chuckle out of Cloud, and a beaming grin from Zack. _This is it,_ she thought, hiding her glee by turning toward the TV. _This is the goal. The four of us..._ “Ooh, _Breakfast Club,_ huh? Nice.”

“Oh, Aerith, wanna do me a favor?” Zack said, patting her knees. “Do you want to order something for us to eat?”

“How about _you_ order it, and go cash your damn check already,” she replied, sitting up just to poke him in the nose.

“Oh, yeah.” He stared up at the ceiling and huffed. “Still, I’d rather get on base to make sure everything’s cool before I go into anymore places where I could bump into Shinra faculty--”

“I’ll order,” Tifa interrupted, trying to worm her way out from underneath Aerith. “Vincent left me a nice tip a couple days ago, it’s on me--”

“Are you sure?” Aerith asked. “Zack can handle it, if he’d get off his ass--” She kicked against his legs.

 _“Hey,_ watch it!” Zack tried to hold her still, pushing her away from his crotch.

 _He can’t be that concerned,_ Aerith thought with amusement as she stared Zack dead in the eye, _if he’s still got one arm around Cloud…_ If he knew the intention behind her look, he didn’t address it, only sticking her tongue out at her. “Besides, you probably have to get back to the bar, right?” she continued.

“I’ll call in and ask if I can stay,” Tifa said. With this, Aerith sat up enough to let her rise from the couch. “I-I mean, Cloud’s awake now, so I think it’ll be okay.”

“Yeah!” Aerith swung her legs around so she was sitting proper, and gave Cloud a hug from the side. “Oh, it’s good to see you looking better,” she said.

“Y-yeah,” he replied simply, chuckling and keeping his steadily reddening face turned down at his lap.

Aerith giggled and snuck a look at Zack. He was distracted by Cloud, a gentle smile on his own face as he rubbed the side of his shoulder. _And it’s good to see the same for you,_ she thought.

“Hey, Barret. ...Yeah, things are good, actually!” Tifa spun toward them, a grin on her face. “Cloud woke up, and we were thinking of having dinner here together. If that’s okay. ...All right. ...Yeah, I’ll be home by 9. ...Bye.” She hung up with an affirmative click, hands on her hips. “Well, that was easy.”

“Yay!” Aerith exclaimed. “Now, come sit!” She patted her lap.

“E-er…!” Tifa burned red and returned her attention back to the phone. “I-I’m going to order food f-first!”

Aerith shook her head, sinking back into the couch. Her eyes wandered to the top of the TV, where the vase full of white roses were still fresh and vibrant. _My flowers are in full bloom,_ she mused.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you things would get better! Cloud is still pretty woozy, but he's conscious and doing all right for the most part! Zack is a very tall puppy with a huge crush. Aerith is slowly seeing things come together...but there's still time to wait for the pieces to really fit. 
> 
> (Also, I've never seen _The Breakfast Club_.)
> 
> Let's see, next chapter, Zack and Cloud head back on base. Stay tuned!


	27. Return

Zack bit his lip as him and Cloud stood in front of the main entrance of Shinra HQ.  _ I checked my pager last night, and there were only a couple things from Angeal and an automated thing from HQ.  _ He sighed and glanced at Cloud, back in uniform, staring straight ahead.  _ Even after what he said… _

_ (“Hello?” he answered.  _

“Hey. It’s Angeal. Sorry for calling you so late.”

_ “No big deal. We’d just gone to bed.” Behind him, Cloud opened one eye, covered in a blanket on the couch. “What’s up?” _

“Just wanted to tell you that you’re all set to come in tomorrow.”

_ “All right.” He gripped the receiver. “What should I...expect? Got a page from HQ that didn’t sound too good--”  _

_ To his surprise, Angeal chuckled.  _ “Ignore that one. Anything from them is outdated at this point. Just come in with Cloud like normal and we’ll go from there.”)

_...I can’t help but be a little nervous.  _

He clapped Cloud’s back and rubbed it. “What do you say?” he asked, slapping on a brave face for himself. “Ready to go?” 

Cloud nodded, meeting his eyes with a firm look. “Mmn,” he replied. “Let’s...let’s go.” 

_ God, even with that new shade, him looking up at me like that still gives me a rush.  _ He led the way, holding the door back for him.  _ I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.  _ Zack smirked as he adjusted his guitar case on his shoulder, just beyond the armor on his uniform.  _ I don’t think I want to.  _

They walked past the front desk over past to the elevators. “All righty, first thing we should do is get you to the 3rd-class barracks,” Zack instructed. “They’ve probably cleaned out your old room by now…”

“Shoot,” Cloud muttered. “I wonder if they kept my bags?”

Zack twisted his neck as he hit the up button. “We’ll see. What’d you have, mostly clothes?”

“Y-yeah, that’s about it, and some other--”

“Hold up, 1st-class Fair.”

Zack jerked to attention, as did Cloud, standing rigid and tall. “Sir!” he barked. Adrenaline spiked through his hands, but relaxed when the voice came into view. “Oh…!” 

Genesis sauntered over to them, pulling one hand out of his uniform pocket to wave two fingers down at them. “At ease,” he muttered, walking right up to Cloud. “Kid, look right at me.” 

“A-ah…” Cloud did as he was told, but his hands balled into fists, quivering at his sides.

“Shit,” Genesis cursed, squinting. “100 mL, huh? Must’ve been nothing but mako...it’s a miracle you’re on your feet.” 

Cloud had nothing to say to this, but Zack took a half step in front of him in an attempt to shield him without making it obvious. “It took a few days, but yeah,” Zack said. “So...? What’s up?”

He looked him over and snorted. “I’ve got the details on your debriefing. You know, after the stunt you pulled.” Genesis gave another dry chuckle as he crossed his arms. “Standard-class Strife.”

“Y-yeah?” Cloud said.

“You will be fully rehabilitated to adjust to the excess mako. Rehab’s up on the 5th floor.”

“Who’s overseeing it?” Zack demanded. “It better not be Hojo--”

“Don’t worry about that. You shouldn’t be seeing that bastard again.” Genesis’ lip curled up briefly, then turned his attention back to Cloud. “You’ll also be promoted to 2nd-class, stationed right here in Midgar.”

“Really?” he blurted. “E-er, I mean, y-yes, sir…”

“At ease, I already told you,” Genesis dismissed, sighing through his nose. “Zack, as for you, you’ll be getting a little pay bump, locked in with the rest of us Midgar 1sts.” 

His jaw dropped.  _ “What?  _ Are you kidding me?”  _ This is the exact  _ opposite  _ of what I was expecting when I got here. A demotion, a pay cut, suspension, or just anything. Something’s up.  _ “So...what’s the catch?”

“You knew there’d be one, didn’t you?” Genesis’ voice dropped low and deadpan. “The two of you cannot speak  _ a word  _ of the incident. To  _ anyone.”  _ He ran his tongue over his teeth, eyes darting around them. “You can’t help who you’ve told already, but--”

“What happens if I do?” Zack challenged.  _ Like hell I’d let this slide. My company is my responsibility--! _

He wasn’t afraid to challenge back--even though he couldn’t begin to match him in height, he still stood as tall as he could, and the intensity in his eyes was palpable. “You’re both fired,” Genesis replied. “And that’s the  _ kindest  _ way to say it. God knows what else.” 

_ Damn it.  _ “B-but…” Zack hissed. His hands flexed against his arms, his one bare hand gripping tighter than the other. “They’re just going to sweep it under the rug, huh? What about the rest of my company? Th-the...ones who didn’t live to talk?” 

Cloud jerked up to meet his eyes. “What…?” 

_ I didn’t get to tell him that,  _ Zack realized as he looked down. _ I was too...too relieved that he wasn’t one of them.  _ Cloud’s hair was a barely tamed mess of blond spikes, framing his thin face, bony cheeks, and pale complexion.  _ I was...too worried about you.  _

_ (out of tune twanging strings, and even sloppier singing,  _ “How will I know when most of me is getting there?”,  _ but as loud as he sang, he wouldn’t wake up…) _

Zack sighed.  _ Soon. I’m getting there. _

“Shinra will bullshit something, you know how it goes,” Genesis continued. He swept his hair back, tucking it behind his ear to once again reveal the feather earring on the left side. “Can’t ruin their pristine reputation to ‘service the public’, you know.”

“It still isn’t fair,” Zack growled. “How can they just--”

“Z-Zack…” Beside him, Cloud was starting to weave, eyes unfocused. “N-nngh…”

“Whoa, whoa--!” He caught him with both hands on his back, keeping him steady. “You all right? Easy, now…”

Cloud blinked hard, then shook his head. “Y-yeah…” he replied. “I’m...just dizzy…”

Genesis watched them for a moment, as Zack kept one hand on his back, then sighed. “You should get right up to rehab,” he said finally. “I’m officially supposed to ask if you ‘accept the terms of your return’, or something, but--”

“Yeah, fine,” Zack grunted, rubbing Cloud’s back in small circles. “What else are we going to do?”  _ The only reason Aerith and I manage that apartment is because of me, even if it’s just barely enough. And Cloud’s worked so hard to get here… _

_...only to realize that it’s...like this. I didn’t even know, or realize.  _ Genesis only nodded to him, then Cloud.  _ He knew, and probably Angeal did too.  _ “Check in at the 2nd-class barracks too,” Genesis directed. “30th floor. Go on.” 

Cloud nodded, and finally, Zack dropped his hand away from him. “I’ll...see you later,” he said.

Zack gave him a little salute. “You bet. I’ll catch up with you when you’re done, 2nd-class.”

He winked, and it brought a small smile to Cloud’s face, and a warm rush to Zack’s. He couldn’t help but watch him all the way, right until he disappeared into the elevator. So distracted, that he didn’t sense Genesis right behind him until he bumped his arm. “Let me tell you something,” he whispered.

Zack jumped and spun around. “Wh-what now?” he replied. Instinctively, he bent down, but was relieved to find that the pungent smell of weed wasn’t draped around him.  _ Sober, huh?  _

“If you care about him,” he hissed, sourness dripping from his expression. “Don’t you  _ dare _ let him out of your sight. Understand?” He huffed, looking off. “He’ll be fine for right now, but especially once he’s out of rehab...don’t let them get their hands on him again.”

“Yeah,” Zack replied.  _ He’s serious, he’s dead serious,  _ he thought while Genesis’ fingers fished around in his belt. He produced a pack of cigarettes from them, though when he popped the pack open, all of them had the tobacco side up. Brown was mixed with green at the tips, but he withdrew a standard one to tuck behind his ear.  _ It makes me wonder...what the other guys went through to get to 1st.  _

_ (“It’s a long story. Hopefully one you’ll never have to hear.”) _

Genesis tucked his pack away. “You’re coming to rehearsal tonight?” he asked, scanning the case on his back.

“Mmm, yeah,” Zack replied, running his thumb behind the strap of his case. “Actually, I’ve, uh...got a song I wrote while I was gone--”

“First day back and you’re already going to make Seph squirm?” he chuckled. “I like it.” 

Zack snorted. “Yeah, well...it’s just a little something.”  _ Don’t keep your eyes off him.  _ “Should I go...up and make sure he’s all right?”

Genesis shrugged, but his eyes stayed steady. “If you want. It wouldn’t be a bad idea.” He pulled the cigarette from his ear and stuck it between his lips. “Just page in so HQ knows your here.”

“Right.”  _ Don’t know if I really want to,  _ he thought.  _ If I could… _

_ I’d take Cloud and Aerith and just...leave. Go back to Gongaga, or someplace where they wouldn’t find us…  _ Zack wandered to the elevator and hit the call button, staring at his shoes.  _ Who knows, though.  _ He played with his pager on his belt, flicking at the screen.  _ Who fuckin’ knows... _

Genesis’ voice interrupted his thoughts. “One more thing,” he said, turned away from him. “Angeal wants to talk to you sometime today.”

* * *

 

The day passed without incident, which Zack was thankful for as he flung open his locker.  _ No one even gave me a second glance,  _ he thought, stripping his uniform and piling it in a heap at the bottom of the locker. His dog tags--one silver, one black--jingled against his bare chest as he threw on a t-shirt, fluffing his hair as soon as it was over his head.  _ It’s eerie. I still don’t get it, really, but…  _

Zipping up his pants, he grabbed his guitar case and slammed the door, leaning his head against it.  _ I shouldn’t complain, should I? Cloud’s all right, and I still have a job. Is it because I was doing so well before? But...ugh.  _

_ Who knows, maybe Angeal will be able to explain something… _

The elevator was empty on his way down to the 3rd floor, and he spent his descent pacing and humming to himself.  _ I hope Cloud did all right getting squared away with his 2nd-class stuff. Putting him there right away is going to be tough, but he’ll manage. I know he will.  _ Zack smirked to himself as the door opened, and he jogged down the hallway to the rehearsal room.  _ Cloud... _

He pushed open the door, expecting to find the group already practicing, but the only one there was Angeal, sitting in one of the folding chairs. The chair creaked when he leaned over it, and he gave him a one fingered salute. “Hey…!” Zack greeted, dropping off his guitar by the amp and sitting beside him. “Where’s everyone else?”

“I told them both to come in a little later,” Angeal said with a nod. “Gen got to tell you everything?”

“Well...kind of?” Zack replied. “Just the basics, I guess...you meant it when you said you’d take care of it, huh?”

“Took a bit, but we did.” Angeal crossed his arms. “Took a couple rounds of negotiations, but we got you off the hook.” 

“Seph and Gen, too?”

“Yeah. You’d be surprised how helpful they can be when they don’t have their heads shoved up their asses.” Angeal chuckled dryly. “Nah, we’ve all...we’ve all been there. All of us had to deal with this bullshit in one way or another.” He shook his head and grimaced. “I thought I had you in the clear.”

“Apparently not.”

A quiet settled between them for a moment, and Angeal gazed in soft focus at his drum kit. “When I got my 2nd-class booster,” he started softly. “I blacked out. I woke up in Genesis’ apartment covered in needle bruises. All over my arms.” Angeal held them out, palms open. “He was the same way. ‘What the hell did they do to us?’, he said. When we got back on base, they wouldn’t give us a straight answer.”

Zack stared at Angeal, studying the creases in his face. “They...experimented on you?” he muttered.

He shrugged. “Maybe they did. Maybe they didn’t. But we made some noise, and they didn’t touch us again.” He tilted his head to the side. “Back when Seph first made SOLDIER, Shinra got a hold of him too. Gen was livid--more afraid, than anything. Lucky for him, Sephiroth came out without a scratch on him. I still don’t know if that was because Gen tried to meddle in there, though.” 

_ This is what he didn’t want to tell me,  _ Zack thought, a hand over his mouth.  _ After I kept spouting about the honor of being in SOLDIER when I first joined up...Christ almighty… _

“You know what it is to be 1st-class,” Angeal continued. “We’re powerful. Sephiroth took on an entire army, and you or I could do the same. He just got the glory. We’re...not like normal people anymore.” He looked him in the eye. “I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.” 

Zack nodded slowly. “Y-yeah. I...have.” 

_ (Aerith swung her legs underneath the bench. “You know something?” she said. _

_ Zack crossed his arms over his 2nd-class uniform. “What’s that?”  _

_ “I…” She bit her lip and glanced up at the plate. “I always thought SOLDIER were really scary when I was a kid. It’d be unsettling when you’d see one wandering in the slums, with those eyes--” _

_ Zack leaned over to her, bumping his head against hers. He spoke only when she looked up at him. “Do these eyes scare you?” he asked, tapping his temple.  _

_ She hesitated for a moment, before she smiled. “No…”) _

Angeal stood up and stretched, his black t-shirt riding up a hair before his arms came down. “I can bet what you’re thinking now,” he said.

“What’s that?” Zack asked, leaning back. 

He walked over to his drum kit and began rummaging through his bag behind it. “You want to take Cloud and Aerith and run away. Get out of here, so they don’t do anything else to him, or to you.”

_ Christ, you can read me like a book, too.  _ “Y-yeah, actually,” Zack replied with a nod. “It...crossed my mind…” 

To his surprise, Angeal laughed, rising with a necklace in his hand. He began to spin it around his wrist, fast enough so Zack couldn’t discern the pendant. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” he said.

The sarcasm in his voice was heavy.  _ Shit.  _ “I...can’t, can I?” Zack muttered. 

Angeal caught the pendant in his palm. “You could, but you wouldn’t get very far,” he replied, and his gaze grew sharp. “Sooner or later, they’d find you,

and they’d kill you. They’d kill her, and they’d kill him too.” 

A chill washed over Zack, nearly taking his breath away as it sat in the pit of his stomach.  _ They’d… _

_ (shrill screaming, faceless soldiers forcing her to the ground. “Zack! Zack, help me!”) _

_...kill… _

_ (fear showing the whites around his cyan blue eyes right before impact--) _

_...us… _

_ (staring down the barrel of a gun, right until they shove it into my mouth and pull the trigger--) _

Zack slapped his cheeks, snapping him out of his thoughts. A cold sheen of sweat had already beaded on his brow. “Trust me on this one,” Angeal muttered. “I wouldn’t--hey, you all right?”

A hand on his shoulder jumped him. “Oh, y-yeah,” Zack muttered in reply, trying to control his breathing so it wasn’t so shallow. “Just...spooked me, y’know? I wouldn’t...I…”

Angeal sat back down beside him, keeping his arm on his shoulder. “I know, I know,” he said. “You want to protect the people you care about, right?”

Zack nodded.  _ More than anything...Aerith, and Cloud… _

_ The more I think about it, the more I don’t want to have one without the other.  _

“We…” Angeal started, staring up at the ceiling, then smirked to himself. “Well, like Gen’ll say, we have the powers of gods, practically, but...we’re tethered here. We all came here thinking that being SOLDIER would mean the highest honor--and in some ways, sure, it does…” He finally withdrew his arm from around Zack and stroked his chin once. “But it comes at a price.”

He opened his palm to reveal the pendant on the necklace he was holding--it was a single, white feather, with black at the very tip. A set of three blue beads held it together on the long ball chain. “Someone once told me, that wings represent freedom for those who have none,” Angeal said, holding the necklace out in front of them. “I made this when you made 3rd-class, hoping that I’d never have to give it to you.”

Zack watched the feather spin on its chain, and drop into his lap. He clumsily caught it with one hand. “It’s yours now,” Angeal said. “Welcome to the club.” 

_ That’s why…  _ Zack turned the necklace over in his own hands, feeling the softness of the feather beneath his fingertips.  _ Wings represent freedom for those who have none. Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth all made it to 1st, they’re all powerful SOLDIERs, but… _

_ They don’t feel free. They’ve all been fucked over by this place… _

_...and now, so have I.  _

Zack hung the necklace over his head--it draped right below his pecs, as well as below where his dog tags were underneath his shirt. “Thanks, Angeal,” he said quietly, running his fingers over the feather again.

“We’re all in this together,” Angeal reassured, walking around to his kit. “Even Gen was shaken up when he saw Cloud. And Sephiroth did a lot of the legwork--”

“Hey, are you guys done yet?” Genesis burst into the band room, bass on his back and immediately heading over to his amp. He had a pair of headphones draped over his neck, and a tape player Walkman attached to his belt. “He said he’s got a song that he wrote, and I can’t  _ wait  _ to see Seph freak the fuck out…”

“Is that right?” Angeal said, winking at Zack. He managed to smirk in reply, although the chill of Angeal’s words still echoed in his core.  _ I’ll...have to do the best I can,  _ he thought, glancing between Genesis and Angeal.  _ They make the best of it, so...I will too.  _

Genesis took off the headphones and snapped his tape player open. “Another thing,” he said. He yanked the tape out and flung it at Angeal--it missed its target and crashed on the ride cymbal, eventually clattering to the floor. “Fuck you.”

Despite the crude curse, a serene look crossed Angeal’s face as he picked up the tape and stuffed it into his bag. “The gift that keeps on giving,” he muttered to himself, just loud enough for Zack to hear.  _ Must be that tape again,  _ he thought, covering his face.  _ Angeal sure makes the most of all this… _

Sephiroth entered next, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He nodded to the group individually, but lingered at Zack. He walked right up to him, staring at the feather. “So, you know?” he asked.

_ I...think so?  _ Zack nodded anyway.  _ The way he’s looking at me makes me think that there’s  _ more,  _ but hell if there is.  _ “Y-yeah.”

“It’s a cruel reality,” he said, flicking his bangs out of his face. “But we manage. As long as we assert our power, they cannot touch us.” 

“That’s right,” Genesis remarked, plugging his bass in. 

“Oh good, you two are matching,” Angeal commented. As Sephiroth leaned over to unlatch his case, his own feather earring dropped into view. “Perfect for the occasion.” 

Sephiroth scowled.  _ “What  _ occasion,” he growled.

“Go on, Zack,” Angeal said, taking his seat at his kit, rummaging below for his sticks. 

“Huh? Oh--”  _ Great, make me do this on my own--!  _ He cleared his throat and unzipped his case, yanking out his notebook first and straightening it in front of him. “While uh...while Cloud was sick, I...wrote a song. Thought maybe...you guys could give it a listen, see what you think?”

“You? Wrote a  _ song?”  _ Sephiroth exclaimed, whirling on him. “I didn’t expect that from  _ you.”  _

“Well, maybe I’m full of surprises,” Zack retorted, setting the notebook beside him while he pulled out his guitar, flicking the strings as it came out. 

“Hmph.” Sephiroth grunted as he shoved his guitar against the amp. “I thought we were going to go over what songs we were going to gig with…” 

_ “And  _ play the songs you need a second guitarist for,” Angeal added. “What was it you said the other day? ‘I wish Zack were here--’”

“I said  _ nothing  _ of the sort,” Sephiroth interjected, curling his lip as he ripped a folding chair from the opposite side of Zack and set it up beside his amp. “Not that we can do any of  _ that  _ today, now that we have to listen to this…” 

“Weren’t you  _ also  _ saying you wanted some new material?” Genesis leaned against his amp, idly playing exercises to himself, strings making a metallic thwap over the fretboard. “We’ve got it right here.” 

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “If, and  _ only if  _ it’s good enough.” He squinted at Zack. “Don’t just sit there, plug in, damn it!”

“R-right.” Zack leaped to his feet, slinging the strap over his shoulder and grabbed for a cable lying on the ground.  _ This is what I was expecting,  _ he thought, plugging in with a squelching screech. “Hey now!” he yelped, spinning down the volume knob, mouth dry.  _ Angeal’s talk distracted me, I was all prepared for this and now… _

_...hell, I’m a little nervous. It’s not your typical  _

_ (love) _

_ song… _

He dragged the chair that held his notebook up just in front of the microphone, propping it against the back so he could see it without bending his head too far. “All right,” Zack muttered, glancing at his bandmates. “Hey, before I get started...thanks for helping me out with all this. The thing with Cloud.” He bit his lip and chuckled. “Ah, I thought for sure I was going to get fired, or worse…”

To his surprise, it was Sephiroth who replied. “Don’t mention it,” he muttered, arms crossed over his chest. “Are you going to play, or what?”

Zack nodded, clearing his throat. “Yeah. Okay.” Carefully adjusting the volume on his guitar, he kept his eyes on his notebook for comfort, and fingerpicked the first chord.

* * *

 

Cloud sat on the stretcher in the rehab center, watching the sun begin to set over the Midgar badlands. His arm was hooked up to a blood pressure machine, carefully ticking away his vitals with a low beep.  _ 2nd-class,  _ he thought to himself, looking down at his own uniform. The purple, sleeveless turtleneck smelled of bleach, crisp and stiff against his chest.  _ That’s what I get for being knocked out for four days, huh? That means a pay bump, too… _

_ I’ll have to let Mom and Tifa know… _

“Okay, okay.” A woman in a lab coat rushed into his room, carrying a clipboard in her arms. She swept her tall bangs out of her face and pushed her glasses up. “Cloud Strife, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. 

Ponytail bouncing on her back, she took note of the blood pressure machine and jotted down some notes. “Well, your vitals are stable, that’s good. A little low, but that’s to be expected…” 

She slipped the pen she was using into the top of her ponytail while the air escaped from the cuff around Cloud’s arm. With clean efficiency, she tore apart the velcro and fully released him, letting him stretch out his hand. “Look at me?” she requested. She held a small, magnifying instrument in her hand and used it to inspect his eyes. “The nurse told me you were comatose for around 96 hours?” 

“I-if that’s four days, then yes, ma’am,” Cloud said with a nod. 

“And you’ve been having dizzy spells since you woke up?”

“Correct.”

“Could you tell me more about that?” 

“Er…” He took a deep breath. “I just...see a blue haze over everything, and then I start to pass out. There’s been someone to snap me out of it so far…”

She nodded, withdrawing her pen again and writing down a few more notes. “I’m going to be the doctor taking care of you while you’re here,” she said gently, offering him a small smile. “Your body’s getting used to the mako, still, so…”

“Dr. Crescent?” A nurse knocked on the side of the doorframe. “Dr. Hojo wanted to talk to you down in the main labs...”

She turned to the nurse, clutching her clipboard a little closer to her. “Can it wait?” she requested. “I’ve been assigned here, and I have a patient to look after.”

The nurse drummed their fingers on the side of the doorframe. “Okay,” they said. “He’ll probably page you, though…”

“I know. Thank you.” She gave them a tight-lipped smile before turning back to Cloud. “My boss can be...demanding. But, you won’t be seeing anymore of him, hopefully.” Lucretia said with a sigh, pulling a pair of gloves from her coat. “Let me take your bloodwork…”

She readied a needle from a nearby tray.  _ Anymore?  _ Cloud thought.  _ Does that mean…?  _ “Um, ma’am?” he asked.

“Yes?” 

“Was that...Dr. Hojo, was he the one who...gave me the mako?” 

She was ready to poke the needle into the crease of his arm, but paused to steady her fingers. “Yes, unfortunately,” she muttered, drawing blood into a small vial. Cloud found that he didn’t even feel the prick against his skin.  _ I’m usually pretty sensitive to needles…  _ “And I was...the one who let 1st-class Fair take you away.” 

Cloud’s mouth fell open.  _ Zack mentioned a doctor that helped him get me unhooked, before he carried me out. This...must be her.  _ “M-ma’am…”

She folded a small patch of gauze over the needle prick and held it firmly against him. “You can call me Lucretia,” she said.

* * *

 

The hum of Zack’s guitar rang through the rehearsal room as he panted at the mic.  _ I’ve never sang that loud before,  _ he thought, wiping his brow with the back of his arm.  _ But, this is a song that is meant to be sung with everything I’ve got… _

_ Everything… _

A wash of emotion flooded him suddenly, stinging behind his eyes, and he blinked up at the ceiling to ease it.  _ C’mon, Zack… _

“Are you okay?” Sephiroth asked. He was leaned forward in his seat--in fact, all of the 1sts were staring at him quite intently; from Genesis leaned against his amp, to Angeal at his kit. 

“Y-yeah, I’m good--” Zack coughed and cleared his throat. “I’m good…”

Silence settled among the group.  _ Well, was it decent? Worth the nights I stayed up working on it? I wouldn’t have slept anyway, because of him, but… _

Genesis was the first to move, turning up his bass. “Play the chorus again. Just the chords, you don’t have to sing,” he said.

“Sure.” 

It was a simple two chord vamp, but Genesis clearly had something in mind--he pedaled the roots at first, then began to walk them together as Zack moved from chord to chord. He looked to Angeal, slowly walking in front of his kit. “Have something to go with it?” Genesis asked.

“Ah…” Angeal scooped up his sticks, hitting the kick drum with his foot in rhythm. “Let’s see…”

Genesis swiped his finger across his throat to Zack, who choked his hand up the neck of his guitar. He kept his bass groove going, while Angeal complimented it with a simple, shuffle beat. “Like this?” Angeal said.

He tilted his head back and forth. “Could add a little something to it, if you wanted. Maybe simpler is better--”

_ “Hey,”  _ Sephiroth interrupted sharply. “Is  _ no one  _ going to ask what  _ I  _ think?” 

“Ho, for fuck’s sake,” Genesis said, the whole thing coming out as a single sigh. He whirled around and spoke louder. “Oh great angel of darkness, what is your holy judgement?” 

Sephiroth sneered at him and tucked one of his bangs back with only his middle finger, aimed right in his direction.  _ “Anyway... _ I think it has potential, Zack,” he concluded. He stood up and snatched his notebook from its resting place, giving it a once over. “God, your handwriting is atrocious…”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize anyone else was really going to be  _ reading  _ it,” Zack replied, barely realizing his left hand was shivering over the fretboard. He snatched it away and squeezed it into a fist behind his back to quell it. 

After scanning the notebook for a moment, Sephiroth tossed it back on the seat. “Write a better one for next time. One with chords.”

“It’s called a lead sheet,” Genesis added, tilting his head back. 

Sephiroth glared at him. “No one fucking asked you,” he snarled. 

Angeal stared at ceiling, his shoulders heaving with his heavy sigh.  _ Yeah, God help us all,  _ Zack thought sarcastically. “So...we can work on it?” he asked for clarification, unable to detect anything but contempt from Sephiroth’s face.

“Yes, fine,” he replied, flipping his ponytail over his shoulder. “It’s better than LOVELESS.”

“Ouch,” Genesis said. He had turned toward his amp once again, content to practice riffs in silence alone. 

“This shouldn’t be too hard to arrange,” Angeal remarked. “You’ve done the hardest parts already. It’d be nice to have an original demo to put out somewhere.”

“Harmonies would be simple--” Sephiroth mumbled, but got distracted by the door. “What the hell, what’s she doing here so early?” 

Zack followed his eyes--Aerith was waving in the window, and he rushed the door, flinging it open. “Hey…!” he greeted, immediately bending down to kiss her forehead. 

“Hi, cutie,” she replied, then ducked around him to give the same, sunny wave to the rest of the band. “Hi, boys!” 

“Hey, Aerith,” Angeal said. The others didn’t respond verbally--Sephiroth nodded with a huff, while Genesis barely turned his head. 

Zack brushed her bangs out of her face as she snickered at the group.  _ Aerith,  _ he thought.  _ Aerith… _

“I’m stealing him away early, so we can get groceries,” she said, hugging him around his waist.  _ “Someone  _ was so worried that he didn’t cash his fancy 1st-class paycheck…”

“Mako poisoning is nothing to sneeze at,” Angeal remarked. “We can let him go for now.”

“We’ve barely done anything,” Sephiroth huffed, scuffing his foot against the cement floor. “What a waste…”

“Look, we can just practice every day for the rest of the week,” Genesis suggested, turning his head to Zack. “You wanted your song ready for an audience, didn’t you?”  

Zack finally managed to look up from Aerith to address him. “Ah...yeah, that’s right,” he said.  _ Yeah. I want to play this for both of them. I wrote it with both of them in mind.  _ He looked back down to Aerith, gently stroking her hair.  _ You’re so precious to me… _

Aerith reached out to his chest, playing with the feather around his neck. “This is new,” she commented. “Where’d you get it?”

“Angeal,” Zack replied. “I’m...part of the club, now.”  _ The circle of 1sts with clipped wings… _

_ Doing our best to protect the ones we care about… _

Suddenly, he pulled Aerith tight against his chest, resting his head on top of hers.  _ Even if we can’t run away,  _ he thought, staring at the ceiling.  _ Even if the only way we can live is if I stay in this place...I’ll protect you. I’ll keep you happy, flower girl.  _

_ And...hopefully, I can do the same for him, too. _

“Zack?” she murmured against his chest, holding his arms. “Is everything all right?” 

“Mmn,” he mumbled in reply. He blinked hard, then let his vision come back into focus. Genesis and Sephiroth were distracting themselves with their instruments in silence, playing riffs on muted strings. Their moment did not go completely unnoticed, however--Angeal’s eyes were fixed on Zack, a look of stern sympathy.  _ You get it.  _ He nodded to him, and Zack returned it. 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he finished, letting his arms drift down her back before giving her a soft smile. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot happened this chapter! I always had Genesis giving Zack and Cloud the news right from the get-go, especially after I fleshed out the rest of the 1sts history with Shinra Being Awful. Angeal gives Zack the abridged version, but it's glossed so he doesn't freak out too much. Zack gets to share his song! We'll hear it soon enough--I want it to be a big reveal like it will be for Aerith and Cloud when they first hear it with the full band. (Yes, I did write a song for this!) Lucretia will be Cloud's doctor the whole time he's in rehab, probably per special request. Seph and Gen are still terrible, but when it matters, they're all right. Zack cares about the ones he loves...
> 
> Next chapter is straying from my web a bit, but that's all right--we'll hang with Zack and Aerith outside of their apartment, and catch up with Tifa and Cloud as well. Stay tuned!


	28. Debriefing

“So, let me get this straight,” Aerith said, pulling down several boxes of dried pasta from the shelf and dumping them in their grocery cart. “You beat up the head of science, Cloud almost dies, and you get a  _ raise?”  _

Zack hunched over the handlebars of the cart, pushing it gently forward. “Yup. Crazy, ain’t it?” he replied with a chuckle. “Only stipulation is that I can’t talk about what happened with anyone.”

“Even me?” Aerith stood on the bar at the other end of the cart, fluttering her eyelashes. 

He kept her balanced with his own weight, holding the handles--he couldn’t quite lean forward far enough to even brush her nose, but he tried. “You already know, hon,” he said, sticking his tongue out. “But no one else. Otherwise…”

Zack trailed off, standing back up slowly.  _ Something awful, probably,  _ Aerith thought as she watched his expression cloud over.  _ Given how worried he was that there were Turks watching and everything...I can only imagine.  _ “I’ve got it,” she assured. She grabbed a couple cans of marinara sauce from a nearby shelf and plopped them in. “My lips are sealed.”

He nodded, pushing the cart with one foot while hopping on the linoleum tile with the other. “I was thinking,” Zack started as they continued down the aisle. “I thought maybe once Cloud’s done with rehab, that maybe--”

“You could ask him out?” Aerith finished. She skipped down the aisle, ready to round the corner to where the meat section was, when she realized she was alone.  _ Honey?  _ She backpedaled to find him exactly where she left him--only this time, he was wearing a dropped jaw and wide eyes.  _ Oh, right. I forgot that he told me all that when he was hammered.  _ She sighed to herself and walked back to the cart.  _ Let’s do this again. _

“Wh...what?” he breathed. “What...what do you mean?” Zack desperately tried to laugh it off, but his hands twisted on the handles. 

Aerith crossed her arms. “Zack,” she said. “I’m not even going to pose this as a question. You have feelings for Cloud.” 

He exhaled again, running his hand over his mouth. “I…” Staring into the cart, he pushed it forward a little, eyes just as wide as before.  _ Maybe I shouldn’t have brought this up in the middle of a grocery store. Oh well, here we are.  _ “I mean…”

“Sorry, sorry sweetie,” she said, rubbing his arm. “I didn’t mean to give you an existential crisis right here. We can wait until we get home if you--”

He shook his head. “No, no...you’re right,” Zack muttered. “I...like Cloud a lot. I mean...Christ, I was so scared when he was under like that…”

“I know,” Aerith said gently. She took the cart with one hand and guided them around the corner, where she scanned the packages of meat for yellow sale tags.  _ If he can keep talking, he’ll feel better. And he loves to talk… _

“I mean…” Zack stared up at the ceiling, biting his lip. “I always want to have Cloud’s back, help him with anything that he needs, help him be strong, all that. I thought that...we were going to be like Angeal and I were. Like brothers.” 

_ Oh God, be careful going down this road,  _ Aerith thought as she turned to look at him. He met her eyes with a smirk, however, which gave her some peace of mind. “But, ah...didn’t turn out that way, did it?” Zack shook his head. “Ah, shoot…”

“You know, when you first referred to him as a sweetheart, I had a feeling,” Aerith commented, picking up a package of hamburg. “You sang that song for him…”

“What song?” 

“You know, the one… _ ’I’m just a country boy’--”  _

_ “Ohh,  _ that one.” Zack chuckled, shaking his head at the floor. “I guess I...did pick that one out with him in mind, huh?” 

_ God, you’re so oblivious sometimes.  _ “You sure did.” 

“Jeez, I remember...when we slept together on the couch that time? It just...it felt good. It was nice having him there.” 

Aerith giggled. “You two sure looked cozy when I came home. Cloud got all freaked out.” 

For all the times she referred to him as a puppy, none were truer than when he cocked her head at her, eyebrows up in surprise. “Huh? He was?” he asked.

“You know, girlfriend walks in when he’s snuggled up with her boyfriend, that whole deal.” She bumped her hip against him. “I didn’t mind, and I tried to express that to him, but I don’t know if it worked.”

“Cloud’s a nervous guy to begin with,” Zack said. He strolled past an aisle and stopped short. “...Do we need condoms?”

“I don’t know, do we?” she replied. “You’re in charge of that.” 

He scrunched his lips to the side, then spun the cart. “Just in case,” he confirmed. 

“What, do you have something planned~?” Aerith teased, running a finger up his back.

He rolled his shoulders back. “Maybe,” he replied with a wink, then his expression shifted. “Hey, how did...y-you kind of just sprung that question on me out of the blue, y’know.”

“What one?”

“About me...asking him out.”

“Oh. Well…” Aerith sighed. “You kind of already babbled about your feelings for him before. Except you were plastered.”

“Oh…” Another nervous giggle. “I don’t really remember…”

“I know you don’t. It’s all right,” she said as he plucked a box of condoms from the top shelf to add to their basket. “You’re not trying to deny it anymore, at least.”

“Yeah…” Zack stared off with a quiet smile on his lips. “I like Cloud.”

_ There you go.  _ “You like Cloud. Doesn’t that feel nice?”

He rolled his head back around to her, the same gentle look on his tanned face. “I still love you,” he said. 

“That was never in question, darling,” Aerith replied, standing on her toes and pecking his cheek, rough with stubble.  _ It never was.  _

His smile broadened at this, and he sighed to himself, drumming his fingers on the shopping cart. “You know, I...I never imagined this would happen to me.”

“What, falling for another guy, or being in love with more than one person?”

“Both.” 

“Uh-huh.”  _ I don’t know which one was easier to predict,  _ she thought, guiding them through the outside aisles and through to the front of the store.  _ I  _ did  _ know that if it were going to be anyone, it was going to be Cloud. Just seeing the two of them together made it...very obvious.  _ “So? When are you going to tell him?”

_ “Well,”  _ Zack said. He made his way to the first line he spotted, loading up the conveyor belt with their things. “You see, that song that I’ve been working on? Well, I…” He bit his lip and chuckled to himself. “It’s kind of...well, it’s a song for him, and for you too…”

“So, you’re going to confess with a  _ song?”  _ Aerith marveled, skipping ahead of the cart with a devious look. “That’s really...really sappy, sweetie.”

“What? I think it’s a good idea!” he exclaimed, nodding to the cashier--a blond teenager with long bangs and a flower in their hair. “Say, kid, don’t you think a song’s a cool way to tell someone you like them?”

“Um…” the cashier fumbled, focusing on scanning their groceries while biting back a smile. “I mean, I guess so…”

“It’s a song I wrote  _ myself,”  _ Zack continued, winking at them. “That makes it even better, don’t you think?”

“Oh, for crying out loud--” Aerith sighed, then paused at the cashier’s name tag.  _ “Yazoo”, huh? That sounds familiar…  _ “Hey...haven’t I seen you somewhere before? Yaz…” 

They looked up between the two of them as they punched in some numbers on the computer. “Um...I’m one of Sephiroth’s siblings…” they said, taking note of Zack most of all. “You’re in his band. I remember from that one time--”

Aerith snapped her fingers.  _ “That’s  _ it! I knew it! You have the same eyes! Tell me, does Sephiroth dye his hair that color?” 

Yazoo giggled and shook their head. “N-no, he’s just...always had silver hair, ever since Mom adopted him. It's weird, but I think it's kind of cool...” They peered at the computer read out. “Total’s 7100 gil.” 

Zack sighed through his teeth. “Well, it’ll last us, I suppose,” he said, pulling out a checkbook from his back pocket. “Hon, do you have a pen?”

“Really? You  _ just  _ got your check, yet you didn’t bring any cash?” She rolled her eyes, and after a second of digging, produced a pen from her purse. “You’re lucky there’s no line.” 

“I just hate carrying that much gil around,” Zack retorted, hunching over the book as he scrawled. 

Aerith crossed her arms, then walked over to begin bagging their things. “Well, why don’t you just get a debit card? I’m  _ positive  _ that your bank has them. It’s Shinra affiliated, after all...”

“Well, I’m...afraid I’ll lose it--!”

“As if you haven’t lost your checkbook before. God, you just put it in your wallet!” 

“See, but if I do  _ this,  _ I can put more thought into how I’m spending. There!” He signed the bottom with a flourish, swinging his elbow back before ripping out the check. He flagged it over to a very amused Yazoo. “See, no time at all!” 

“Suuuure,” Aerith drew out, testing the bags for weight.  _ Might as well double-up, especially since we’re walking.  _ She fussed with the rack holding the plastic bags, peeling one open. “Anyway, so that’s how you’re going to tell him?”

“Oh! Uh…” He glanced over to Yazoo, preoccupied with running the check through the scanner, and dropped his voice. “Yeah. Thought I’d...get the group to polish it up, then I can perform it for you guys.”

“That’ll be nice,” Aerith said, just as the printer whined out a receipt for them. She looped a couple bags around her wrists.  _ If you can wait that long. It takes time to put something like that together, doesn’t it? _

“Here’s your receipt,” Yazoo said, handing it to Zack. “I guess I’ll be seeing you two around?”

“Yeah! We’re around!” She beamed at them and waved. “I’m Aerith, and this is Zack! Bye-bye, Yaz!” She spun to Zack. “Let’s go!” 

“God, you’re-- _ oof,  _ bubbly.” Zack grunted as he lifted the remaining grocery bags with one arm. “Of course, you give me all the heavy ones…”

“You’re SOLDIER, for heavens sake, you can handle it.” She stuck her tongue out at him as they walked back into the streets, taking a sharp corner that led back down under the plate. “Hey, you know what’s another funny thing?”

“What’s that?” Zack said.

“You haven’t entertained the idea that Cloud might not return your feelings.” 

His face fell, grocery bags sagging on one arm. “Shit,” he muttered. “You know, I didn’t even...what if he doesn’t?” Zack glanced over to her with wide eyes, but his crestfallen look only lingered for a moment. “Wait.”

Aerith winked at him.  _ He thought I was serious for a second. Imagine! Cloud’s easier to read in that regard than he was.  _ “I was kidding, a little,” she said. “Cloud  _ adores  _ you.”

“You think so?” A skip tripped his step, and he laughed to himself. “God, I’m feeling good--!”

“You should be,” Aerith agreed, bumping his hip with her own.  _ You definitely should be. After this hell week that you’ve gone through, coming out with a pay bump and a new love along the way?  _

She watched Zack’s face light up with the force of his smile and the sunset’s orange wash.  _ You should be, sunflower.  _

* * *

 

At 7th Heaven, Tifa’s eyes glazed over as she stared at the countertop.  _ It’s been really quiet today. Barret’s been out most of the day with Marlene.  _ She sighed heavily and paced behind the bar, the radio humming quietly behind her.  _ Vincent isn’t even here. Not that he says much, but...it’s been a couple days now-- _

The door clattered open behind her, and she whirled around. As soon as she could register the figure, a smile dawned on her face. “Oh, Cloud--!”

His gait was slower than usual, but the smirk he gave her was just the same as he pulled up to the bar. “Hey,” he said, gazing down the stools. “Quiet, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s been like this all day,” she replied.  _ God, it’s going to take a bit to get used to those eyes,  _ she thought.  _ Even if they aren’t actually glowing anymore, they might as well be.  _ “Can I get you anything?”

“Ginger ale,” he muttered, rubbing his arm. 

She scooped a glass of ice and filled the rest of it from the soda fountain in seconds, sliding the glass across the counter. “Oops, let me get you…” She stretched underneath to produce a stirring straw and popped it in. The carbonation made it float to the top, lazily perpendicular to the glass, but stayed in none the less. “There…!”

Cloud nodded in thanks and took a small sip, staring off to the other side of the bar. “I didn’t think you’d be coming in today. It’s your first day back,” Tifa commented. “How did it go, anyway?”

“All right,” he replied. He bit his lip, then held up his dog tags with a small smile. “I got promoted to 2nd.” As they twirled in his fingers, she saw that one of them was colored purple, while the other was a traditional silver. 

“Oh!” Tifa exclaimed. “Th-that’s awesome! Holy crap! Congratulations!”

He let the tags drop, and even as he tilted his head down toward the bar, his pride couldn’t be masked. “Th-thanks, Ti,” he said, taking another sip of his drink. 

She couldn’t help but beam herself. “I’m...really proud of you,” Tifa said.

“Yeah?” Cloud looked back up at her, and they held the gaze for a moment.  _ Yeah, of course I am,  _ she thought, turning a lock of hair around between her fingers.  _ After barely being able to order for yourself at a restaurant, you move to Midgar alone and become a soldier? Not just  _ a  _ soldier, SOLDIER--part of an elite force.  _

She noticed his eyes lose focus, but only for a second, as he blinked and took another sip of his ginger ale.  _ And...you survived a mako overdose. That’s something not a lot of people can say.  _ Her own smile faded.  _ I’m...so glad you’re alive. I’m so glad… _

“Zack got a pay bump too,” Cloud continued finally, stirring the ice in his drink. “We just...we can’t talk about what happened to me to anyone.”

She stared. “Are you serious? That seems...fishy.”  _ Trying to cover it up like that…?  _

“Yeah, but…” He sighed to himself. “I mean, what else are we going to do? They’ll probably k--” Cloud cut himself off, his knuckles tensing on the worn, wooden counter. “I mean, a promotion with a raise for both of us just for keeping our mouths shut isn’t too bad…”

“Maybe, but…” Tifa grimaced.  _ I know what you were going to say. They’ll probably kill you, if you talk? God damn it…  _ “You’re still not fully recovered, and who knows what that’ll do to you in the long term--”

“I’m in the rehab program,” Cloud said. “Lu--er, the doctor said that as long as I take it slow, I’ll be okay.” He rolled his shoulders back. “Whatever that means…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Like…” Even though there was still no one but themselves at the bar, Cloud still lowered his voice. “She put me on a treadmill with a monitoring machine, and told me to run until I got woozy or out of breath.” He blinked down at the counter. “God, I...I was on it for two  _ hours.”  _

“What the  _ fuck?”  _ Tifa marvelled. “And you didn’t--”

“Well,  _ after,”  _ he said. “I feel like...shit, there are parts of it that I don’t really  _ remember  _ too well. I only stopped because I saw the blue haze, and  _ then  _ I passed out. But like...I wasn’t  _ tired.”  _ He shook his head, eyes wide. “It was...weird. Gave me the creeps…” 

_ God, Cloud,  _ Tifa thought. Their eyes met again, and this time she could see a different kind of anxiety behind his eyes.  _ What did they do to you?  _

“I-I mean,” Cloud stammered, trying to grip his sweating glass harder, but his fingers shook and slipped. “When...Zack trained us, he ran us  _ hard,  _ and did some of the drills with us. He barely broke a sweat, either. And apparently he can dead-lift…” He searched for a number in the air, then dismissed it. “Well, I forget what he said, but it was a lot.”

“They…” She held a hand to her face, thumb against her lip while her hand gripped the counter. “They really...made you stronger, didn’t they?”

Cloud’s voice cracked, hushed as if he had spotted a ghost. “Is it too much?” 

Her eyes flicked up.  _ Cloud.  _ With that, she walked around the counter--it felt long, too long, like several city blocks just to reach his side again--and when she did, his shoulders were hunched over staring wide eyed into his drink. She grabbed the barstool beside him and immediately rubbed his shoulder. “I-I wanted...to impress everyone back home,” he continued quietly. “B-but...would they be scared of me now?” 

“No, no,” Tifa said, then hugged his shoulders, still bony against her chest. “They wouldn’t. I…”  _ Just because you have...that in you, doesn’t change who you are. You’re still Cloud. You always will be.  _ “I’m not scared of you.” 

The breath he took filled his lungs all the way to his back, and the tips of his fingers grazed her bare arm for a moment as he let it out slow. “Thank you, Tifa,” he whispered. 

Behind them, the bar door creaked open. Tifa heard the familiar pattering of Marlene’s footsteps, and the heavier trail of Barret’s, but she didn’t bother to move. “Have you called your mom yet?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I was waiting until after this. I’ve got a couple calls to make.”

She broke the hug, but kept one hand on his shoulder. “Oh?” 

“Y-yeah,” he replied, a gentle smile on his lips. As soon as he met her eyes, he bit it back, ears beginning to burn. “I’ve gotta...call Zack, too.”

* * *

 

Zack had just gotten Aerith’s top off, running his hands down over her bra and bare stomach when the phone rang. “Oh, shit,” he exclaimed, stopping dead in his touch. He kissed her collarbone and rolled to the edge of the bed. “That’s probably Cloud…”

Aerith giggled and shook her head. “See, this is how I know you like him,” she remarked, scooting back and crossing her legs into a pretzel. “If that were anyone else, you would’ve just ignored it.”

A heat spiked in the back of his neck, different than the rush of desire he’d experienced prior. “Yeah, yeah,” he replied, reaching for the rotary phone on the nightstand.  _ We’ve certainly ignored it before-- _

_ (Breathless and panting, Aerith gripped his hair and pushed him back down to the bed. “Don’t you dare pick that up,” she huffed. She pressed her body against him, kissing him deep enough to dull the tinny ring of the telephone.  _ “Nnah,  _ don’t you... _ aah…”)

He bit his lip and picked it up before the memory was able to tread further.  _ Mmn. Not tonight, though.  _ “Hello?” he answered.

_ “Hey, Zack.” _

Cloud’s tone was hushed and low.  _ Probably...just to keep it down from the other 2nds. Right.  _ It didn’t stop the chill from running down his spine. “Hey, Cloud. How’d you do today?” 

_ “G-good.” _

“Yeah?” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Rehab go okay? I went up midday to check on you, but I think you were busy…”

_ “O-oh, maybe. They kept running tests on me. I-I…”  _ He sighed, the static heavy on the line.  _ “I didn’t realize...the mako…”  _ Zack waited while Cloud tried to gather his thoughts.  _ “God, I ran for two hours straight b-before I blacked out, and that was because of the mako, not the exhaustion…” _

“That sounds like 1st-class level.”  _ That’s right. His endurance must suddenly be through the roof now.  _ “For me, whenever I start to overexert myself, that’s when it kicks in. Gives you a little extra push.”

_ “Yeah…”  _ Hesitation laced his voice. 

“Who’s there looking after you, anyway?”  _ Gen said it wouldn’t be Hojo, so… _

_ “Oh, it’s Dr. Lucrecia Crescent. She mentioned that you--” _

“Oh, yeah! She’s nice. Helped me out quite a bit down in the lab.”  _ Whew. That’s a relief.  _

_ “That’s kinda what she said,”  _ Cloud said.  _ “She says I’m doing fine, but…”  _

He trailed out. “But…?” Zack ushered.

_ “Just that…”  _ Cloud paused.  _ “I don’t know. Normally I can’t run more than 20 minutes without getting tired. I mean, it’s...really sudden. I didn’t realize…”  _

_ Ah, that.  _ Zack gripped the phone,

_ (“SOLDIER...and monsters, we’re all the same. You and I just have a nicer coat of paint.”) _

sitting up a little straighter. “Hey. You’re all right.” 

_ “Wh...what?”  _

“I...know what you’re thinking,” Zack muttered. “You’re okay, though, you hear me?  _ You  _ didn’t do anything wrong. Once you get used to everything...it’ll be all right.”  _ Jesus, what am I even saying? Trying to say?  _ He felt Aerith’s hands on his bare back, and he leaned into her touch.  _ So what if they made us monsters, _

_ you’re not one of them, Cloud, _

_ not on my life.  _

_ “Was it weird for you at first?”  _ Cloud asked.  _ “Suddenly being...so strong?” _

“You’ve got to remember, I didn’t get  _ nearly  _ as much as you all at once. So it was pretty gradual. Sometimes, I’m still not sure what my limits really are…”

_ “Huh…” _

A brief silence fell between them.  _ God, I wish you were here. Then I’d  _ know _ you were okay.  _ “A-anyway, enough about that. You got all your 2nd-class stuff squared away?”

_ “Oh, yeah. That was easy. Kinda sucks I don’t know anyone here anymore…”  _

“Well, you’ve got me--!” Zack pointed out. “Hey, this means I can take you on missions now, as my 2nd. Get a taste of what 1st is like, if you want to get up here.”

_ “Y-yeah! I-I’d, ah…”  _ He took a deep breath.  _ “I’d really...love to be 1st with you, someday…”  _

Zack grinned, running his hand back through his hair. “That’d be cool. I’d...like it too.” 

_ “Mmn.”  _

_ I can practically hear him smiling, even with just that,  _ he thought. _ God, I’ve got it bad, don’t I?  _ Zack turned back to Aerith behind him, and she winked with a side smile.  _ That’s a confirmation.  _ “Ah, y-you...did you manage to get your personal shit, too?”

_ “Oh, yeah! I did! I still have your motorcycle goggles you let me borrow, by the way…” _

“Don’t worry about that,” he said. “I barely wear ‘em anymore. You hang on to them, so you’ll be ready when we go riding again.”

_ “Okay. Hey, I think...I think most of the guys are going to bed. I should go, too…” _

“All right, no prob,” Zack said quietly. “You take care of yourself, hear me? I’ll come around to check on you tomorrow.”

_ “Th-thanks a lot.” _

“Night, Cloud.” 

_ “Good night, Zack.”  _

As soon as the line went dead, Zack let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Hoo,” he sighed, shifting backwards on the bed, readjusting his attention back to Aerith. He blinked a few times, as in the time he was on the phone, she had undressed completely. “Oh,  _ my.”  _

She had a devious look in her eye, but chose to squish his cheeks. “You’re cute, you know that?” she remarked, brushing her ponytail over her shoulder.

“Wh-what?” he said. Her hand was cool on his face, and he tilted his head just enough to kiss her palm.

“I know that voice you used with him.” She laid back beside him on the bed, stretching out her limbs. “Because it’s the same one you use with me when you’re stationed.” Aerith reached out to stroke his cheek with one finger. “Gentle.”

_ Gentle.  _ “Ah…”

“That’s how you want to be with him, isn’t it?” 

Zack nodded.  _ Yeah. It is. It’s just like… _

_ (He kissed her in the back alley, just out of sight of the main entrance to Shinra HQ. “I’ll be back soon,” he murmured, running his gloved thumb over her jawline. “Promise.” _

_ “You’d better,” she replied, hand over his. “It’s too quiet in the shop without your visits.” _

_ “Next paycheck,” he said, focused on her emerald eyes. “We’re getting our own place. There’s a ‘FOR RENT’ sign on the building near the church--” _

_ “Zack, you don’t--” _

_ He hushed her by a finger to her lips. “For you,” he said…) _

_...falling in love...  _

_ (hands snaked in his hair, he smiles at me lying on my chest before he scoots up to kiss me--) _

_...all over again.  _

“Zaaack,” Aerith sang. In his thoughts, she had sat up again to nibble his earlobe. “You’re daydreaming.”

_ Can’t hide anything from you, can I?  _ “Maybe I am,” he replied, sticking his tongue out.

“God, I don’t know how you’re going to wait to get that song done before you tell him how you feel,” Aerith remarked, tugging him by the shoulders and dragging him down to a horizontal level. 

He snorted and spooned against her in response. “I want to make it good! The others seem to have ideas for it, anyway--”

“You want to  _ impress  _ him~,” she teased.

“God!” He scattered the back of her neck with kisses, feeling her shiver underneath his fingertips. “He’s not the only one, y’know…”

“Oh, I know,” Aerith replied, rolling herself over to be flush against his chest. Her voice dropped into a smooth, low croon. “So, are you going to impress me now, baby~?” 

_ Sweet Jesus.  _ He skimmed a hand around her back, grinning as he cupped her ass. “You can bet on it,” he replied.

And with that, Zack closed his eyes and kissed her mouth--long, hungry, and deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we're all glad that Zack is finally admitting to himself and those close to him about how gay he is for Cloud. Hello again, Yazoo! They're the most tolerable of the remnants--even Sephiroth thinks so, if you asked him. I cringed while Zack wrote out a check in the grocery line...this is the 90's after all, and I do have distinct memories of my parents writing checks like that when I was a kid. I had some fun with Aerith this chapter...things get a little steamy in that last section, but for the record, I plan to keep this fic pretty clean. If you _are_ into something a little more heated, I might go ahead and write a little smutty Zaerith as a side story, tagging right along to the end of this chapter. I'll link it if I do!
> 
> God, I think next time is when we preform Zack's song, according to my web! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!


	29. Rehearsal (IV)

In Shinra’s rehab center, Cloud stared out at the setting summer sun as he changed back into his street clothes.  _ Another Friday,  _ he thought, legs sore and stiff as he gingerly fitted one leg after another into his jeans.  _ I wonder if the other 2nds go out on the weekends too.  _ He adjusted his shirt, tucking the tag of it into the back and running his fingers over the chain of his dog tag necklace.  _ I wonder what Zack’s doing… _

He patted his pockets, making sure he had everything--including the note he had been carrying around for the past week.  _ Will I ever be able to give it to him?  _ Cloud thought, biting his lip. He gathered his workout uniform in his arms and heading into the hallway.  _ There’s...probably no point… _

_ (“Night, Cloud.”) _

He gave a smile to the ground.  _ Maybe. He’s been checking on me more than usual, and he calls me every night, if I don’t call him first. Haven’t been to his band rehearsals in a few days, though… _

As he walked past the reception, a familiar face dressed in pink stood in front of the desk. “There you are!” Aerith exclaimed, running up to him. “I’m your escort today!” 

“Wh-what?” Cloud said, a little dizzy as she hugged him. “Aerith, what are you doing up here…?”

“I told you!” She giggled and looped her arm around his, tugging him outside. “I’m your escort!”

“But…” Cloud stumbled, holding his bundle of clothes close to his chest. “Wh-where are you taking me? I’ve still got to--” 

“To the band room!” Aerith said triumphantly, pointing ahead. “Zack has something special prepared for you!”

He nearly tripped over his own feet before they halted in front of the elevator, dog tags jangling at his chest.  _ Zack? Something for me?  _ “See, I knew that would get your attention,” she snickered, clicking the down button while their arms were still linked.  _ “Technically,  _ it’s for both of us, but it really is for you~!”

“Ah…” He felt the familiar flush burn in his cheeks, heart skipping in his chest. “Th-that’s…”

“Pretty cool, right?” she replied. Aerith pulled him into the elevator, pushing them around the couple 3rd-classes already inside. “You’re excited, I can tell!” 

“W-well, yeah…”  _ I’m nervous more than excited.  _ “Do...you know what it is?”

She nodded, bouncing on her toes. It took all of Cloud’s energy not to weave as the elevator plummeted down the floors, and he found himself clinging back to Aerith’s arm to keep his balance. “You’ll like it, I promise~!” she chirped, then looked him over more closely. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Huh? J-just the elevator…” It grinded to a halt to let out the 3rds, leaving them alone as they continued their descent. 

“This one is pretty fast,” Aerith commented. “I wonder how the boys are doing. They’ve been practicing for a little while now.”

“Really?”

“They’ve been practicing every day, and longer to get this song done.” The elevator pinged their arrival to the third floor, and Aerith skipped out with Cloud in tow. “Even I haven’t heard it all the way through. C’mon!” 

_ So...it’s a song,  _ Cloud thought, biting his lip.  _ A song... _

A squealing, fast paced guitar line wafted outside the door of the rehearsal room, only growing louder as she flung open the door. “I’m back!” she called. 

Zack, sitting back on one of the folding chairs, stood up immediately. “Thank  _ God,”  _ he sighed, but managed to give a sunny look to both of them. He was wearing his backwards hat again, along with an open denim shirt, slightly off his shoulder to reveal the strap of his black tanktop underneath. “These guys have been at it for twenty minutes.”

Sephiroth and Genesis were facing each other in front of Angeal’s drum kit--first, Sephiroth would play a line on his guitar, effortless and flowing, then Genesis would follow suit, fingers stretched across his bass. Every trade became more and more elaborate--for instance, as Genesis tapped both hands across the fretboard, Sephiroth furrowed his brow, and interrupted him with his own tapping.  _ This is cool,  _ Cloud thought, taking the seat Zack was in.  _ Even if it is...a little repetitive. How can you even play that fast?  _

Aerith kissed Zack’s cheek before sitting next to Cloud, and Zack wandered in front of Cloud, patting his shoulder. “How’d things go today? Okay?” he asked. 

“F-fine, yeah,” he replied. “Just...more of the same, you know.” 

Zack nodded, his gaze lingering on him before he cleared his throat. “Okay,  _ okay!  _ Everyone’s here guys! Guys…”

The two ignored him, still absorbed in each other (although, on Sephiroth’s end, it appeared to be on purpose). It took Angeal clapping his hands together to grab their attentions. “Come  _ on,”  _ he groaned, standing up. “Enough with the dick comparing contest already.”

Sephiroth huffed and slid his hand up the neck of his guitar, finally glancing over to their new audience. “Oh, they’re here already,” he muttered. His electric, blue-green eyes focused on Cloud’s for a moment, and he gripped the bottom of the folding chair. “Cloud.” 

“Y-yes?” he said. Sephiroth wasn’t in uniform--a black t-shirt with a plaid overshirt tied around his waist, hair tied back in a ponytail--but his height, combined with the intensity in his eyes, was as intimidating as if he were. He stared for a moment longer, then grunted under his breath, nodding as he made his way back to his amp, adjusting it. 

“Shame, we weren’t done yet,” Genesis said, crossing Sephiroth’s path on his way. “Not that it matters.  _ I  _ already know whose dick is bigger.”

Zack snorted loud as he slipped his guitar around his shoulder, while Sephiroth stared at the ceiling, eyes slits. “Angeal,” he pronounced, each consonant like a sharp knife. “Do you know any other bassists?” 

Angeal shook his head, only barely hiding a smile behind his head. “Unfortunately, no,” he replied. 

“You guys are  _ cold,”  _ Genesis retorted. He flipped LOVELESS over so its spine was facing up, and tweaked the knobs on his amp. 

Cloud’s attention drifted from him over to Zack, who was fussing at the center of the group with the microphone. “Okay, okay,” he muttered, voice booming in the microphone. His hands shook just barely as he grazed the mic again, knocking it from just below his lips to just above them. “Let’s see, are we...a-all set?”

Angeal held up one finger, digging through his bag. “Just a sec,” he said, pulling out a bottle of pills and a water bottle. 

“Huh?” Zack whipped around. In the process, he knocked the neck of his guitar against the microphone stand and had to whirl back to steady it so it wouldn’t fall over. Sephiroth rolled his eyes--something Cloud caught, but Zack didn’t. “You all right?”

Angeal’s eyes widened as he drank, the bottle making a popping sound as he removed it from his lips. “Migraine pills. ‘Cause of  _ these  _ guys.” He gathered his sticks and jabbed one for Genesis and Sephiroth on either side of him. 

“Wouldn’t have a band without us,” Genesis sighed, leaning against his amp. “I’m ready.”

Zack nodded, then glanced to Sephiroth. “Hey, one thing--”

_ “What,”  _ Sephiroth snapped.

_ Sheesh,  _ Cloud thought. Zack was only mildly fazed. “I know you want to go nuts on that solo section, but...could you tone it down just a  _ little  _ bit?” 

Sephiroth put his hands on his hips. “You said I could have the solo,” he said.

“Yeah.”

“So, I’ll do what  _ I  _ want with it,” he concluded. To settle the matter, he turned up the volume on his guitar so that the amp hummed with anticipation. “Anything else?”

Zack rolled his eyes. “Guess not.” His gaze flickered back to Cloud and Aerith, and a warbling smile etched itself on his lips. “Okay...this…” He bounced on his toes and strummed his guitar, an abrupt, twanging chord erupting from the amp behind him. With a swallow, he regained his composure. “This is an original song.”

Zack glanced back at Angeal, who was tapping the beat on his thigh with one stick. He simply gave him a nod. [With that, Zack finger picked a pattern over the strings](https://soundcloud.com/jazzsweetheart/destination-getting-there)\--choppy at first, but smoothed out within the first cycle of chords. Angeal soon joined him, hitting beats “2” and “4” on the cymbal, and after another bar, he rattled a fill to guide in the rest of the band. Sephiroth picked up the lead line while Zack defaulted to chords--much simpler than the riffs he was playing earlier, but melodic and in time with the rest of the group. Cloud found himself weaving to the beat, a steady shuffle.  _ This is cool… _

Zack cleared his throat as he stepped back up to the mic, and closed his eyes before he sang. 

_ “Once I thought this was enough, _ __   
_ Now I’m falling in faster than I could guess, _ _   
_ __ The more I wait, the worse it gets…” 

His eyes flashed open, fixated on Cloud.  _ “Will I ever walk out with you, baby?”  _

Angeal played a drum fill, almost as loud as Cloud’s heart thudding in his ears.  _ “And will I know when most of me is getting there?”  _ Zack continued to sing, his hips swaying back and forth as he sank back into the music. Genesis walked a steady line from chord to chord, wandering beside Angeal as he played, while Sephiroth stayed off to the side, playing chords to himself.  _ “How will I know when we can stand here hand in hand…?” _

The chorus slipped into another verse, led by a rousing snare beat and Zack’s muted guitar.  _ “Once I thought that one was just enough,”  _ he sang, this time glancing between both Aerith and Cloud. His lip curled up into a smirk.  _ “Well, it didn’t turn out that way, did it?" _

As he sang, Genesis' bass fled into the higher register, walking through each change. He wandered over to Sephiroth, but when he turned his back to him, he shook his head and instead played to Angeal, who was much more receptive.   


_ “Holding you, not holding back, _ __   
_ While my hand’s in another, for all of each other, _ _   
_ __ When you all feel like home…” 

The chorus cycled again, and this time Sephiroth stepped up to his own mic and sang a high line above Zack’s tenor, unusual compared to his deep speaking voice.  _ Zack wrote this,  _ Cloud thought, gripping his arms. He snuck a glance over to Aerith, who was grinning into her open palm. She sensed it, and returned it with a wink.  _ Zack wrote this...for us. For both of us.  _

_ He… _

After a couple repeats, the band grew quiet, and Sephiroth side-stepped to the front of the stage to solo. Despite his blasé disposition earlier, his solo lines were tame and melodic, instead of an intelligible flurry of notes. Behind him, Zack sighed and nodded before backing toward Genesis. They watched each other’s rhythm until his solo was over, when Zack stepped back up to the front of the stage. “Nice,” he muttered. He also got a nod from Genesis, but ultimately ignored it while he played the intro line at his own amp.

Zack steadied himself back at his mic, hands shivering more violently than earlier before they rested on the proper frets. Deep blue eyes peered at both Cloud and Aerith, laced with apprehension, but they didn’t waver as he sang once again, plaintive and clear:

_ “I’ll tell you I love you, once, then twice, _ _   
_ _ And I’ll say it again…” _

Sephiroth came back around to his mic with a backing line.  _ “Not holding back…” _

Zack’s focus flickered for a second, counting out the beats before he returned to his audience.  _ “I’m beyond making a choice,”  _ he sang with a deep breath.  _ “Take a taste of this moment, for all of us, for all of us…” _

Angeal’s crashes brought them back into the last chorus, and Zack stood on his toes, wailing the lines.  _ “And now I know all of me is getting there, _

_ “How will I know we can can stand here hand in hand?”  _

Genesis’ bass became more aggressive the louder Zack sang, and all eyes of the band were on him as he belted into the microphone.  _ “I don’t have to choose, I’m not going to lose, I’m getting there--!”  _ The amp clicked as he fumbled a chord, but quickly came back into it as he continued to sing.  _ “We’re all in this, we’re all for this, we’re getting there…” _

The band mimicked the intro while Zack sang, eyes squeezed shut. Angeal’s drums kicked into full force, taking them out on a hard cymbal hit while the guitars faded on a long chord, in tune with Zack’s voice. He panted off mic, a sheen of sweat on his brow.  _ Wow,  _ Cloud thought, mouth open.  _ That was… _

Aerith clapped enthusiastically. “That was awesome! You guys sound great!” she cheered. 

Cloud joined in, clapping as well, if not as energetic. “That’s what three days straight of practice will do,” Sephiroth grumbled. “It had  _ better  _ sound great.  _ More _ than great.” 

“That was our best run, in my opinion,” Angeal remarked, wiping a bandana over his own forehead. “What did you think, Zack? Was it like you wanted?”

“Y-yeah, it was good--!” he replied. “God, you really went to town a few times, it was cool!” 

Angeal waved his hand, but his face glowed from the praise. “It was nothing,” he said. "Anyway, it's Friday, let's turn in early today..."  


Zack ripped his guitar off his shoulder, getting caught a little along the way, and clumsily leaned it up against his amp before strolling over to Cloud and Aerith. “So? Y-you liked it?” he asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

“Of course, baby!” Aerith exclaimed, right at the edge of her seat. “You really gave it everything you had.”

“Well, yeah!” he replied, chuckling and kneeling in front of her to give her a kiss. It wasn’t full--both of them were smiling into it, and Cloud couldn’t help but smirk himself.  _ Cute.  _

Aerith cleared her throat as they parted. “Don’t you have something  _ else  _ to say?” she muttered, green eyes fluttering over to Cloud. 

His hands tensed in his lap.  _ Something else?  _

“Hey, now, don’t rush me…!” Zack giggled. He tugged on the back of his hat before shuffling over to Cloud, taking a deep breath. “What’d you think of it, Cloud?” 

“A-ah, it was...it was really good--!” he replied, nodding as he tried to keep his breathing in check. Briefly, his eyes flicked up to the rest of the band--they appeared to be packing up their things, barely paying attention to them. “L-like Aerith said, you really put everything into it…”

“Sure did,” he said, voice dropping a bit. “I, ah...I wrote this up while you were sick. I really...really got nervous for a bit, y’know?” He bit his lip and took another deep breath, and Cloud found himself doing the same thing. “Because, I…”

_ It’s so strange to see him hesitate like this,  _ Cloud mused.  _ But, he keeps smiling, so whatever it is...can’t be that bad, can it?  _ Zack tried to speak again, but was interrupted by chatter behind him. “Seph, you coming over tonight?” Genesis asked.

“I’m going to visit my mother,” Sephiroth replied. He made a point to not look at him at all, instead glancing over at the trio on the chairs. Cloud caught an eyeroll before he threw on his jacket. 

“I…” Zack attempted to continue. “I-I’ve just been thinking, y’know...ever since we’ve been training together, that I...really like being around you. Whether it’s just hanging out at our place, or going out anywhere, or hell, even just doing drills...you really--”

Sephiroth cleared his throat, obnoxiously loud.  _ “We’re leaving,”  _ he interrupted, nose in the air as he walked past, Genesis behind him and Angeal not far behind.

Zack groaned. “Good, great, go,” he said, waving his hand. “I’ll see you guys Monday.” 

Aerith snorted, while the break gave Cloud a chance to catch his breath, flexing his hands in his lap.  _ I think...I think I know where this is going,  _ he thought. As Angeal left, he gave a salute to the three of them, and Cloud only had it in him to nod in reply.  _ It still doesn’t make me feel any less nervous.  _

_ Zack… _

While he watched the door shut behind him, Zack took both of his hands in his own, thumbs rubbing against his palms. Cloud jerked his head back around, but met the top of his head instead of his eyes.  _ “Anyway,”  _ he sighed with a chuckle. “Y-you...really make me happy. And I want to make you happy, too. Make you comfortable, see you get stronger…” He finally glanced up, a lazy smile on his lips. “Help you make those dreams of yours come true.”

_ Oh my God.  _ Cloud’s mouth dropped open, and the only indication that the light-headedness he felt wasn’t from mako was the absence of the blue filter in his vision. Zack’s beaming face stood out in full technicolor, from the top of his dark hairline all the way to tip of his chin.  _ He’s...he... _

“S-so, what do you think?” he asked. Zack glanced at Aerith for a split second, only for her to nod at him. “Wanna go out with me?”

Cloud felt his head drop forward. “I…”  _ I have to be dreaming, I have to be.  _ Gentle pressure etched itself on Cloud’s palms, and his hands twitched in turn to wrap more fully around Zack’s hands.  _ There’s...there’s no way. Zack Fair just asked me out. He’s asking me to date him, right now. Hell, I’ve  _ had  _ dreams like this.  _ “Ah…”

Zack scooted a little closer, and his voice dropped. “I really like you,” he murmured. “H-hey, remember...that day, when you fell asleep on my lap?” Cloud could barely nod, but he continued for him. “I want...more days like that.”

_ So, it was okay. It really was.  _ Finally, Cloud found it in him to speak. “Y-yeah,” he whispered, then swallowed to clear his throat. It was impossible for him to keep his own smile off his face, stretching his cheeks wide. “Y-yeah, me too.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “So, that’s a yes?” 

Cloud’s face warmed to approximately the temperature of an oven. “Yes,” he said, as clearly as possible. 

As if propelled by a spring, Zack leaped up from the ground all the way from his kneeling position, letting go of Cloud in the process.  _ “Yes!”  _ he whooped, bouncing all the way over to the bass amp and then back again.  _ “Yes,  _ I  _ did it!”  _

Aerith burst into laughter, and while Cloud joined her, it wasn’t nearly as loud. “Holy  _ shit,  _ honey--!” she cackled. “For someone who likes to show off, you sure take forever to actually confess.”

“Are you saying a guy like me can’t get nervous?” he replied. He ripped his hat off to run his hand through his hair, only to mash it back on, one of his bangs dangling in his face. “I did good though, right? Right?”

“Yes, puppy, you did,” she said, shaking her head.

Cloud cocked his head at her. “Aerith…”  _ I got so caught up,  _ he thought, anxiety creeping back through his neck once again.  _ I didn’t even think about...she’s already his girlfriend.  _ “Are you...I mean, you’re…”

“It’s okay,” she said, patting his thigh. “I’m officially giving you full permission to date my boyfriend.” 

He slumped back into his seat, while Zack jumped over to pack up his guitar, humming to himself. “Holy shit,” he whispered, blinking a couple times. A wave of exhaustion hit him for a second, flashing blue in his eyes, but he managed to shake it off. “S-so…”

“So, you’re dating Zack, and so am I!” she finished for him, kicking her feet beneath her seat. “You’ve hit the big time, sweetie!”

“I have!” He zipped up his guitar case, throwing it over his shoulder and running back over to the seats. He kissed Aerith’s forehead first, and then did the same for Cloud, giving the latter a huge rush through his chest. “Turns out Aerith and I are more similar than I even thought.”

“Love’s more fun when you open your horizons, isn’t it?” she said with a wink.

Zack chuckled, pink staining his face, and his grin even wider than before.  _ I can’t believe this, this is...this is unreal.  _ Cloud’s hand wandered into his pocket and pulled out the folded note in his pocket, turning it between his fingers.  _ I guess...I don’t  _ have  _ to give this to him, but-- _

“Hey, whatcha got there?” Aerith asked, peering over. 

“Uh, i-it’s just…” Cloud stammered, then glanced up to Zack, holding it out to him without looking at him. “I-I wrote this...a while ago, but, um...i-it’s for you…”

“For me?” Zack snatched it from his hand, flipping it open with alarming speed. “Oh, man, you wrote a lot...dude, this dated from over a week ago--!”

Cloud hugged his arms. “W-well, I...I-I wrote it back before I went for my exam,” he mumbled.  _ My heart is beating so God damn fast, it’s a miracle I can even talk.  _ “I was...going to give it to you right a-after, but...well, y’know…”

Zack’s expression dimmed a little. “Yeah, I know,” he said, gaze drifting from the note over to Cloud, and he felt the weight of concern in his stare. He opened his mouth to speak again, then shook his head and waved his hand. “Anyway…! Let’s see what this says…”

He jumped up to the microphone that was still hot. _ “Dear Zack--” _ he boomed.

Cloud jerked forward. “H-hey, don’t do that--!” he exclaimed, reaching out. “N-not l-like that…”

Zack laughed off mic and waltzed back away from the equipment. “Okay, okay, I’m just teasing,” he replied, winking and sticking his tongue out.  _ I didn’t expect him to read it out loud in the first place, for Aerith to hear, but… _ Cloud glanced over to her, leaned forward in her chair.  _ I guess I should’ve assumed so, since they  _ are  _ dating-- _

_ (and now you and him are too) _

He bit back a grin before Zack started reading. 

_ “Dear Zack,”  _ he started again.  _ “I just wanted to write you something to thank you for all the help you’ve given me since I became part of Shinra. I remember when I first met you at BASIC--you were still a 2nd, but I’ll never forget how enthusiastic you were. You really made me feel like I belonged there, that I wasn’t out of place even though I always fell behind the others.  _

_ “I was so excited when I saw that you were my commanding officer when I first came on base to Midgar. I couldn’t believe you’d...actually want to be friends with someone like me.”  _ Zack looked up and shook his head. “Man, you don’t give yourself enough credit, I swear.”

He scanned the page and picked up where he left off.  _ “I’ve been thinking about you a lot since I moved here. I’ve tried not to, since you’re already dating Aerith, and the two of you are really perfect together. I love spending time with you--going on motorcycle rides, even just chilling out at your place. You’re the best friend I’ve had coming here, and even if it is weird, I still really like you, and I wanted you to know.”  _

Zack covered his mouth, only barely hiding his smile that hadn’t really stopped.  _ “So, thanks for everything. Cloud.”  _ He sighed, then squinted at the bottom.  _ “PS: Sorry this is so out of the blue, and you probably don’t even want to date me. I just wanted to get it off my chest now that I’m hopefully SOLDIER, and this was the easiest way.”  _

Cloud gulped, hands shaking. “I-I thought I...erased that part…”

“Not well enough,” Zack said, crumpling it and stuffing it in his back pocket. “Stand up, c’mere.”

Cloud did as he was told, and Zack took him in his arms, holding him close to his chest. “I really like you,” he muttered again, into his hair. Cloud melted into the musky scent wafting off his shirt, and realized how cold and clammy his hands were after hugging them around Zack’s warm core. “You’re okay. I’m gonna be here for you now, you got it?” 

Cloud nodded into his chest. “Yeah,” he said. As much as he wanted to linger there, he looked up with a smile that felt stronger than any he’d had in weeks. “Got it.”

“Hey, boys,” Aerith said. She tapped Zack on the shoulder, and although he turned, he kept his arms right around Cloud. “Why don’t we ditch this place and go out on the town? Someplace to celebrate?” She stood up on her toes with her hands behind her back. “Someone owes me a sundae…”

“Sure, we can go out for--” Zack started, then stared at her with his mouth open. “Hey,  _ hey!  _ God, are you serious…?” 

“Wh-what?” Cloud asked, fingers gripping the side of his shirt. 

“Aw, it’s nothing,” Zack said, ruffling his hair and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. “Ice cream sounds good, anyway. Hell, it’s Friday night! We can make it a date!”

“Yay, it’s a date!” Aerith winked at Cloud before circling around to Zack’s other side, grasping his hand and pulling the whole group along with her. “Let’s stop by 7th Heaven and see Tifa, too! Tell her the good news--!” 

Cloud’s heart jolted.  _ Right, the good news.  _ “Yeah,” he said with a nod.  _ The good news… _

_ Zack likes me… _

Cloud grinned at the floor just as Zack snapped off the light.  _ “And now I know most of me is getting there,”  _ Zack sang, pulling both of them close to him and giggling. “Now, let’s go out for something nice!”

“Yay!” Aerith cheered.

Cloud’s heart was too high in his throat to speak.  _ He likes me. After everything, after I told myself so many times not to get my hopes up… _

_...it looks like it was worth something after all.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was covering my face every other paragraph writing that confession. God! Finally! 
> 
> I linked the song Zack sings in the fic, but I'll do it again: it's called ["Destination (Getting There)"](https://soundcloud.com/jazzsweetheart/destination-getting-there), and I wrote it and preformed it myself! Full immersion, you know? I hope you'll listen to it and enjoy it, I'm really proud of it. 
> 
> Sephiroth is not about this mushy lovey shit going on, and he's _certainly_ not about Genesis nearly outing their..."relationship", or whatever they have going in front of everyone. I'm starting to setup for something else, but it's minute, and hard to miss. We'll get there! Oh, and that little bit about sundaes comes from [a flash I did a while ago](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/144400255376/flash-time-20)\--Aerith won her bet. 
> 
> Well, it sure did only take us 120K to get here, give or take! Next chapter, we'll visit Tifa to deliver the good news!


	30. Celebration: On The Town

While 7th Heaven didn’t get the heaviest amount of foot traffic in Midgar, given its location under the plate and in an alley, Friday nights still proved to be bustling. Tifa made another sweep across the bar, grabbing more beer from the tap and sliding mugs across the counter, as well as gathering gil to ring up.  _ I’ve got to keep track of who orders what,  _ she thought, punching into the register and having it pop out right at her chest.  _ I’m okay when it isn’t so busy, but when the bar is full, I start just putting money in and forgetting about any change or tips…sure, Barret gets to sort it out by the end of the night, but I know it’s a pain for him… _

She skipped to far right side of the bar, where ice water waited for underneath the counter.  _ Still no Vincent,  _ she thought, staring at his empty barstool. No one had thought to fill it, as if his shadow of a presence still lingered there, warding other customers away.  _ It’s been a few days now. He’s scary, sure, but now that he’s gone...I’m a little worried. His line of work doesn’t seem...safe, to say the least. _

_ (“I kill people.”) _

She sighed to herself as a party of four left the front of the bar, chattering fading out the door.  _ Maybe he went to visit his family, or something.  _ She shook her head, wandering over to the radio to turn it up just a hair, now that it was audible in the room. “How’re you doing?” Barret asked her as he crossed to the sink.

“I’m good,” she replied, twisting her back. 

“If you need to take a break, you can go right ahead,” he remarked, just as another, group came in. “There’s always an hour lull between now and--”

Tifa turned toward the door to address the newcomers, and a smile widened across her face. “Not right now,” she said, rushing to the front of the counter. “Hey, guys!” 

Zack, Aerith, and Cloud pulled up seats at the bar--Zack had his arms around both of them, and the three of them were beaming. Even Cloud, who usually was muted in comparison, had a wide grin, one that he shared with her across the bar.  _ Cloud--!  _ She couldn’t help but return it, scooping up her hair and making sure it fell across her back. “Hi~!” Aerith greeted. “It’s not as busy as I thought!”

“Yeah, Barret said we’re hitting a lull, I guess,” she replied. “So, you came just in time. Can I get you guys anything?” 

“I’ll have a beer,” Zack said, digging for his wallet. “What about you, babe?” 

“Same’s good,” Aerith replied.

He nodded, then turned to Cloud, an arm still around his shoulder. “I’ve got you covered tonight, what do you want?”

Cloud hesitated, almost mesmerized by Zack. After a few seconds of the two of them just staring at each other, Tifa interjected. “I...can just get your usual, Cloud,” she said. “Ginger ale?”

He glanced back over, dazed. “Oh, y-yeah. That’s good.” He shook his head and laced both of his hands up on the bar. “Doctor said I shouldn’t push it…”

“Yeah, and after what happened a little earlier this week, I’d be careful,” Zack added, reaching out to graze his clasped hands. 

Tifa’s eyes flickered between them. “What happened?”  _ Cloud didn’t mention anything to me… _ Zack placed a handful of gil on the counter, and she came back to herself, darting back to grab two mugs and a glass. She was ready within seconds--two beers from the tap, and a ginger ale from the fountain--Cloud on the outside, Zack in the middle, and Aerith on his other arm. 

Cloud took a sip of the soda and looked up at her with cyan eyes. “N-not a big deal,” he said. “I just got dizzy when I had a cigarette--”

“I thought you quit?” she interrupted.

“I did--”

“Doesn’t always stick the first try,” Zack interjected. He took a drink of his beer before he continued. “Took me a couple before I was off for good. This one always caught when I cheated.”

He nudged Aerith beside him, and she giggled. “It’s easy to tell smoke kisses from real ones,” she said, kissing his cheek. Her eyes stayed fixed on Tifa, however, and the attention made her fidget under the counter. 

“Hey, it’s all right, though,” Zack said, squeezing both of them against his side. “We wanted to hit you up before we went and got ice cream. We’re taking a night on the town!”

“Oh, that’s cool!” Tifa replied.  _ God, he sure is in a good mood today. Especially after all the moping he did while Cloud was sick.  _ Aerith took a drink of beer, while Cloud leaned into Zack’s side, a lazy smile pasted on his face.  _ Speaking of which, those two seem awfully close tonight… _ “Er, any occasion?”

“Well--” Zack started, but Aerith cut him off. 

“He just finished up a song he was working on with the band,” she said, leaning forward. “He wrote it himself!”

“I-it sounds really good,” Cloud added. “Are you guys going to record it…?”

“I dunno yet,” Zack replied. Every time he spoke to him, his nose brushed against the edge of his hair. “We hadn’t really talked about it, but I’ll bring it up next time…”

“That’s awesome,” Tifa said, fussing with her bangles on her wrist. “You know, I haven’t heard you guys play. Weren’t you going to come gig here sometime?”

Zack perked up. “Oh yeah, we were! I think Seph or Gen is taking care of that.” He leaned back and pointed behind Aerith, a hand on Cloud’s back. “Set up the kit right over there, with some amps? There’s a lot of space…”

Cloud allowed himself to be pulled in by Zack, tucked into the crook of his arm. He snuck a look over to Tifa, a flush in his face, but it quickly darted away.  _ What...what’s going on? _

_ (“How do you tell someone you like them?”) _

She bit the inside of her cheek.  _ When he first came here, all he talked about was Zack, Zack, Zack. Who am I kidding, he still brings him up every time he visits. Same tone, same spark in his eyes. He admires him, he nearly idolizes him-- _

“Tifa?” Aerith cocked her head. “Did you hear me?”

“Huh? Oh, n-no.” Tifa bit her lip and hid her fussing hands beneath the counter. “Wh-what did you say?”

“I was just asking how your night was going~!” She knelt up on her stool to crane over the counter, tipping over almost enough to bump her nose against Tifa’s. “Wah--!”

She wobbled, but Zack was there to steady her--a hand on her hip that trickled lower. “Easy!” he exclaimed.

“I’m good--hey, watch your hands!” Aerith yelped, plopping back down her rear and scrunching her face up. 

She crossed her arms, but all Zack replied with was a sheepish giggle.  _ Well, there’s no question that him and Aerith are still just as together.  _ Zack poked her nose and kissed her cheek, before turning back to Cloud, muttering close in his ear, something she couldn’t discern. As soon as he registered it, however, he turned up to him, a grin spreading on his face and flooding up to his eyes.  _ But Cloud is shining… _

_ (did he ever shine like that for you?) _

“Good,” Zack said, a little louder, taking another drink of his beer. “You just let me know, okay?”

“Y-yeah. Thanks, Zack...” Cloud said, stirring the ice in his drink. 

“So,” Tifa said loudly. “Wh-when do you...think you’ll be gigging?”

Zack ran his finger underneath the necklace around his neck, pulling up the pendant--a single feather--and brushed it up against his face idly. “Dunno yet. Few weeks, maybe? We’ve got to figure out our setlist.”

“Who knows how long  _ that’ll  _ take,” Aerith remarked. “Given Sephiroth…”

“Yeah, bet you he’ll still try and shaft me on songs,” Zack said with a groan. “It’s like…”

Tifa found herself tuning him out as her attention drifted from him to Cloud.  _ You’re so happy,  _ she thought.  _ It’s been a long while since I’ve seen you like this.  _ He met her eyes once again, but as they lingered, they asked a question.  _ What is it? _

_ What is it? What’s wrong, Tifa?  _ The noise of the bar closed in on her, making her head feel like it was stuffed with cotton. Zack finished his train of thought and polished off his beer. His arm was no longer around Aerith, but holding her hand--made more clear when he lifted their linked hands and kissed the back of hers. Then, without hesitation or even a second glance around, he leaned over and kissed Cloud on the side of the head, giggling as he did so.  _ Yeah, they’re really close. Don’t you notice, Aerith?  _ Flicking her eyes over, Aerith was indeed watching them, but with an amused smirk, opposite hand in her chin.  _ Okay, maybe she does. And she’s...all right with them...being like that?  _

_ So close?  _

_ (are you jealous?) _

_ No… _

It took a moment before Tifa realized Aerith’s green-eyed gaze was on her, and she jumped, nearly knocking over her water under the counter. “You okay?” Aerith asked. 

“H-huh?” she said, taking a long drink from said water before she answered. It had drawn Zack and Cloud’s attention as well. “I’m...fine! Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Her voice lilted too high, and she cursed herself for it.  _ Why wouldn’t I be, why wouldn’t I be, huh? Look at how happy all of them are together. After all that Cloud went through, he should be happy, he deserves it. He deserves it! _

_ (even if it isn’t from you?) _

_ Of course, of course--! Damn it… _

Zack pushed his empty mug back toward the counter. “Well, we ought to keep on going before it gets too late,” he said. “Don’t want to get locked out of getting sundaes for my sweethearts!”

Tifa’s eyes widened.  _ Sweethearts?  _

Cloud, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to melt, his neck scrunched into his shoulders. “Z-Zack…” he mumbled.

“Easy there, cowboy,” Aerith said, patting Zack's shoulder while she scooted off her stool. “I might be used to your blinding charm, but I think you need to  _ ease  _ Cloud into it.” 

“That means I’ve still got it,” he said with a wink. “Yo, Tifa, we’ll catch you later, then!”

“Y-yeah,” she said, taking a deep breath.  _ I think I should take that break Barret offered. I...want a cigarette.  _

“I’ll call you tomorrow!” Aerith chimed in, attempting to reach for her on the counter, but when there was no part of her to touch, she settled for patting the grimy surface gently. “Good luck the rest of the night.”

She managed a stilted laugh. “Thanks, I’ll need it.”

Cloud was the last one to get up, a step behind Zack and Aerith, and Tifa found herself lunging forward to grab his arm. “H-hey,” she said as he staggered back. “I want to talk to you. Come around back.”

“O-okay…” he replied, glancing back behind him. “U-uh, just a sec, guys…”

Zack spun around, arm around Aerith’s waist. “Oh, sure! We’ll be right outside.”

They left, and Cloud kept his eyes on them until they had disappeared from view, waltzing slowly to the edge of the counter. As soon as he was around to the opening, Tifa took his wrist and walked him through the back door of the bar. Most of it was storage and a largely abandoned kitchen, bright with fluorescent light, but she led him clean through and outside, ending up near the end of the alley. “Whoa, I didn’t even know this was back here,” he muttered. 

“Yeah, we don’t use it. Barret says we used to serve bar food here, but it never really sold well. People come here to drink, and that’s about it.”  _ Talking about this is easy, of course it is. It doesn’t have anything to do with me. Or you.  _ She shut the door behind her and leaned against it. The music from the radio still wafted through--a rock ballad, with its steady beat and warbling guitars rumbling through the door. 

Cloud wrinkled his nose for a moment--the dumpsters weren’t too far, but he steadied himself when he looked over Tifa, hands in his pockets. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I…”  _ This is a mistake. I shouldn’t have drawn any attention to it. But, I have to know. It’s going to bug me if I don’t ask.  _ “So...what’s up with you and Zack?”

“Wh-what do you...” His posture shifted, and his elbows twitched, as if he were fidgeting in his pockets. “What do you mean?”

_ You know, you already know! C’mon.  _ “You guys were pretty close. And…’sweethearts’?” She took a moment to pause at a brief wince from him.  _ Too...too sharp. Damn it.  _ “I’ve never heard him call you _that_ before.”

“Ah…” Cloud stared up at the plate. “Well...th-that’s one of the things that, er, happened today.” As much as he tried, he couldn’t bite back the smile off his face--but, at the same time, he couldn’t look Tifa in the face. “Z-Zack...asked me out.”

_ That’s...that’s it. What else...could it have been? Although--  _ “But...isn’t he still with Aerith?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Cloud replied. “I guess...we’re both dating him now. She’s okay with it.”

Tifa nodded slowly. “I...see.”

They stood in silence for a moment, quiet enough for the vocals to come through from the brick of the building.  _ “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad…”  _ Tifa’s tongue tucked in her mouth.  _ How fitting. So, both of them are with Zack...1st-class SOLDIER, songwriter in a band with a bunch of other Shinra elites… _

_ Quite a catch, isn’t he…? _

_ Better than a farm girl from the middle of fuck-off nowhere… _

“I’m...sorry,” Cloud said suddenly. When she looked up at him, his hand was over his mouth. “I never...told you, told you that I--”

_ That you were into guys? That you liked Zack? Or what?  _ “It’s fine,” she replied curtly, digging in her pockets for her cigarettes and a lighter. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

In the dull dark, his eyes were still bright, a cyan color that she was no longer familiar with, but carried the same anxiety and concern she knew well. “A-are you...mad?” he asked, voice cracking.

_ Cloud…  _ Tifa gave him a thin-lipped smile, and the more she forced herself into it, the easier it came. “No, of course not,” she answered. She even chuckled. “Why would I be mad about something like that? You...you look happier than I’ve seen you in a while.”

His expression loosened, the worry wrinkles dissipating from his forehead. “Really?” 

“Really.” She stifled another sigh, and opened her arms. “C’mere.”

Tifa gathered Cloud in her arms and rested her head against his chest. “As long as you’re happy, that’s what counts,” she murmured, staring out into the alley. She could just see Zack and Aerith together at the corner, wrapped in each other’s arms. Soon, Aerith stood on her toes, and they kissed, and Tifa clenched her free hand into a fist behind Cloud’s back.  _ That’s what counts isn’t it?  _

_ Then, why… _

Cloud stroked the back of her hair before pulling away. “Thanks, Ti,” he said, a soft look

_ (that look isn’t just for you anymore) _

draped on his face. “It...means a lot.”

She laced her hands behind her back, fussing with the cigarette pack between her hands. “S-sure, of course,” she said. “Go on, you don’t want to keep them waiting.”

Cloud glanced over his shoulder--Zack and Aerith were still in liplock--then nodded. “R-right. I’ll...ah, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” 

“Yeah. Have a...good night.” She waved with one hand, trying to keep it in motion as it went around to pull out a smoke. “And...congrats.”

Cloud grinned. “Thanks.”

And with that, he walked off--slow at first, then into a light jog as he met up with Zack and Aerith down at the end of the alley.  _ Congrats, Cloud,  _ Tifa thought as she tucked a cigarette between her lips. It took a couple tries for her lighter to ignite, the metal wheel rubbing her thumb raw.  _ You got yourself a boyfriend. How can I compete with that?  _

The flame lit up just enough for her to spot a rat scurrying around the dumpster, and she brought the light to her cigarette, inhaling too deep and making her cough.  _ It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not like anything’s changed between us. _

_ (not yet) _

_ He’s still my friend, Cloud’s my best friend, and I love him.  _ She blew out the smoke, a haze around her. It didn’t dispel the tightness in her chest.  _ I want him to be happy. That’s what friends are for, right?  _

The radio continued to blare from inside:

_ “Well, okay, we get along, so what if right now everything’s wrong? _ __  
_ If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad, _ _  
_ __ If it makes you happy, then why the hell are you so sad?”

Tifa grit her teeth. “Damn it, turn that off--!” she cursed, mostly to the alley, mostly to herself as she took another quick drag of her cigarette.  _ It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m fine… _

_ (you thought you might’ve had a chance, didn’t you? _

_ but now they’re both taken) _

“It’s okay,” she muttered, tossing her half smoked cigarette to the ground and grinding it beneath her shoe.  _ They’re both happy, he’s good for them both… _

_...and that’s what counts.  _

_ Right?  _

She stormed back into the bar, through the abandoned kitchen and past immediately to the radio, turning it off. “Good, just in time,” Barret said, in the middle of pouring a beer from the tap. “I think it’s starting to pick up again.”

“Good,” she replied, taking a large gulp of her water.  _ Before, I was hoping for a slow night,  _ she thought, walking to the sink and running the water. Testing it with her finger first, she cupped her hands and splashed some on her face, making her gasp.  _ Now, I want it to be busy. I...don’t want to think...anymore tonight.  _

With a sigh, she grabbed a towel and dried her face.  _ Chin up, Tifa.  _ She ignored Barret watching over her, and paced to the opposite end of the bar, gathering empty glasses in her arms.  _ Everything’s fine.  _

_ (is it?) _

She swallowed hard.  _ Yeah, it is.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music round-up--although it's pretty obvious, the song on the radio is ["If It Makes You Happy" by Sheryl Crow.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChYK2aE0znk) I've actually had that song in mind for this section since I started webbing. 
> 
> The incident with Cloud having a cigarette is something I wrote a flash about, which [you can read here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/146606162321/flash-time-29)
> 
> Mmm, this chapter is bittersweet. I'm so sorry, Tifa, your time will come soon...! She just feels pretty left out right about now. I also almost had Zack call Aerith and Cloud his "honeys", but then I said, "slow down, Zack is not Zelos Wilder", heh. 
> 
> Okay, next chapter _I promise_ is going to be nothing but cute. (Please hold me to it.) The gang heads home for the night, so stay tuned!


	31. Celebration: Home

“...God, so then Seph just glares at me, you know how he does,” Zack said, his tone bubbling and echoing in the alley. He was between Cloud and Aerith, holding both of their hands, fingers laced and swinging. Cloud couldn’t tear his eyes down from his face, the warmth from his hand flooding all the way to his chest.  _ You’re...so cute when you tell stories… _

_ I love it... _

Zack cleared his throat to make his voice deeper. “And he says ‘why’d we let  _ him  _ join the band?’ And fuckin’ Gen, he just--” His speech burst into broken laughter. “He walks over to Angeal and says ‘why’d we let  _ him  _ join the band?’” 

Aerith snorted, staggering a little ahead of them. “Oh my  _ God!”  _ she exclaimed. “Sephiroth must’ve lost his  _ mind.”  _

“I swear to God, his stare could’ve melted anything in its path,” Zack said, letting their hands go so he could fish out his keys. “Don’t know what he gets out of it, honestly…”

“Remember what he said? ‘It’s like playing in a tiger’s cage with a steak around your neck,’” Aerith reminded him, slipping under his arm as soon as he unlocked the door. Cloud brought up the rear, shutting the door behind him and shuffling off his shoes.  _ Boy, I’m...kind of tired,  _ he thought, rubbing one eye.  _ Lucrecia said not to push myself if I get tired, otherwise the mako will kick in, and it’s still hard for me to handle… _

“Sure, sure, but damn, that’s not a tiger I’d like to poke,” Zack sighed. He tossed his hat off onto the couch and shed his denim overshirt to accompany it. He stretched his arms high above his head, pressing against the ceiling with the palms of his hands.  _ God, you’re tall,  _ Cloud mused to himself. With a little grunt, Zack snapped his eyes open and snapped his fingers, pointing to Aerith. “Hey!” 

On her way to the kitchen, Aerith spun around and snapped her finger back at him, pointing. “Hey!”

“I wanted to run by you, since Cloud’s here,” he started. Even the mention of his name made Cloud bite back a smirk. “Do you think we could fit another body in the house?” 

She raised an eyebrow. “What, you want him to move in with us?”

“W-well, I mean, once he’s done rehab,” he said. “I mean, he doesn’t have much stuff, since he’s been living in the barracks, and the couch is decent to sleep on…”

Aerith tapped her finger against her lips. “And you  _ are  _ his boyfriend now,” she added, winking. “I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad. If he’s okay with it.”

Both of them turned directly to him, and he shrank a little against the door. “A-ah, I mean...if it’s no trouble,” he stammered, running a hand through his blond hair and tugging at the back of it. “I don’t wanna impose…”

“Oh, please,” Aerith scoffed, bouncing over to him and pulling him further into the living room by his shoulders. “You’re a joy to have around. It’s just as long as you don’t mind sleeping on a couch all the time.”

“I-it’s...a cozy couch,” he said in a very small voice. “I don’t mind…”

Aerith giggled, but she was soon pushed out of the way by Zack, who brought him into a strong armed hug. “I want to make sure you’re safe,” he said, kissing the top of his head. “Don’t want you to get snapped up and dragged into the labs again…”

Zack pushed a hand through his hair, drawing Cloud’s head up so he could look into his eyes. Through his hair, his hand drifted down through his cheek, gently with his thumb against his jaw.  _ I still could be dreaming,  _ Cloud thought, cyan eyes wide and fixated on Zack’s darker ones.  _ This could still just be one elaborate mako fever dream, and I wake up in the 2nd-class barracks in a cold sweat.  _

“Besides,” Zack chuckled. “How else would I be able to see you all the time? Now that you’re 2nd-class and I’m not heading your company…”

Cloud nodded as if his head were being puppeted by a string. “R-right,” he replied. His hands kept light on his back, barely grazing the fabric of his tanktop. 

Zack stared at him for a second longer, before he burst into another grin and clutched him back against his chest.  _ “Man!  _ This is so good.” He tilted his head over to a very, very amused Aerith, arms crossed and watching them intently. “Sorry, I’m still wrapping my head around all this--!”

_ You’re not the only one,  _ Cloud thought. “What’d I tell you?” Aerith remarked. “I knew once you figured everything out, you’d be good.”

“Really?” 

She nodded, then wandered to the edge of the couch, sitting on the armrest. It creaked horribly. “So, what are we doing for the rest of the night? Movie?”

“Maybe,” Zack replied. He finally loosened his grip on Cloud enough for him to adjust his head against his chest--but not entirely willing to lift it off completely. The feather pendant drifted against his forehead, and he nodded it away. 

Aerith clicked her tongue. “Maybe?” 

“Mmn.” Zack weaved on his feet. “There was something else…”

“Oh?”

Her green eyes sparkled with intrigue, and Cloud felt Zack’s fingers drum against his sides. “Well...I thought, y’know, since we just got together…” The more he spoke, the more he leaned back and forth. “Maybe...we could have the bed tonight?” 

Aerith’s grin only grew wider. “You boys going to break it in?” 

Cloud flinched against Zack’s chest, threatening to crumble right to the floor.  _ Aerith--!  _

_ (as if you hadn’t already thought about him touching you) _

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut.  _ Not the day we start dating--!  _ He took a deep breath and tried to relax the anxiety creeping in his forehead. 

Luckily, Zack appeared to be on the same page. “N-no, not like that--!” he exclaimed. His face very pink as well, rubbing Cloud’s head in a steady rhythm. “J-just wanted to spend a little time together, y-y’know...unless you wanted to…?”

Aerith giggled and shook her head. “No, no, as cute as he is, he’s  _ your  _ boyfriend,” she remarked, scooting herself off the armrest. She stood on her toes to poke Zack’s nose, and gave Cloud’s hot cheek a poke as well. “Besides, I think it’d be tough to cram three in there. We can try someday, but it’s all yours tonight.”

Zack gave a nervous chuckle. “Thanks, babe,” he said, then took Cloud’s arm and dragged him behind him. “C’mon…!”

“Wha…?” Cloud tripped as he followed behind Zack, heart hammering in his ears.  _ He’s eager to pull me in here…!  _ As soon as he ducked in the entryway, he snapped the light on and closed the door--not all the way, but enough so it would be a task to peek.  _ I’m nervous, I’m so nervous,  _ Cloud thought, his whole body feeling as if it were about to short circuit.  _ First time alone since we got together, _

_ hell, just being together in the first place, _

_ Zack… _

Zack, with a giggle in the back of his throat, pulled Cloud onto the bed, scooting himself back against the headboard. “C’mere, c’mere,” he beckoned, patting his thighs. 

Cloud shook as he regained his bearings, but with some assistance, he situated himself in his lap, ignoring the slight blue that edged at his vision.  _ You haven’t stopped smiling since we left 7th Heaven,  _ he mused as Zack brushed his bangs out of his face.  _ And I still can’t believe it’s...for me… _

“How’re you feeling?” he asked gently. 

“I’m...o-okay,” Cloud managed. His hands shivered against Zack’s arms, and he swallowed hard. “S-sorry...I-I just...I…”

“Shh, you’re all right,” he soothed, lacing his hands behind Cloud’s back, thumbs rubbing against his spine. “We can go back out, if you--”

_ “No,  _ no,” he insisted, biting his lip. “I-I just...I’ve…”  _ Deep breath, don’t be an anxious mess for once in your God damn life.  _ “I’ve...liked you for...a  _ while,  _ now…”

“Is that right?” Zack chuckled. It was soft, it was tender, and Cloud couldn’t take his eyes off him. His smile was the biggest draw, lighting up his entire face, but so was the shape of his jawline, the mole at the edge of his cheek, right by his left eye.  _ I don’t need anything else, I could just sit here and look at him all night, until I fell asleep… _

He drummed his fingers against his back, and suddenly let out a brisk sigh, biting his lip. “H-hey,” he said, eyes flickering from Cloud’s eyes to his lips. “I...want to try something.”

Cloud could only nod, and even that was an enormous effort. Zack bit his lip again, breathed out again, then took Cloud’s cheek into his palm. He looked serious for a moment, but only that before he giggled again. In the end, Cloud returned it with a little smile--and it was enough to push Zack all the way forward, meeting their lips together in a kiss. 

His lips were very soft. 

Cloud’s eyes blinked closed, trying to match Zack’s movements, but the gentle rub against his neck was also distracting, as was the effort not to shake. Surprisingly, the more they kissed, the less nagging his anxiety became. Every motion was deliberate, although Zack was beginning to break, his lips tightening into a smile, and he soon pulled away to giggle. “Oh, God,” he whispered, running a hand back through Cloud’s hair. 

“Wh-what?” Cloud whispered back.

Zack shrugged his arms to brush Cloud’s hands away from them, only to lace their fingers together as soon as they broke contact.  _ His eyes, his eyes,  _ he thought, swallowing hard again.  _ He’s looking at me like...like I’m the only person who exists in the world… _

“Cloud,” Zack murmured. He leaned forward to kiss him again, but it was much more chaste, as he kept smiling, and had to cut it short. Staring down at the bed, he shook his head. “Shit, I...I knew that I liked you...hell, I even felt it when I was falling for you…”

_ You? Fall for me?  _ Cloud tilted his head.  _ No, no, I was the one who fell for you… _

He opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately throttled by a wave of exhaustion and a haze of blue over his vision.  _ Shit, not now, not now.  _ He gripped Zack’s hands to steady himself, and it managed to fade without him noticing, clearly trying to gather his own thoughts.  _ Let me just be with him, like this, for a little bit, before I have to pass out… _

“But…” Zack finally continued, gaze pouring into Cloud’s. He bumped their foreheads together, nuzzling it a little. “But God, I’ve never…I’ve never felt quite like this.”

He giggled again and kissed Cloud’s cheek, squeezing his hands. “Z-Zack,” Cloud breathed. It took another moment for him to gather his words, even though they cycled so clear in his head. “Neither...have I.”

_ Neither have I. Neither have I… _

Zack slipped out of Cloud’s hands and grabbed him around the waist, pulling him down to lie beside him and clutching him around his small middle. He was warm, and Cloud instinctively draped his arms around his shoulders, caught up in his giddiness with a smile on his own face. Zack planted a kiss on his forehead, then a flurry across his cheeks, one for his nose. “H-hey--!” Cloud exclaimed, squirming his face away.  _ So much, so much affection… _

_ I don’t know if I’ll be able to take it, but I hope it lasts… _

Zack began to hum, brushing his hand through his hair again, but stopped a little short as he studied his eyes. “Hm?” He cupped his hands around them as he had done when he had first woken up. “Are you feeling okay?”

“H-huh?” Cloud yawned, the bed threatening to soak him up. “Y-yeah, just...a little tired…”

“There’s a little glow in your eyes,” Zack said, then stroked his side, from around his armpit down through his hips. “Dunno if you want to change, but you should get some sleep…”

Cloud shook his head and nuzzled closer to him, if it were possible. “I want to stay here,” he said, his voice barely registering pitch. “For a little while…”

Zack nodded, then kissed his hair. “Okay.”

With a nod of his own, Cloud tucked his head against Zack’s chest, the rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat soothing what little was left of the tension harboring in his forehead. Soon, Zack began to hum once again, rubbing Cloud’s side, and his eyes drooped heavy.  _ I’m the luckiest person in the whole world,  _ he thought, sleepiness dragging him further and further into its depths.  _ And if this whole thing is a dream...well, I’m damn glad I had it… _

_ Zack… _

_ Thank you… _

He smiled to himself before Zack’s warmth lulled him to sleep.

* * *

 

In the living room, Aerith sifted through the basket of VHS tapes, before yanking one out labeled “PRETTY WOMAN” in crude permanent marker. She popped it into the player, immediately hitting rewind, and turned on the TV, making sure the volume was barely minimum.  _ Another victory for Zack Fair,  _ she mused to herself, walking to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she pulled a bottle of pink wine out from the side door and a corkscrew from the silverware drawer. Digging the screw into the cork, she yanked with all her might until it popped out, staggering her backwards.  _ Should’ve kept him out here a  _ little  _ longer, but that’s okay. I mean, he did this sort of thing when we first got together… _

_ (In the basement of the Sector 5 church, Aerith lay on top of Zack’s chest, crammed in her tiny, worn twin. “You should get going,” she whispered. “Elmyra will probably have a heart attack if she knows I brought a man down here--” _

_ “Just a little longer,” he replied, scooping her closer and kissing her mouth, slow and deep. “We’re not doing anything--” _

_ “Not the point,” she insisted, trying to scoot herself around so she was sitting up without crushing his crotch. “Besides, don’t you have a curfew?”  _

_ He waved his hand. “Doesn’t matter. It’s Saturday. If anyone needs me, they can page me.” Zack grinned at her and opened his arms again. “Now, c’mere, pretty girl…” _

_ Aerith shook her head, snickering before she obliged…) _

She poured the wine into a tumbler  _ (Classy,  _ she thought,  _ but like we could afford wine glasses),  _ then made her way back to the couch. The VCR clicked just in time, and she grabbed the remote from the depths of the couch and pressed “PLAY”. Aerith sighed heavily before taking a sip of her wine, sweet with just a twinge of alcohol. “I deserve this,” she muttered to herself as tracking information flickered at the top of the TV screen.  _ After the last couple weeks, taking care of both of them and Cloud while he was sick...and finally,  _ finally  _ getting Zack to realize that yes, he’s in love with his standard-class protege...I deserve this. _

As the credits rolled, she took another drink.  _ And now, this means I can see if I can  _

_ (long brown hair, round face, and those eyes--not quite brown, but something brighter…) _

_ do the same sort of thing for myself.  _

Aerith curled her legs underneath her, smiling as she held the cup of wine close to her chest.  _ Now, it’s my turn.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The little moment with Zack and Cloud I explored in a little flash that [you can read here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/144283730956/flash-time-19) This is just a cute little moment, I love it. Zack's really sweet, and Cloud manages to keep his corporeal form. 
> 
> This marks the end of what I've been referring to as "phase 1" internally--I've exhausted the first plot web that's been up on the [meta blog](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com) for a while. As it stands now, this work is planning to have three phases, and we're moving on to the second one. For those who've been dying for more Aerti, you're going to be in luck! Thank you all so much for reading so far!
> 
> Next chapter, we'll spend at least the morning with the newly formed partial poly. Stay tuned!


	32. Importance

Cloud stirred in the early hours of the morning, head spinning. _This again…_ He stretched, prepared to roll over, but found himself caught in a pair of strong arms around him. _Huh?_

“Nn…” Behind him, Zack scooted closer against him in his sleep. The weight and warmth of his arms around him soothed Cloud in a dreamy haze, one stronger than the mild nausea mako was inflicting. _That’s right. I stayed the night...we’re in bed together…_

He tried to focus his eyes on the alarm clock at the bedside. _6 AM on a Saturday...I can sleep a little more…_

Drowsiness took over him with a smile on his lips.

* * *

 

“Shoot, I forgot all about rehab for you,” Zack said later that day, hopping out of the bedroom and forcing his head through a t-shirt. He let it hang around his shoulders like a scarf for a moment as he ruffled back his hair.

“I-it’s not a big deal,” Cloud replied from the couch. He glanced down at himself. “As long as I have the right amount of hours logged in, it’s fine…”

“Still, I didn’t exactly sign you out,” he said, slowly pushing his arms through his shirt. “Er, after all the excitement, I kinda...forgot…”

Aerith waltzed out from the kitchen and hugged Zack from behind. “He’s a forgetful puppy sometimes,” she commented, giving Cloud a wink.

“Hey, I remember the stuff that matters--!” he retorted, lifting his arms up to pout down at Aerith.

“Your mom told me that you’d forget your head if it weren’t attached to your body.”

“Of course she did!” Zack’s ears burned pink as he ruffled the top of Aerith’s hair, sending her ponytail into a frazzle. “D-don’t believe a word of that, Cloud--!”

He covered his face to hide his chuckle, then swung his legs off the couch, stood up, and stretched. _So, I’ll go to rehab, do the usual, then drop by Tifa’s, then back here. Hopefully. I mean, they did say I could stay here, but their place is so small…_

In the middle of his thoughts, Zack snuck up behind him and perched his chin on top of his hair, and Cloud replied by leaning back into him, comforting warmth rushing into his chest. _We_ are _dating now. God, I still can’t believe that. I’m going to be saying that to myself for another week._ “You want to take the bike over?” Zack asked.

“Sure,” he replied. _I wonder if...I should see Tifa before I go back on base, that way I know she won’t be busy…_

“Hey, if you’re taking him, you have to take me after you drop him off,” Aerith interjected, hand on her hip. “You haven’t taken me riding in a long time.”

“C’mon now, we ride all the time~,” Zack chose to reply, shooting a finger gun her way. “If you know what I mean~,”

_“Ooh,_ so _that’s_ what you meant all those times you said, ‘gee, I wish I could ride Cloud--’”

Cloud’s heart-rate spiked as Zack jumped back from him. _“Honey!”_ he exclaimed. “I said ride _with!_ And you _know_ that’s--”

Aerith was doubled up with laughter, holding her stomach. “Babe, you walked _right_ into that one.”

“God!” he sputtered, a hand over his mouth as he glanced down at Cloud. _Guess I’m going to have to get used to this,_ Cloud thought, managing to keep a neutral exterior, despite adrenaline urging him to move. _I mean, Aerith wouldn’t tease him like this if it weren’t true...right? He likes me,_ and _he thinks I’m attractive…_

His fingers twitched at his sides. _Ah…_

“Anyway!” Zack said loudly, clapping his hands together. “You ready to roll?”

Cloud shook his head, scratching the back of his neck to bring him out of his haze. “H-hang on,” he said, wandering to the phone. “I want to give Ti a call first.”

“Sure thing,” he replied, rubbing his back and letting it linger until he was out of range. _All those touches, everything, it all led up to this._ Cloud smirked to himself as he dialed Tifa’s number. _I thought...it was impossible, that he_

_(or anyone)_

_could like me like that…_

The phone rang three times before the line picked up. _“Hello?”_ Tifa answered.

“Hey, it’s...it’s me,” he said, clearing his throat.

_“Oh. Hey.”_ While her tone wasn’t completely curt, it dropped from her greeting, further emphasized by a sigh. _“What’s going on?”_

“I…” _Did I call at a bad time? It’s still…_ He looked over his shoulder to try and catch the microwave in his peripheral, but found himself having to walk almost into the kitchen to catch the time. _It’s just before noon. So, she’d be up and everything._ “Are you...busy?”

_“No. I don’t officially start ‘til 3.”_ Straight and to the point. 

Cloud bit his lip. “A-all right.” _Tifa?_ He paced in place, hugging his elbow with his free hand. _My tongue’s caught, I don’t know what to say. This feels different. Are you all right…?_

_“So,”_ she said, her voice lifting a tiny bit. _“How’d the rest of your night go?”_

“Oh, g-good.” _That’s easy enough._ “We all went out to the soda shop--n-not the one you and I went to with Marlene, the one--”

_“The one that Aerith likes. Yeah.”_

_Something’s wrong._ Cloud’s voice caught in his throat, but his train of thought was cut short by the sharpness of Tifa’s tone. _“Well?”_

He forced himself to continue, his hesitation drawing Aerith’s attention on the couch. Cloud tried not to make eye contact with her. “W-well, we had sundaes over there. Z-Zack and Aerith got big ones, but I just got...y-you know, my usual.”

_“Ah.”_

_Normally, she’d tease me about how I like plain vanilla so much, how it’s so boring. Even though she usually sticks with something pretty simple as well. Damn it, Ti...what’s bothering you?_ “Then...then we...came back and relaxed the rest of the time.” His voice had dropped to a mumble.

_“Mmm.”_ She sighed again.

Cloud gripped the receiver against his face, feeling his hand grow clammy around the plastic. “H-hey, I have rehab today, but I thought maybe I could...come by, either before or after--”

_“No, it’s all right,”_ she said quickly. _“You...you just do your thing. Focus on getting better, you know? Don’t push yourself.”_

“B-but…”

_“It’s okay, Cloud. Just...yeah.”_

It was Cloud’s turn to sigh on the line. _Ti…_ He was about to speak again, when a gentle tap on his shoulder jerked him up. Aerith pointed to the phone, then herself. “O-okay. I guess I’ll...talk to you later,” he said. “Aerith wants to talk to you first.”

_“Okay. See you.”_

He handed off the phone, then shuffled over to Zack, head bowed down. “Hey, girly, whatcha up to?” he heard Aerith greet, but her voice faded as she whirled away to the bedroom and shut the door.

“Everything okay?” Zack asked, holding him by the shoulders.

“I guess,” Cloud replied, shrugging. _Not that I could put my finger on it anyway, even if something was. Maybe she was being honest, about me just focusing on recovering, but...I don’t know. It doesn’t add up._ “You can just...take me to base.”

“Okay.” Zack bent down and and kissed him gently on the mouth--it was too quick for him to reciprocate properly, but still warmed him from head to toe. “Let’s go, babe.”

Cloud’s heart hammered so hard in his chest that it triggered a film of blue over his vision. He swallowed hard enough to make his throat click. _Babe…_ Zack watched him with wide eyes and an even wider smile. “Jeez, was that too much? I think you’re glowing…”

_Oh God, please…_ His face burned, and he shook his head, trying to rid his body of the cottony, floaty feeling--whether it was from mako or from Zack, he wasn’t sure anymore. “I-I…’mm fine,” Cloud managed. _Breathe, focus on your surroundings._ He stared up at Zack, furrowing his brow, until the haze faded and he was able to turn around without getting dizzy. “Yeah, I’m good. We can...we can go.”

Zack chuckled as he guided them out toward the door. “Okay. I didn’t know my charm was _that_ dazzling…”

“W-w-well…!” Cloud bit his lip. _You are charming…!_

_(“This man said it’s gruesome that someone so handsome should care…”)_   
_  
_ He smiled down at his feet as he slipped on his shoes. _You are…!_

* * *

 

Aerith’s rusted bicycle creaked as she pedaled through the streets of Midgar, eyes scanning the side streets and alleys. _I don’t care how many times she says “I’m fine”,_ she thought, determination furrowing her brow. Her ponytail bounced on her back, denim jacket rolled up to her elbows, and she stood up on the pedals to coast and adjust her dress--a plain, teal blue. _Tifa’s upset about something. I could read it on Cloud’s face before I even talked to her. And I could probably guess what it could be._

_Well, it’s nothing that I can’t fix--!_

She rolled into the alley that 7th Heaven lie on, leaning her bike against the brick building and bounced into the bar, putting on her cheeriest tone. “Hello~!”

Both Barret and Tifa were behind the bar--the former was chatting with a couple on one end of the counter, while the latter was staring bored at the TV. The both of them jerked up upon hearing her voice, and Barret waved with one hand. “Hey, Aerith,” he said. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

_Out with his boyfriend_ was what Aerith wanted to say, but kept it caged behind her teeth. “He’s out dropping off Cloud on base,” she replied, taking the stool right in front of Tifa. She tapped her fingers on the bar and grinned at her. “Hi.”

“I told you, you didn’t have to come by,” she sighed, chin in her hand, elbow on the bar. “B-besides, I thought _Zack_ was going to take you out, or something…”

“Well, he can wait,” she said firmly, leaning a little closer. “Girly, what’s wrong?”

Tifa snapped immediately. “Stop, nothing…!” Her mouth stayed open for a moment, before she clunked both elbows on the counter and ran both her hands through her hair, revealing her forehead with eyes cast down. “Ugh, sorry...I just…”

Aerith watched as she shifted again, only meeting her own eyes for a split second. She dragged one hand over her mouth, but kept the other raked through her hair. “It’s weird. I’m just being stupid.”

“No, no you’re not,” Aerith insisted. “Tell me, what’s bakin’ your noodle?” _Oof, that's a Zack-ism if there ever was one..._

Tifa snorted, offering her a smile that barely raised her upper lip. “It’s just…” She paused and sighed again. “Well, it’s about Cloud.”

_I knew it._ She only nodded in response. _Let me guess…_

“I just...I mean, I’m not _surprised,_ you know...about Zack,” she murmured, low enough so eavesdroppers would have to struggle to hear. “I’ve never seen him... _so_ interested in another guy--”

“Let me guess,” Aerith interrupted. “He never told you that he was interested in men?”

Tifa shook her head. “He never mentioned it. He never dated anyone in high school. I mean, neither did I, but…” She trailed off, staring back up at the TV. “It’s like...it’s not out of nowhere, but it is, y’know?”

_It didn’t feel out of nowhere to me,_ Aerith mused. _The first time I saw those two together, I knew Cloud had a huge crush on him. I suppose not everyone is so in-tune with that sort of thing, though…_

“I’m not mad,” Tifa said suddenly, jerking her head up. “I’m not…! H-he looked so happy the other night…” She bit her lip and met Aerith’s eyes for just a moment. “Y-you...all did. I’m just…”

_You feel like a fourth wheel?_ Aerith thought.

Tifa shook her head. “I just have this feeling that he’s going to spend all his time with him, now…”

“Aw, I don’t think so,” she assured, keeping one hand out on the bar. “He wanted to come visit you today, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Tifa hugged her arms, and Aerith studied her closer with careful green eyes. _You like him too, don’t you? The two of you have this private little language that comes from being around each other for so long. The way he looks at you sometimes…_

She bit the inside of her cheek. _If only they’d realize that just because someone is taken, it doesn’t mean they’re not available. It doesn’t mean you can’t love them too._ “I just...all he’s going to want to talk about is Zack, Zack, Zack,” Tifa finished finally, frowning. “As if he doesn’t already…”

It was difficult for Aerith to suppress the giggle at her lips. “Hard to blame him,” she snorted. “He’s something.”

“I figured, since you’re both dating him.” Tifa crossed her arms, her lip curled at the floor. Aerith leaned back in her stool. _Ah, so that’s what this is about._

A pattering down the stairs stopped her from replying, as Marlene wandered over to the counter, stuffed dog in tow. Her attention was drawn to the empty stool at the edge of the bar, next to Aerith’s. “Hey, Marlene,” Aerith greeted. “What’s going on?”

She looked up at her for only a moment before toddling to the counter, standing on her toes. “Tifa, where’s Vincent?” she asked.

Tifa blinked, her expression shifting from bitter to solemn in an instant. “I don’t know, hon,” she replied, also gazing at his empty seat. “I don’t know…”

“He’s still not around?” Aerith asked. “Not even during the day…?”

Barret wandered behind Tifa to grab a glass. “Nope, haven’t seen him in...shit, it’s been over a week, I think.” He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m a little worried myself. He’s never done something like this before, not in all the years he’s been coming here.”

_“Years?”_ Tifa remarked over her shoulder.

“Oh, yeah.” He crossed his arms. “At least two or three. Didn’t make too much of a fuss, just strolled in like he usually does, asked for his sazerac, drank, and left. He just kept coming back.”

“I hope he hasn’t gotten in any kind of trouble,” Aerith muttered, folding her hands in front of her face. _He always seemed so lonely, but never cruel. Nothing like those rumors of him being a vampire that went around…_

_(“Hey, flower girl,” Barret said, glancing over at the full basket in her arms. “Pedaling outside today?”_

_“Yeah, I just...need to get away from the shop for a bit,” Aerith sighed, rubbing her temples. “There’s this jerk who keeps coming around and pestering me--”_

_The thud of the heavy-bottomed glass on the stained, cheap wood interrupted her. “Do you…” Vincent started beside her, his voice gravelly and deep. “...need it taken care of?”_

_She stared at him with wide eyes. “Um…”_

_Vincent sighed, then turned his dingy (brown? red?) gaze up to her, messy hair pushed back barely by a headband tied around his forehead; a trench-coat around his hunched shoulders, the collar high and nearly up to his mouth. “I-it’s not a big deal…” Aerith stammered, then sighed. “Just...as long as you don’t hurt him.”_

_He nodded, slowly._

_“Promise?”_

_A slow blink, and then another nod. His eyes flicked over to her basket, and he reached into his pocket. “How much?” he mumbled._

_“Huh? O-oh…” She swallowed and picked through the assortment of flowers, colorful amidst the bleak darkness of the bar. “5 gil for one...here, how about something red…?”_

_She found a red carnation amongst the bouquet, and handed it over. He didn’t reach out for it, making her drop it in front of his empty glass on the bar. After a moment of staring at it, he reached into his trenchcoat and placed three gil pieces out, each bearing a “10” symbol on them. With that, he stood up, took the flower in his hand, and slipped off the stool, exiting the bar in silence…)_

_I never saw that weird customer again,_ Aerith thought.

“I hope he comes back soon,” Marlene said, hugging Red close to her chest. “Who’s gonna...who’s gonna comb his hair?”

“I’m sure he can do that himself,” Tifa replied. Aerith bit back a smile. _I doubt he does._

At that moment, they met each other’s eyes, and by the looks of it, Tifa read her thoughts as well. _That little spark, a little smirk, that’s more of the Tifa I like to see,_ she thought _. Zack doesn’t have all my attention, you know..._

Barret sighed and clapped his hands together, making an odd slap against the prosthetic. “Well, I’m sure he’ll come around soon,” he grunted, shuffling back over to the other side. “Hope so, anyway…”

Tifa nodded, spacing off toward Vincent’s stool. _I’m sure he’s a steady source of income, but it’s more than just that, isn’t it?_ Aerith flexed her hand on the bar. _I hope he comes back soon, too. And safe._ She kept her eyes on Tifa, her long brown hair spilling over her back, tied in a red ribbon at the very base. _In the meantime…_ She reached out for her, grazing her fingertips against her arm. “Hey.”

She flinched. “Huh?”

Aerith offered her a smile. “I promise to talk to you every day,” she said. “Whether I come over, we go out, or I call.”

“Wh-what?” Tifa gawked at her, an eyebrow raised. “I-I mean, o-okay…”

“So you don’t feel lonely!” Aerith chirped, standing on her knees on the stool, propping her hands up on the bar for support. Instinctively, Tifa stepped back as she stared up. “We should go on another bicycle ride~!”

“I-I’m not...I’m not…” Tifa stammered, her face growing pinker by the second.

“Wanna go right now?”

“She’s on the clock,” Barret grumbled from the side, furrowing his brow. “And get down from there, you’re gonna fall…”

Aerith ignored him, focusing all her attention on Tifa. “I-I shouldn’t, l-like Barret said,” she replied, then waved her hand. “And yeah, c-careful…”

“Aw, okay.” She plopped down on her bottom, but still kept her arms across the bar, wiggling her fingers. Tentatively, Tifa grazed the tops of her nails with her fingers, and Aerith linked them as soon as they were in reach. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “But, still! I promise!”

Tifa nodded and looked away. “Th...thanks, Aerith.”

“Hey, I just don’t want you to feel left out,” she said, squeezing her hands. “I know feels rough, both of us with Zack now, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less important to us.” _I know Cloud would agree with me on that one._

Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came, so she simply nodded again, her smile growing. “Y-yeah,” she muttered.

Aerith bounced on her seat. “So, when should we--”

She was interrupted by the revving of a motorcycle in the alley, loud and rumbling. “Who the hell is that?” Barret snapped, trying to get a decent look out the window. “Fuckin’--” He suddenly scanned the bar and found Marlene still waffling near the staircase. “I-I mean...friggin’ punk kid idling in the alley, as if it weren’t polluted enough down here under the plate…”

Aerith squinted out the window, barely catching the profile of the rider as he sat back on the seat of the motorcycle. “Oh for crying out loud, sunflower,” she sighed to herself. _Only you, Zack._

“Is that Zack?” Tifa asked.

“Yup,” she replied, gradually pulling her fingers away from hers and tightening her ponytail. “I should go--” She glanced over to Barret, still glaring and trying to get a good look out the window. “--before he throws a fit.”

“Yeah, good idea.”

“Remember what I told you!” Aerith said as she bounced off the barstool, pointing at her. “You’re just as important! I’m going to call you tonight!”

“Okay.”

_“Remember!_ No more pouting!”

“Okay, okay!” she chuckled, twirling her bangs between her fingers. “Go…!”

Aerith walked backwards to the door, and when she reached it, back against the door, she blew a kiss with two fingers to Tifa. “Bye-bye~!” She giggled as she spun around, flinging open the door. _I don’t think I can be more obvious than that. Oh, Tifa, you’re so good, and I never want you to feel lonely--! So I’ll make sure you don’t._

Outside, Zack was tapping his fingers against his thighs, whistling until he caught Aerith in the corner of his eye. “I thought you’d be here!” he said, beaming. “C’mon, we’ll ride!”

“First of all,” Aerith said, pointing to her parked bike. “We’ve got to get this back. I didn’t think you’d come looking for me--!”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my girl!” He stuck his tongue out and winked. He leaned the bike over and flipped up the kickstand with a click. “I’ll follow you home, _then_ we’ll go.”

_“God,_ you’re something,” Aerith remarked, shaking her head. “Why don’t we just regroup at home?”

“So...you can think about Tifa more?” Zack pointed and drew a circle around Aerith’s face in the air. “Huh? Huh?”

“Oh my _God!”_ Aerith exclaimed, even as her heart hammered in her chest. She rushed up to him and grabbed his cheeks, feeling the heat of the bike at her knees. “You’re just getting back at me--”

_“Hey!”_ Barret threw open the door of the bar. “Oh, of course it’s _you!_ Quit idling, Fair!”

Zack jerked up, unintentionally revving the engine. “Yes, sir!” he called, then kissed Aerith’s forehead. “Okay, I’ll meet you back home, baby.”

Aerith backpedaled to her bicycle and grasped the handlebars. “Go, go!” she shouted, just as he peeled out of the alley and zoomed down the side street. _What a showoff--!_ She threw her leg over the seat and pushed herself forward, resistance in the pedals burning her calves. _Oh, but would I want him any other way?_

She smirked to herself as she cruised down the sidewalk. _After all, if I want something more mellow, more calm...I can just come here to 7th Heaven and order a drink. Let me spend a little more time with you, let me show you how far love can go_

_(quiet nights curled in her arms, gentle touches, a kiss on her cheek…_

_“Aerith” spoken in a quiet voice…)_

Aerith tilted her head to the wind and shook her head, ponytail heavy but fluttering in the wind. _Let’s go on another date soon, Tifa..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Sorry for the later update--getting the hang of my new web and a few other things came up. Anyway! Zack is so much for Cloud to handle, actually both Zack and Aerith are. Just picture Cloud having a permanent flush in his face the whole time. Tifa's a little jealous...Zack's so much cooler than her in her eyes, but Aerith doesn't want her to feel that way, at all. 
> 
> So, the next thing on my web just reads "ought to have another fluffy chapter with Zack and Cloud" with no other explanation. I'm sure I'll come up with something! Stay tuned!


	33. Sunset

In a stroke of luck, Zack caught Cloud just as he was stepping out of the elevator on to the floor where the rehab center was. “Hey!” he exclaimed, gesturing him inside. He was in his 2nd-class uniform, with a bundle of clothes and a packet of papers under his arm.  _ Damn, I’m still not over him in that uniform,  _ he thought with a grin.  _ 2nd-class, already…!  _ “Caught you just in time, huh?”

“Yeah…!” Cloud replied, offering him a small smile as he stood flush beside him, shoulder to shoulder. “I just...have to drop off some stuff at my locker…”

“Sure, no worries.” Zack reached over and punched “30” on the elevator panel, just as the door closed. As soon as he felt the familiar rise underneath his feet, he pulled Cloud into his chest and kissed his hair. “How’d things go today?” 

“G-good,” he stammered, face already stained pink from the contact. “I’m...getting better at handling the mako, and I’ve just started strength training…” 

“Oh, nice.” Zack leaned back to puff out his chest and casually admire one of his own biceps. “We’ll have to see if you can beat me in reps--!” 

Cloud snorted, even if he bit his lip.  _ God, you’re cute.  _ “Jeez, I don’t...I don’t think so…”

His eyes kept darting everywhere except his face, particularly at the corners of the elevator. “What’s up?” Zack asked, automatically resting his hand on his shoulder now that he was done posing, carefully placed between his neck and the shoulderpad.  _ What’s he looking for?  _ He also scanned the top corners.

“W-well…” Cloud started. “There...i-it’s Shinra, y’know, so there might be cameras.”

_ “Oh,  _ gotcha.” Zack shuffled them back to point to the direct center of the ceiling. “It’s right up there.” Adrenaline spiked through the back of his neck as he turned back toward him, raising a thumb to drag along Cloud’s jawline. “What, did you…?” 

“Z-Zack…!” Cloud’s eyes dilated as panic crept into his voice. “Cripes, we’ll get in trouble for sure…” 

_ Is that a challenge?  _ Zack grinned as he stood fully in front of Cloud, his height making sure that the camera couldn’t spot him. “Hey, if I can get away with knocking out a higher up,” he muttered, dropping his voice to almost a whisper. “What’s a little kiss in an elevator gonna do~?” 

Cloud gulped, eyes still wide with lips slightly parted.  _ I remember when Aerith and I started dating,  _ he thought, continuing to stroke the side of his jaw, reaching to the back of his neck.  _ I wanted to take her for the elevator tour, just hit the 100th floor on a slow day and enjoy the ride… _

_ We never got to...but-- _

The elevator pinged, jolting Cloud.  _ Ah.  _ Zack stood back tall and straight, “30” lit above the door, and sighed. “Damn,” he muttered, then chuckled. “Some other time, huh?” 

Cloud took a deep breath and shook his head, following close behind as Zack led the way down the hall.  _ Someday, someday.  _ Zack smirked to himself, letting his feet take direction while his mind wandered.  _ I know these halls like the back of my hand. I was 2nd for a couple years--or was it three? It was a while. The last physical exam for 1st was a doozy.  _

_ (A strong hand against the back of his neck, forcing his head and upper shoulders. into a vat of ice water. Eyes squeezed shut. One minute, _

_ two minutes, _

_ three…) _

Zack’s hand clenched at his side,

_ (Four...his eyes snapped open to a dark blur as bubbles drifted out of his nose. Tight anxiety in his chest, focus, focus,) _

just before they rounded the corner to the next hallway.

_ (...blue in his vision as the mako finally kicked in, just before his throat threatened to suck in a lungful of water, he was ripped out. “Time,” Angeal muttered, letting him drop to the ground.  _

_ Zack coughed and sputtered, tears dripping hot down his face.  _ “Agh!”  _ he cried, doubled over on the ground, holding his arms. “Ah...ah…” _

_ After shivering for a moment, he felt hands against his forearms, gentle and firm. “You’re all right, you’re all right,” Angeal repeated. “That’s it, it’s done…” _

_ Zack coughed again, clumsily wiping his eyes. “I th-th-thought...I was gonna d-drown, Jesus, fuck, why--” _

_ “Not on my watch,” he interrupted. “Not on my time, Zack…”) _

Zack ushered Cloud into the locker room with a hand on his back, while he stayed in the doorway.  _ Five minutes in ice water,  _ he thought, crossing his arms.  _ Although, I swear I remember that stopwatch being at 4:57… _

_ With all the other shit they put us through too, I’m surprised Angeal wanted to handle it. Would I be able to do the same to Cloud?  _

Cloud changed quietly and swiftly out of his uniform back into street clothes, sneaking looks over every second to catch how closely Zack was watching. While he caught these glances, he mostly stared off behind him in thought.  _ I wouldn’t, no,  _ Zack thought, drumming his fingers against his arms.  _ Not after I already saw him suffer...partially because of me, too. I mean, I’m supposed to be trained to do this shit, but I couldn’t… _

_ Not to him… _

Cloud adjusted a red plaid overshirt over his shoulders, clanging the locker shut and bringing Zack’s attention back. “Hey, that’s new,” he commented, pulling on his own overshirt--a plain, dark purple. “We match! Kinda…”

He smirked. “Kinda,” he said back. “I’ve had this for a while, just haven’t worn it…” He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. “Do you like it?” 

“Yeah, man.” Zack grinned. “Looks good on you.” 

He jerked his head behind him, and Cloud followed, hands in his pockets. “Hey, I signed you out for tonight...again,” he said. “Hope you don’t mind.”

Cloud chuckled. “Not at all.” 

_ I figured as much.  _ They walked back to the elevator, Zack whistling tunelessly on the way.  _ He’s relaxing a lot more at our place than I’ve ever seen him. Even if he’s just watching TV, or watching me play video games, or just...whatever. It’s like he’s seamlessly slipped into our routine.  _ “I wanted to show you something before--”

“Zack?” Cloud said suddenly. 

When Zack looked down at him, he noticed cords on his neck tensed, and his jaw also looked tight. “Huh? What’s up?” he asked.  _ He’s not relaxed now… _

A deep breath through his nose, then out his mouth. “Um...could you…” he started, hesitating as the elevator door slid back open. He walked in, pulling his sleeves down over his hands to fidget with them, then exhaled loudly. “Please don’t try to make out with me in the elevator…”

It came out nearly all as one word, and he immediately covered his mouth, gripping his elbow with his other hand. Zack cocked his head as he stood in the doorway, preventing the elevator door from closing.  _ Is that it? I must’ve come on a little too strong earlier…  _ “Sure,” he replied with a chuckle. “That’s fine.”

_ (you aren’t scared of me, are you?) _

Zack swallowed and took a step forward, gingerly stroking the side of Cloud’s arm. “Just...speak up, y’know, if I do something that bothers you,” he said. “You can...talk to me about anything. I know, I keep sayin’ it, but...”

Cloud’s flush faded a bit from his cheeks as he finally met his eyes. “Mmn, I know,” he mumbled. 

He nodded, his palm drifting from his arm to his hair to ruffle it.  _ I may be a higher rank than you, at least right now, but...we’re dating, so I’ve got to make the playing field level. Cloud  _ was  _ my protege, but now he’s my boyfriend. So…  _ “Here, I wanted to show you something before we headed home. If that’s cool?” 

“Y-yeah,” Cloud replied with a nod. He had relaxed enough to drop his hands at his sides once again, with less anxiety etched on his brow. “What...what is it?” 

“The rooftop,” Zack said, hitting the 100th floor button on the elevator. “It’s a really cool view from up there…”

“Isn’t that where the 1sts train?” he asked.

Zack leaned up against the back wall of the elevator as it began to ascend, right beside Cloud. “Sometimes,” he answered. “We have a special training room a few floors below that, but if you’re Sephiroth, you don’t like to follow rules and would rather give a show to the birds.”

Cloud snorted, and attempted to hold the following giggle back in his chest while Zack grinned down at him. “I wish I could take credit for that one, but those are Angeal’s words, not mine.” He reached for his feather pendant and began twirling it on the long chain around his finger. “I haven’t sparred up there, but I guess Seph and Gen do all the time.”

“Huh…” Cloud had loosely folded his arms across his chest, but as he leaned against Zack in the elevator, they dropped back down to his sides. Zack felt it against his sides, and stared up at the ceiling, biting back a smile as he continued to spin his necklace.  _ It’s like being a kid with a crush again,  _ he thought, swapping the hand he was playing with his pendant with, so he could keep it at Cloud’s side.  _ Hell, we kissed for like an hour, or more that night… _

_ (“Cloud,” Zack muttered into his lips, the house dark save for the flickering of the TV from the living room. “I’m really...really…” _

_ They kissed again, once, twice, before Zack could think to finish. He held Cloud by his hips and refused to break contact with his face--keeping his forehead against him when their lips weren’t occupied. “I’m really...happy being with you…”  _

_ Even he was surprised at how shy the words came out, how quiet, but Cloud responded in turn: “Me too...Zack…”) _

The memory brought heat to the back of his neck, running through to his ears.  _ And yet, I still get the jitters when I want to hold his hand.  _ He let his fingertips graze against the back of Cloud’s hand, even going as far to lift the sleeve covering them to feel his bare skin.  _ I’m supposed to be cool and smooth, the ever confident and charming Zack Fair, but… _

_...something about him… _

Cloud glanced up to him, and Zack replied in turn with a wink, drumming his fingers against the back of his hand.  _ It just makes me giddy. Cloud… _

_...let’s have you make the move this time.  _

It took a moment, especially after he smiled down at the floor, eyes slits at the ground. But, by the time the elevator hit the 75th floor and rising, Cloud managed to loop his hand around, snaking his fingers in between Zack’s loosely cupped palm.  _ There we go.  _ It was warm, and Zack squeezed it, bouncing on his toes.  _ Yes.  _

The elevator pinged at the 100th floor, and they were greeted with a quiet lobby, not a soul in sight. “C’mon, we’ve got a set of stairs,” he said, smiling bigger than ever as he dragged Cloud out and around the corner. A heavy door that led into the stairwell, completely painted white, then two flights before they reached another door at the top. This one filtered orange sunlight from its caged window. 

“Don’t look down,” Zack advised. “This leads  _ all  _ the way down. It’ll give you a headache if you stare too long.” 

“Holy crap,” Cloud remarked. Zack heard the scuff of a tripped step, and he kept his hold firm while they mounted the final platform. 

“I remember when I was 2nd, they made us run all the way up and back down, two minute intervals at each end. So, there’s that to look forward to.” Zack flung the door open, blinded by the saffron glow of the setting sun. “Mm, take a look at that!”

The rooftop itself was nothing special--a wide expanse of cement, with air vents dotted along the edges--but the view was enormously expansive. The entrance they came out of faced the desert, fading into lush forests the further out it went, and eventually to mountains on the far horizon. Everything was washed in the sunset’s rays, a pinkish red ball at the edge of the skyline, fading up to orange and a deep blue directly above them. Squinting directly above him to avoid the piercing sun, Zack could spot the very beginnings of stars in the eastern sky, as well as a half moon, faded like a ghostly imprint against the twilight. 

Cloud gaped at the scenery. “Whoa,” he gasped. “This is awesome…” 

“If you look over here, that’s the overlook I took you to that time,” Zack said, pointing across the desert. “It looks small from here, but it’s probably around the same height?”

“Maybe,” he replied, glancing over his shoulder. “Wow, you can really...see the whole city from here…”

“Everything above the plate, anyway.” Looking closer around them, Midgar laid itself out like a grid, with rows of buildings neatly lined together. “You can tell which stuff was built first--around Sector 5 and 6,” Zack said. “They’re sandstone brick, while a lot of the newer stuff is all mirrored and chrome. Goin’ for a...futuristic look, I guess.” 

“Huh.” Cloud’s cyan eyes seemed to glow more green in the light, and Zack had a hard time keeping his own gaze off them, despite the view around. The wind picked up around them, blowing his blond, spiked hair back, bangs away from his forehead. After he took in the view for another minute, his eyes flicked back up to meet Zack’s. “Can...I ask you something?” 

“Anything you want,” Zack replied. 

“Why do they…” he started, then spoke quieter. “Why do they train us so hard?”

_ Why, indeed…  _ Zack blinked, and the image of a monster he fought with Angeal long ago flashed in his head before they opened again. When he didn’t answer, Cloud continued. “Is it because of...the mako? That makes us stronger? But, then they keep pushing us…”

_ God, I don’t feel ready to answer this question,  _ he thought.  _ It’s not one I ever asked, hell, I never really thought about it coming on up. I  _ wanted  _ to be stronger, you know, the best I could be. Make it to the top of the pile. Well, now I’m here, _

_ with someone to look after, and it’s not just him, either… _

It took him a moment to realize that Cloud was looking right at him. “Ah, I guess…” Zack fumbled, squeezing his hand. “I guess it’s just...ah…” 

“I-I was just asking, just a...a thought,” Cloud backtracked, shaking his head. “Just got me thinking, a hundred stories worth of stairs, holy  _ smokes,  _ that’s so much...and just for 2nd-class. And like, all the stuff you had us do, just as standards--”

“Yeah, it’s all standard protocol,” Zack said, wandering with him to the edge of the building. There was a small, concrete border that barely came up to Cloud’s knees shielding the edge from the drop below. Zack walked right up to it, but Cloud hung a pace back as he stared over the edge.  _ I don’t feel the vertigo when I look down anymore. The rush from the height. I’d only feel it if I fell, like I did when I dropped below the plate during training.  _

_ When I met Aerith.  _

_ (Dull pain in his back, vision doubled and a touch blue as he tried to focus on the woman hovering over him. “Are you...an angel?”) _

Zack craned his head back over to Cloud, then smirked. “I guess...I don’t really know,” he replied with a shrug. “Trying to push us to the limit? Something…”

“It’s okay,” he dismissed. “F-forget I asked.” 

“Hey.” Zack tugged him gently by the hand. The momentum carried Cloud into his chest, and Cloud’s other hand wrapped around Zack’s waist. “You don’t have to worry about stuff like that, okay?” 

Even as he said this, something nagged in the back of his mind.  _ Maybe you should, but it sure as hell ain’t going to help you sleep at night. I’m figuring out...the more I know about this place, the less I wish I did.  _ As he looked down, his feather pendant brushed against the top of Cloud’s cheek.  _ I don’t want you to join the club, too… _

Just as Zack ran his hand through Cloud’s hair, his pager beeped at his side. “Who the hell…?” he muttered, and fished it out of his belt loop. He balanced it on top of Cloud’s head as he let the message play:

_ “Hey, hot-shot, when are you going to be home? I miss you~. I already talked Tifa’s ear off anyway. Tell Cloud that some of his things got mixed up in our wash, so if he’s looking for something, it’s probably here. Okay, love you!”  _

Zack smiled at the pager and tucked it away. “Aerith,” he murmured, then sighed. “Suppose we should get heading out, then?” 

“Yeah, probably.” Cloud stayed close to him, nuzzled comfortably in his chest.  _ “Probably”, you say, but do you really want to go?  _

The sun had set further, leaving only a strip of pink on the edge of the horizon, where the sky met the desert.  _ I think...we can sneak in a little more time.  _ With a smirk, he kissed the top of his head and tapped the side of his cheek. “Before that,” he said. “A kiss? There aren’t any cameras around here.” 

Cloud’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t hide the smile spreading on his lips. “You...have to meet me halfway,” he replied.

A glance down showed that he was already standing on his toes, and not getting much leverage to match Zack’s height. “I know, babe, I know,” he chuckled, leaning down. “I’ve been tall for a while, I know the drill…”

With a smile still on his lips, he kissed Cloud’s mouth, as gentle as he could muster. Although, when he felt Cloud unravel himself from his hand and wrap his hands around his neck, Zack found himself pushing a little more. 

* * *

 

Fingers like lightning, Aerith redialed Tifa’s number and bounced back to the kitchen, stirring a pot of boiling pasta. She picked up almost immediately.  _ “That was fast,”  _ Tifa answered. 

“Oh, I was just leaving him a message on his pager, that’s all,” Aerith said, balancing the phone on her shoulder. 

_ “Do you have call waiting? What if he calls back…?” _

“Oh, he won’t, unless it’s an emergency. I’ll bet you he’ll be another...oh, half hour? Maybe an hour. He’s probably waffling around with Cloud. New boyfriend, and all...” 

_ “Uh-huh…”  _

Aerith scrunched her lips, resting the wooden spoon she was using to stir across the pot.  _ Ah, ah, don’t sound like that.  _ “So, I’ve got more time to chat with you~!” she bubbled, standing on her toes. “Unless I’ve already worn you out…!” 

_ “O-oh, no! No, not at all--!”  _

Tifa chuckled, and Aerith added to it with her own giggle, spinning around the kitchen.  _ Good.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fluff is here! I hope it's decent...I just flew with a couple ideas I had, a little time with Zack and Cloud. 
> 
> I recently did a one-shot centering around Sephiroth, the other 1sts, and Vincent that falls around here and the next chapter. [You can read it here!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7488210)
> 
> Next time, we'll be short a member for band rehearsal and see how that plays out. Stay tuned!


	34. Rehearsal(?), Surprises

When Zack arrived to the rehearsal room, hat on backwards and ready to party, he was surprised to find Sephiroth at the bass amp. He fussed with the knobs, a red bass over his shoulder that was immediately recognizable. “Hey, guys!” Zack greeted. “Where’s Genesis?”

“Working, for once,” Sephiroth replied, turning around. 

“Oh, yeah?” Zack snorted. “What, Shinra find some busywork for him to do?”

“No. Patrol.” 

“For what?” 

Sephiroth stared at him as if he were a petulant child, but Angeal chose to answer for him, leaning around his cymbals to see. “Guess there was a behemoth sighted on the outskirts of town,” he replied. 

Zack’s eye widened as he dropped his guitar case on a nearby chair. “Dude, no way! That’s wicked…!”  _ A behemoth…haven’t seen monsters like that since I was a 2nd. I’m glad, but at the same time...I wouldn’t mind something to spice things up around here. Plus, I could take Cloud with me, and show him how we do things around here.  _

He walked around Sephiroth as he carefully adjusted the settings on the bass, pedalling a low note. “That sounds like something you’d be all over, Seph!” Zack remarked.  _ The seniority for us goes Genesis, Angeal, Seph, then me; but ever since Wutai, he’s been at the top of totem pole.  _

A shadow cast over his face. “Not this time,” he muttered. 

“Huh?” Zack looked between Sephiroth and Angeal, but neither wanted to give him a reply.  _ A job that... _ Sephiroth  _ didn’t want to take on?  _ He bit the inside of his cheek and stared down at the concrete floor.  _ Maybe it’s not as exciting as I thought.  _

Sephiroth cleared his throat. “Lucky for you, though, even with Gen on duty, I can sub for him.” He gave him a once over with pursed lips. “You’d be a terrible bassist.” 

“Gee, thanks.”  _ Subs, huh?  _ Zack thought, unzipping his guitar case.  _ I never thought of that before. Considering we could be dispatched at a moment’s notice, though...  _ He glanced up, still jarred by the red bass neck against Sephiroth’s black attire.  _ Red, that’s someone else’s style.  _ “Is that his bass?” 

“Yes,” he replied simply. 

“Surprised he let you use it,” Angeal commented, drumming a rhythm on his thighs with his sticks. “He’s not a fan of letting other people touch his stuff.”

“Neither am I,” Sephiroth grumbled. “But, he considered me worthy enough.” He was idly running his fingers over the strings, when he squinted down at the fretboard with a scowl. “Ugh, he needs to change these strings…”

Angeal shook his head, then pointed at Zack with one stick. “Hey, speaking of subs,” he said. “If you know anyone who can play kit, I need a sub--”

Sephiroth sighed loud enough to interrupt him. “I will  _ find you  _ one,” he groaned, flipping his hair back with one hand. “I don’t want just some nobody off the street…”

“Right,” Angeal replied, resigned. “Well, if anyone you think can past the test, Zack…” 

“Sure, I’ll keep an ear out,” Zack said, even as Sephiroth turned a slanted eye his way.  _ I don’t really think I know anyone anyway.  _

“I could still ask Loz,” Sephiroth mused while Zack plugged into the far amp. 

“Do you really want your brothers hanging around?” Angeal reminded him.

_ “Cousins,”  _ he corrected.

“Same difference.” Angeal crossed his arms. “Weren’t you saying that if there’s one, the other two will follow?”

Sephiroth hissed through his teeth. “Damn it. You’re right.” He shook his head, bangs falling in his face. “Forget about it, then. Let’s just play something…”

“What’s on for today?” Zack asked.

“Our options are limited,” he replied, pacing between his amp and Zack’s, all while Angeal followed him with his eyes. “We can’t do anything with too many guitar parts. And we can’t do anything that’s too complicated on lead.”

“What? Ouch!” Zack exclaimed, crossing his arms above his guitar. “Dude, I’m better than you think I am.”

“Do  _ not  _ call me… _ dude,”  _ Sephiroth grumbled, shooting him a sharp glare. 

Very brief fear jarred Zack in the chest, but it was quickly settled as Sephiroth turned his nose in the air and continued to pace.  _ Just because you think you’re hot shit, doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t any good either.  _ “Plus, we need to pick something that I can play on bass, while at the same time it being something you know--”

“I think you should’ve just cancelled, Seph,” Angeal sighed. “I get that--”

“We’re so behind in our set if we plan to perform at the end of the month!” he snapped, fretting hand gripping the neck of the bass. 

“Whoa, wait, end of the  _ month?”  _ Zack blurted. “When did you decide that?”

“While you were on house arrest. I already spoke to the owner of the bar.” Sephiroth flicked his bangs as he stared down Zack. “You’re familiar with the place. 7th Heaven?”

“Ah yeah, so we’re doing that.”  _ Funny, didn’t hear anything from Tifa about Seph stopping by and sorting that out. Maybe she wasn’t around.  _ “Well, that’s great...do we even know what we’re playing?”

Sephiroth frowned. “No.” 

Zack leaned forward. “Shouldn’t we...figure that out? That’s important, right?” 

“Yes. But so is  _ knowing  _ our potential setlist  _ well  _ enough--”

“You’ve got a point,” Angeal interjected, eyeing Genesis’ red bass at Sephiroth’s hips. “But Gen’s right handed--you play a lefty guitar, don’t you?”

Sephiroth spoke between clenched teeth. “I was  _ forced  _ to play a right handed guitar when I first learned, I’m  _ fine.”  _

With each response, Zack imagined Sephiroth’s patience as a thin wire, slowly being burned from beneath. He sighed to himself and meandered to his amp, leaning against it.  _ God damn, I almost wish Gen were here. He has a way of shutting him down when he gets like this… _

“Well, you don’t want to screw up what you already have,” Angeal said, rubbing his temple. “Don’t want our lead to lose his edge.”

The attempt at flattery was considered, but ultimately fell a little short as Sephiroth continued to pout. “Tch. I will do what’s necessary. I’ll  _ prove  _ it, damn it.” 

With that, he flicked the volume knob up on his bass and slid his hand up along the fretboard. He began playing a complex line, one that dipped up and down along the octave. His rhythm was shaky, but his wrist moved fluidly, long fingers skating across the thick strings. As Angeal watched him, he raised his eyebrows. “Jesus, you’re ambitious,” he muttered, keeping time on the hi-hat, pedalling two and four of the bar. “Zack doesn’t know this one yet--”

“Don’t... _ care,”  _ Sephiroth managed, staring down at his hands in concentration. Zack noticed he kept trying to sound the strings with his right hand as if he had a pick, and after he stopped trying to talk, he forced his thumb along the curve of the bass to keep it there and walk with his fingers.  _ So...he’s playing bass, an instrument he’s not familiar with, and on the opposite hand,  _ Zack marvelled.  _ And he sounds...halfway decent.  _

Sephiroth whipped his head up. “Go!” he commanded at Angeal. “Play the fucking beat!” 

Angeal closed his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t yell at me, please,” he sighed, but still picked up his sticks and rattled a fill into the next bar. His drums had an upbeat feel, but were gently faster than what was Sephiroth was playing, and the latter struggled to keep time.  _ I’m just going to...stay out of this,  _ Zack thought, eyes floating to the door.  _ If he gets frustrated enough, he’ll just storm out, and then we’ll all be free… _

“You’re dragging,” Angeal commented, having to shout over his kit. “Don’t let me carry you. You have to play  _ with  _ me, not against--”

“I know!” Sephiroth snapped. “I fucking know!” His outburst caused him to drop a bar, and he huffed in order to keep pace. 

Angeal filtered the frills from his drumming and played more straight ahead and basic, only using the kick and the snare to play with him. “C’mon, relax, will you?” he said. “You don’t have to...do  _ this.”  _

After a couple more bars, Sephiroth threw up his hands.  _ “Ugh!”  _ He fled to the bass amp and slammed his hands down on it, the neck whacking the side and making a discordant ring echo in the hollow room. 

Angeal also clattered to a stop. “Look, you don’t have fifteen years playing with me, it’s  _ fine.  _ We can pick up the slack over the week.”

“It’s  _ not  _ fine!” Sephiroth insisted. “I  _ hate  _ losing days like this! How are we even going to  _ get  _ anywhere?!” 

_ Even I’m getting a headache,  _ Zack thought, and intervened. “Holy fuck, will you chill out for two seconds…!” he groaned, standing up straight. “We get it, you can do it all…”

“That’s damn right,” Sephiroth sneered, reaching into his back pocket. He withdrew a pack of cigarettes and pulled one out, jamming it behind his ear. “And I  _ will  _ if that’s what it takes, Jesus Christ…” He threw the bass over his shoulder and rested it on the floor, much more carefully than his previous outburst would suggest. “Where’s your little fanclub, anyway?” 

Sephiroth turned profile to raise an eyebrow at Zack before he realized he was talking to him. “Huh? O-oh,” Zack said. “I mean, Cloud’s in rehab, and I can’t keep dragging him away from that every night…”  _ Would if I could, but last time I signed him out, Dr. Crescent sounded exasperated.  _ “...and Aerith, well, she could be--”

“Spare me the details,” Sephiroth interrupted, waving his hand. “Forget I even asked. I’m going to have a smoke--”

He was cut off by a beeping sound, and each of them checked their pagers on their belts. It was Angeal who was the recipient of the message, and he held it to his ear to listen. After a moment, he nodded, relief relaxing his forehead. “That’s Gen,” he said. “He’s on his way back.”

“Hm.” Sephiroth held his pager in his palm outstretched, before it too began to beep, and he answered it immediately.  _ Wonder if I’ll get one too,  _ Zack thought as he watched his shoulders relax while he listened.  _ You know, be a real part of the club.  _ He brought it back to his belt and squinted at Angeal. “He paged you first,” he said, although his voice carried less vitriol than before.

Angeal nodded, standing up. “Always does.”

_ “Always?”  _

“Uh, think so.” He gave a shrug as he stuffed his sticks into his backpack. “We’ve been doing this for a while now.”

“So have we,” Sephiroth retorted, flipping his hair and shaking his head. He started to mutter. “Why doesn’t he page  _ me  _ first?” 

Zack slowly unplugged his guitar as he watched Angeal wander closer to Sephiroth. “Do you think he should because…” 

He couldn’t hear the rest, as his voice dropped--but it can’t have been good, as Sephiroth beat on the cymbal closest to him, nearly knocking it off its stand.  _ “Fuck!”  _ Zack yelped, nearly dropping his guitar. “Watch it!” 

Sephiroth grunted, while Angeal turned away from him, face scrunching to fight back a smile.  _ What did you do? You’re not the type to taunt the tiger.  _ Zack stuck a finger in his ear to quell the ringing from the crash.  _ I guess someone has to, when Genesis isn’t around.  _ “Why are you packing up?” Sephiroth demanded, pointing at his guitar, nearly zipped in his case. “Once Gen’s back--”

“Ah, ah, you’re expecting too much of him,” Angeal said immediately. “He likes to smoke after a mission like this, if not  _ during. _ And if this is something that messed with you enough for you not to take it--”

“It didn’t--!” Sephiroth started, but cut himself off, one hand in the air. He took a deep breath, then stared at the ground. “I’m... _ fine.”  _ The last word came out as a resigned sigh, and he ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll rehearse tomorrow…”

“Seph,” Angeal said quietly. “It’s all right. You’re fine. Go home, meet up with him if you want.” 

Zack’s pager beeped on his own belt. “Let me guess,” he muttered, clicking the side. 

The speaker crackled for a moment.  _ “Heyyy, Zack. Almost forgot about you.”  _ A wheezing giggle, then a cough. Zack rolled his eyes.  _ “I’m headin’ back from saying hello to that behemoth. Shit, man…”  _ Another laugh.  _ “That’s it, dude. Over...and out…”  _

As he snapped the pager back into place, he found that his bandmates were watching him, even as Sephiroth continued to pack up. “He’s stoned already,” Zack said. “How does he even get away with that?”

“Gen’s been smoking weed since he was thirteen,” Angeal replied, years of experience etched under his eyes. “When he says he doesn’t like to do anything sober, he means it--” He trailed off as he heard the click of the door. “Are you taking off?”

Sephiroth--in his standard leather covered in belts and Genesis’ bass over his shoulder--turned to the side and nodded. “Be here tomorrow,” he said simply, before shutting the door behind him.

Zack crossed his arms and shook his head. “God, he was  _ awful  _ today,” he muttered.

“Would you believe that this  _ wasn’t  _ the least productive rehearsal we’ve ever had?” Angeal remarked with a snicker. 

“No fucking  _ way,”  _ Zack marvelled, gaping in awe.  __

He slowly shouldered his backpack and stared out the door. “He’s mellowed out a bit over the years, if you can believe it. There was a time when even Gen couldn’t reel him in.” 

“I’m surprised he even can.” 

“I’m more surprised that anything I said made a dent, but…” Angeal shrugged and trailed off. “I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever--” He cleared his throat to cough, a dry, hacking sound. “Whatever I can get.”

“Don’t blame you,” Zack said, adjusting his guitar on his shoulder. “Don’t blame you one bit…”  _ I don’t think I’d have the patience to handle Sephiroth’s enormous ego by myself. He just wants everyone to kiss the ground he walks on. And I used to think he was the coolest thing ever… _

“Got any plans tonight?” Angeal asked, leading the way out of the rehearsal room.

“Oh, I dunno,” Zack replied, staring down at the floor. “Come to think of it, I haven’t really heard from Aerith or Cloud all day. I checked in on Cloud earlier, but he didn’t mention anything.”  

Angeal bit his lip as he flicked the light off and shut the door. “Maybe they’re planning something for when you get home.”

Zack blinked over to him, cocking his head. “You think so?” he said.

“Maybe.” Angeal chuckled. “Sure took that glum look off your face, didn’t it?” 

He laughed in spite of himself, the images of Aerith and Cloud’s faces blinking in his mind’s eye.  _ Every day, I get so excited to see them both. Aerith was really onto something with this whole poly thing…! _

With that, Angeal turned down the hall with a hand in the air. “Take it easy, Fair.” 

* * *

 

Humming to himself, Zack opened the door to his apartment to find that it was dark inside. “Hello?” he called, eyes adjusting to the murky lack of lighting.  _ Did Aerith run off to hang out with Tifa? That’s fine, but it’s a little late now… _ “Anybody home?”

A whisper from the kitchen. “Now!” 

Suddenly, light flooded the apartment, featuring Aerith at the head of the tiny kitchen table and Cloud in the doorway. On the table sat a handmade cake, slathered in chocolate frosting, with the words “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” clumsily written in icing. “Surprise!” Aerith exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

“Holy smokes!” Zack grinned, eyes flicking between Aerith’s bright smile in a simple, neon pink t-shirt; then over to Cloud, with his more muted look. He immediately stepped over to ruffle his hair and kiss his head. 

“I tried to get a bigger turnout, but Tifa couldn’t stop by,” Aerith said with a sigh. “Something about how she needed to stay at the bar, blah blah, but she sends her best.”

“Wow, still...“ Zack couldn’t wipe the grin off his face, and it was beginning to hurt the side of his mouth. “Jeez, is it the 8th already?” 

Aerith gaped at him while slapping her hands back on the table. “Oh my God, are you telling me you  _ forgot?”  _

“I guess so.” Zack scratched the back of his head sheepishly, keeping Cloud under his arm as he waltzed over to give Aerith a kiss. “A lot’s been happening, lately! Damn, I didn’t even realize the month turned over…”

“Gee whiz, Zack…” Cloud murmured, laced with laughter as he leaned against him. 

“Aw, what, are you ganging up on me, too?” Zack replied by driving his knuckles against Cloud’s fluffy hair, causing him to yelp and squirm. 

“H- _ hey!”  _ he squealed, fidgeting to get away. 

Aerith swatted at Zack, trying to pry him off Cloud. “Your boyfriend’s still in recovery, no roughhousing!” 

“Fine,  _ Mom,”  _ Zack replied, allowing Cloud to wriggle free and sticking his tongue out at her. 

Aerith rested her hands on her hips and gasped. “What did I tell you about that?” she scolded, still with a wry smirk. “If you keep this up, you’re not going to get your special present.”

He leaned down to bump his head against hers.  _ “Special  _ present?”

Cloud wasn’t too far away, so Aerith bit her lip and covered his eyes with one hand, while using the other to lift up her shirt. Beneath it was a lacy, pink push-up bra, creating voluminous shape to her normally small chest.  _ Ooh, that kind of special present. Mmm…  _ Zack licked his lips as her shirt came down--as soon as Aerith relinquished Cloud’s vision, she used the same hand to give him a light smack on the cheek. “Later, sunflower,” she said with a wink.

Even though Cloud wasn’t privy to the visual information that Aerith revealed, he wasn’t clueless either, as his face flushed pink looking between the two of them. “A-ah, there’s a present from Angeal, and just a little...something from me…”

“Dude, Angeal knew too! Damn, I knew he was up to something at rehearsal…” As Zack walked around the table, there was indeed two small boxes, each wrapped with a bow behind the cake. “Speaking of rehearsal, what a nightmare…”

“Aw, what happened, sweetie?” Aerith asked. 

“Genesis was out on patrol, so it was  _ just  _ Seph and Angeal. And let me tell you…” Zack picked up the smaller of the two, more neatly wrapped, and slipped his finger underneath the edges to unravel it. “Sephiroth is a piece of work.”

“Well, we already knew that,” Aerith remarked.

Zack sighed.  _ “This _ time, though, without Gen to mitigate, which was  _ hell.  _ He was playing bass, and constantly complaining and trying to prove that he was the hottest shit--” The paper fell away to reveal a jewelry box, and within was a watch, sleek and heavy. “Oh, shit…”

“Oh my God, that’s really nice…” Aerith stood on her toes to examine it closer, its silver finish blinding in the fluorescent kitchen lighting.

A note fell out of the box, and Cloud grabbed it and handed it over wordlessly. “Thanks,” Zack muttered, and unfolded it:

_ “Happy 24th. Didn’t get you anything for making 1st, so here’s a combination gift. It’s not something you wear every day, just for special occasions. There’s also something for you to put on your guitar.  _

_ -A.”  _

Tucked in the top corner was another feather, on a smaller string.  _ This looks like one of the ones he had on his kit,  _ Zack thought, feeling the softness between his fingers. “Jeez, you didn’t have to, Angeal…”

“You’ll have to wear it to the next gala we go to,” Aerith said, hugging him from behind. “Show it off.”

“I’ve got to make this up to him,” Zack muttered, setting it down gingerly--its pristine gleam from the face paled the rest of their dingy kitchen in comparison.  _ Take him out to dinner, something like that...well, once I can scrape up enough money. We’re breathing a little easier now with my 1st-class paycheck, but it’s not luxury-- _

“Why don’t you open Cloud’s?” Aerith suggested, reaching around him to the other package, wiggling it at his chest. 

Cloud scratched the back of his neck. “I-it’s not as nice...as that, but…” he mumbled.

“Shh, he’s going to love it!” Aerith faux whispered, knocking her head against Zack’s back. 

Zack smirked as he ripped open the package. A simple, thin cardboard box was underneath, and he ran his finger beneath the tape holding it together to reveal a stuffed dog, black and gray with excitement stitched on its face. “Aw, thanks!” he exclaimed, holding it with both hands and abandoning the packaging on the floor. He pressed his nose against its snout. “It’s cute…”

“A puppy for a puppy!” Aerith chirped with a giggle. 

Cloud managed to chuckle himself, growing redder by the second. “I-I didn’t have much time to plan, so I couldn’t...couldn’t look for--”

Zack interrupted him. “I love it,” he said. He wobbled over to Cloud and pulled him into his chest, lacing both arms around his shoulders and back. “Thank you so much…” 

Aerith giggled and nuzzled her head against his back, while Cloud sank into his chest. Zack could feel both of their smiles against him, and he stared at the ceiling with one of his own.  _ I love them both...God, this is the life. _

_ Happy birthday to me…! _

With a last squeeze to his middle, Aerith slipped around him and bounced around to the sink. “C’mon, let’s have some cake! Cloud and I made it special for you. With extra love.”

“What kind is it?” Zack asked.

“Chocolate, duh,” Aerith replied, fishing a knife from the dish strainer. Her green eyes sparkled as she winked at him. “Only your favorite for your special day~!” 

“H-hey…” Cloud started, clearing his throat. He wrung his hands behind his back. “M-maybe this weekend or something, we could take you out. I-I can treat you.” 

_ God, you’re so sweet, Cloud.  _ “Sure thing,” Zack said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. “If I can sneak you out another weekend. I’m surprised you could get out yourself…!”

“Well, I told Dr. Crescent it was a special occasion…” Cloud tilted his head back and forth. “And I’d be back before midnight to do vitals.”

“Aw, that’s a shame,” Zack said, biting his lip.  _ That means I won’t be able to-- _

_ (him on my lap, whining in the back of his throat as we make out, before Aerith drags me to the bedroom…) _

_ \--do anything like that.  _ “Well, let’s dig in and make the most of it, then!”

“One step ahead of you, puppy,” Aerith said, already handling a plate with a fork and a large slab of cake on it. “Try not to get your face covered with frosting, dear.”

“What if I do?” Zack retorted, eyes flicking over to wink at Cloud. “You’ll just have to kiss it off.”

_ “God.”  _ Aerith cut two more slices and plated them. “Here, there’s one for you, and one for me…!” 

The three of them plopped on the couch--Zack in the middle, with Cloud and Aerith flanking either side of him, nestled close enough to keep him warm. “Ahh,” Zack grunted, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “You know what, even with Sephiroth being the worst at rehearsal, this could be...the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Cloud giggled, soft in his chest. “Even if you almost forgot?” 

“Even if I almost forgot,” he snickered in reply. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested in Genesis' little excursion, as well as a little SephGen, you can go ahead and read [On Call](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7488210)\--the last chapter falls right here. 
> 
> This was initially going to be a real rehearsal chapter, but it won't count in the lineup, because...no rehearsing really got done. If you're curious, the bass lick that Sephiroth's playing is from "Casual Affair" by Tonic, which goes pretty hard. They'll probably do this song eventually.
> 
> Sephiroth is such a _monster_ this chapter, and it was a lot of fun to write. I came up with the section after the break on the fly--the fic starts off in "early summer", so we're probably in July by now, right? Zack was the only member of the poly that didn't have a birthday, so I made one for him--July 8th. Maybe I'll write a little short about Aerith's "special present" for Zack later, hoho. 
> 
> I've missed Tifa, haven't you? We're going to spend a little late night with her at the bar, and see someone else we haven't talked to in a while! Stay tuned!


	35. Vincent's Return

_(I am dreaming._

_I know because when Cloud looks at me, he still has those crystal blue eyes that I remember from when we were growing up. We’re in Nibelheim. He’s wearing that same shirt he wore for the summer dance, a baby blue. He says something to me, I can’t understand him. He takes my hand, pulls me flush beside him. We’re at the base of Mt. Nibel, there are lupin everywhere, in so many colors, from white, to purple to pink…_

_“Isn’t it beautiful?” Aerith says. I don’t know when she got here, but now she’s here. She smiles at me and I feel warm, warm. She holds my hand too._

_Suddenly, I am very small. Where did the flowers go? “Tifa!” I hear someone shout. It’s windy and it’s hard to move--snow crunches under my feet. “Tifa!”_

_I’m dreaming, and if I try, I can bring them back…_

_Aerith…_

_Cloud…_

_“Tifa!”)_

“Tifa!”

She jolted awake to a knock on the door. _What the hell?_ Barret’s voice was just loud enough to filter through--most likely in an effort not to wake Marlene next door. Tifa threw the covers off herself and rushed to the door. “What?” she whispered, dizziness in her stomach from moving and waking up so fast. _I want to remember that dream. Flowers...mountain...Cloud...Aerith...  
_

Barret crossed his arms, in sweatpants and a t-shirt himself. “You forgot to lock up last night,” he grumbled.

“What? No, I didn’t!” Tifa insisted. “I checked twice, there’s no way!”

“Well, _clearly,_ you didn’t.” He jerked his head back down the stairs. "Go on and look."

“Wh-what happened? Look, I know that I--ugh!” Tifa perused past him in her pajama shorts and t-shirt, taking the stairs two at a time and instantly regretting it. _Shit, if there was a break-in, it’s coming directly out of my paycheck,_ she thought, loosely holding her chest in one arm. _But funny, I didn’t hear anything…and I know damn well I locked up...  
_

The bar area was dark, save for a dim lamp behind the counter, and Tifa scanned it to look for any damage. _It looks fine, nothing overturned...sure doesn’t look like a robbery. Unless they just took the cashbox and ran._ She then went to the front door--it looked intact, but upon close inspection and a twist of the knob, she found that the inner lock had been stripped, spinning perpetually. “God damn it,” she muttered. Upon hearing Barret’s footsteps down the stairs, she spoke louder and turned back. “I _locked_ the door, but the lock’s _broken.”_

“Broken? Ah, shit,” he said with a heavy sigh. His voice echoed as he spoke away from her. "We'll have to add that to your tab..."

“What?” Tifa snapped, rubbing her eyes.  _I'm too tired for this. Christ, Barret, couldn't this wait 'til the morning?_ "It wasn't my fault, I  _locked_ the fucking door, like you asked-- _ah!"_

Her eyes continued to scan as she spoke, and was cut off when she realized there was a shadowy figure at the very last stool of the bar. _So someone_ did _get in here…!_ Her bare feet padded on the hardwood floors as she approached them, Barret on their other side. _Oh, not_ my _tab, but..._ “Vincent?”

He didn’t reply to her with words, only a gentle dip of his head. In front of him was a tumbler splashed sloppily with liquor, spilled on each side of the counter, the offending bottle not too far on the counter. With a shivering hand, he took another sip, but the bottom of the glass hit with a thud. _He’s been gone for...two weeks, now? Since Cloud was sick, and then…_

Barret took up a stool next to him and patted him on the back. “You know we’re closed, right, Vinny?” he said. “The hell are you doing out here at three in the God damn morning?”

He shrugged him away then sank lower toward the bar. “Saw...someone…”

Tifa wandered to the other side of the counter--her intention was to take Vincent’s glass, but thought better of it when she realized he had a white-knuckled grip around it, even with his prosthetic. Being on the other side did give her a better view of his face, however: it looked more gaunt and haunted than she had ever seen it, eyes a muddy hue of brown, red, and gold in the dim light. “D-did...I can, um, make you your usual…” Tifa stammered.

He glanced up at her, his stare holding the weight of a thousand tons, before he edged the glass out of his grip. Even with a minute scan over the tumbler, she could spot nicks in the glass from his clawed, gold hand. His opposite one soon went to his forehead, just below where his headband sat. “Saw... _her..._ it’s been y-years…”

“Old flame, or something?” Barret asked.

“Nngh…” Vincent groaned, and started to shake. “I...I was...I... _am…_ ”

“Hey, hey, now, take it easy,” he soothed, voice dropping. “Tifa, make him his usual.”

Tifa just realized that she had been standing and staring until that point, and gave a nod before pulling out the proper liquors to make his drink. She couldn’t help but keep Vincent in the corner of her eye though, his pallid face, the way his eyes darted across the table, more emotive than before. Barret kept his voice low and soft. _Like he uses when he’s trying to calm down Marlene._  “Now, we're glad to see you here in one piece, but it's pretty late, don't you think? We’ll get you fixed up, then I’ll take you home--”

 _“No,”_ Vincent said emphatically. “N-no...th-they’ll find me…”

“Who will?” Tifa asked, sliding his drink over and fishing for a rag under the counter.

“Sh...Shinra,” he managed. “Now...that she _knows,_ and...what will they do...what will they do…”

“Sounds like you’ve had a bad time with those bastards too,” Barret sighed. He shook his head and stretched his shoulder, glancing at his own prosthetic. “I get people comin’ in here who go, ‘oh, look at all they’ve done for us’, but we know. We know, don’t we?”

He looked right at Tifa as he said this, and she hugged her arms. _I guess we do,_ she thought. _Although, you’ve never told me what your beef with them is. If I had to guess...it’d have something to do with your arm--_

Vincent mumbled something under his breath, then shuddered once again. “Tell you what,” Barret said, holding him by his shoulders. “I’ve got a couch down in the basement, why don’t you rest up there?”

“Is that--” _Really a good idea?_ was how she wanted to finish, but Tifa closed her mouth before she could get there. Combined with the look Barret gave her, she swallowed and took a step back from the bar, leaning against the far side.

Although there was no reply, Barret eased Vincent off the bar stool with hands on both shoulders. He hunched further to be at the same height. “Tifa, make sure Marlene’s still asleep,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, glad for the opportunity to move, and made her way back upstairs. _He looked so shaken,_ she thought. _Wonder what was it he saw, or_ who _he saw. Someone affiliated with Shinra?_ Tifa bit her lip and listened at Marlene’s door.  _Someone he knew?_ As there was no sound, she pushed it open with one finger, wincing at the creak it made. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she managed to focus on the sleeping form of Marlene still in her bed. Her body rose and fell in a familiar pattern. _Didn’t even stir._

Back down the stairs, Barret was back at the bar, wiping down the counter. “I know, he just seems like another regular,” he said. “But he’s been a part of this place for a while now, helping out in his own way. Odd guy, but not a bad one.” He scratched the side of his arm, right above his prosthetic.

“I-I know,” Tifa replied quietly. “It’s just...are you sure it’s going to be all right having him stay here?”

His gaze held a tired brand of intensity. “He’s down in the basement with me. If anything happens, I’ll hear about it. But, I doubt it.”

Barret tossed the rag into the back of the sink and rested both hands on the bar, staring out into the dark, wood paneled floor. “Vinny’s kept the peace around here. No big fights, Marlene hasn’t been bothered, and neither have you.”

“Well--” Tifa started to protest.

“Sure, you get a few nasty comments, it’s par for the course. Christ, look at me.” He held his arms out, briefly gesturing to himself before resting them back on the counter. “You think I haven’t heard some shit?”

“Ah…”

“I’ll spare you the details,” he muttered. “I’m tellin’ you what, though, when I first took over this dump, it’s like it was a magnet for unfinished business. Fist fights weren’t unusual, and neither were ones with guns. And then when my partner left, it was even harder to keep it in check--”

“Your partner?”

“Dyne. Friend of mine.” Barret began drumming his fingers on the counter, voice dropping. “We went to school together in Corel, little mining town. I used to work in the mines out over there, before I lost my arm. That was right around the time he married a Shinra exec, asked me to come out here to Midgar with ‘em.” He snorted and shook his head. “As if it were any better out here.”

 _Corel, that’s just a ways east of Nibelheim,_ Tifa thought, pacing to a seat at the bar. _No wonder he had an idea of what it was like, and why I came out here…_

“He’s the one who bought this place, cleaned it up just enough to be passable. Both of us stayed here, while Shinra housed his wife. When Marlene was born, she stayed with us--no kids up in that shiny glass house above the plate, and she had to keep working.” He glanced up at the door. “One day, he left to go see her. ‘Something’s up,’ he says. ‘Hasn’t called in a couple days.’"

Barret took his time to gather his thoughts, shoulders moving with each breath he took. "And he never came back. Never saw him again.”

Tifa's mouth fell open. “What the hell…?” she whispered. _So, Marlene…_ “Left her here, no phone number, no address, nothing?”

“Nothin’.” Barret shook his head, then stared back at the door leading upstairs. “About a week later, one of those suits came by asking, asking about him, ‘bout here, even the baby, and I wouldn’t tell them _anything._ They lurked around the place for God damn _weeks.”_ He clenched his fists on the bar. “Then, I heard that there was another breakout in the labs, they lost a few execs and a few more tryin’ to cover it up. I knew, then...I knew…”

 _A breakout._ Tifa felt frozen in her seat, arms aching from sitting so still.  _What...kind of breakout? Fuck, I still don't know anything...about anything that goes on behind the walls of Shinra HQ. Does Cloud?_ His face flashed in her eyes, with a more hardened look than she could remember, and she chewed the inside of her cheek.  _I wonder..._

Barret pressed on despite the glassy look in his eyes. “I wanted...to hope, y’know, that he didn’t get roped into that, but if the fuckin’ Turks were here, then he must’ve. Those bastards ripped him fuckin’ apart…” He sniffed and wiped his arm underneath his nose. “Marlene was just a baby, she don’t remember anything. I’ve been her daddy as long as she can remember. Who else was gonna be?”

At last, Tifa found it in herself to scoot closer, to rest a hand on his arm. “Y-you’re...doing fine, Barret,” she said quietly. _I didn’t even realize...all of this. So, that’s why he hates Shinra so much. It’s a miracle he doesn’t just kick anyone out with a badge. Then again, it’s hard to get away from them in this city, right in Midgar…_

He nodded and patted her hand. “Thanks, hon,” he replied.

“You know…” Tifa asked, rubbing her thumb against his arm. “If all this happened, and you didn’t want to be around Shinra anymore after what they did, why didn’t you just...leave the city?”

“I was thinking about it,” he replied. “But there _was_ a reason why I left Corel. Nothin’ there.” He glanced over to her and raised his eyebrows. “Sounds familiar, huh?”

“Yeah…” _Sure does…_

“Besides, when I finally made up my mind to do it, Vinny showed up, and things calmed down. Started having more steady money around, less fights...and I thought, ‘well, might as well make the most of it’, right?”

“I guess that’s true…”

“You’re still here, after what happened to Claude.”

_“Cloud.”_

She shot him a glare, and he snickered and shook his head. “Funny name for a kid,” he remarked.

“Sure,” Tifa huffed. “But, I don’t want to just leave him here. Besides…”

_(“What else are we going to do? They’ll probably k--”)_

Her sentence caught in her throat, and Barret gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, isn’t that right?” he said. “What are you gonna do, go back to scenic nowhere, where it costs more gil to run the stove than it does to pay for your whole house?”

Tifa rested her hand under her chin. “Where I get to pander to sleezy tourists? No way…”

“No way’s right. So, we’re stuck here.”

Silence passed between them. True silence in the earliest hours of the morning--no cars, no shuffling of people passing by, not even any wind rumbling through the vents of the plate. “It’s not so bad,” Barret muttered, offering Tifa a bare smirk. “It’s been nice having you around. Marlene likes you a lot.”

Tifa nodded with a smirk of her own. “Y-yeah. It isn’t...it’s not that bad.” _I have Aerith here, and Cloud. And Marlene’s like a little sister to me. I feel more at home here than I did the last few years living with my dad. My dad who...hasn’t really called since I moved here._

Barret finally eased off the counter, wandering back around the counter and toward the trap door. “Anything you need, you just ask me, all right?” he said, patting her shoulder. “Sometimes, I feel like I keep you cooped up in here too much…”

“N-no, it’s all right. I know you need the help--”

“You’ve got friends here, and you’re young still,” he continued, hands on his hips. _I know he’s got a kid, but he’s not_ that _old,_ Tifa thought, squinting at him. _Is he?_ “Take advantage of it while you still can, y’know? If your friend’s in the military, who knows when he’ll be dispatched…”

“R-right.” _I should be spending more time with him, now that he’s 2nd-class SOLDIER…_

_(but what about Zack,_

_his new boyfriend--)_

_Ugh, that keeps bugging me…_

Barret lifted up the trapdoor--even though it creaked, he was careful not to let it clatter as he eased it down. “Go on, get some sleep,” he said. “It’s more than late. I’ll keep an eye on Vinny down here.”

“All right.” Tifa slid off the barstool, hugging her arms across her chest. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Mmhmm.”

She was almost to the stairwell when she whirled around. “Hey, Dad?” Tifa winced immediately. _Shit, I keep doing that--!_

This time, however, Barret didn’t grumble, he didn’t protest--he just craned his neck from the trapdoor. “What?” he replied.

With a sigh of relief, a small smile rose to her lips. “Thanks,” she said.

He stared at her for a moment, dark eyes wide, then snorted and shook his head. Without another word, the trapdoor shut, and she was alone in the bar. _I guess we are...some kind of family, here,_ she thought as she made her way back upstairs and into her bedroom. _That’s...good._

* * *

 

The next day, Tifa manned the bar alone, while Barret stayed in the basement with Vincent. Marlene swiveled on one of the barstools, kicking her feet all the while. “Why can’t I go downstairs?” she whined, the bow in her hair flopping back and forth.

“Your daddy doesn’t want you to,” Tifa replied, for what seemed like the hundredth time. “Vincent’s really tired, and he needs a lot of rest.”

“But I wanna see him!” she pleaded, standing on the stool.

“I know, sweet pea, but you have to _wait,”_ she sighed. She pressed two fingers lightly against her temple, metal bangles cool against her face. “You know how the saying goes--patience is a virtue…”

Marlene picked up in a sing-song voice. “Virtue is a grace, Grace is a little girl who didn’t wash her face!”

 _I don’t even know where that one comes from,_ Tifa thought with a chuckle and a shake of her head. _I heard it all the time when I was a little kid, too…_

Beyond them, the bar door burst open. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Aerith chirped, leading the way with Cloud shortly behind. Her hair was tied off in a ponytail right on the side of her head with a big, pink scrunchie.

Cloud looked less than impressed, running his hand back through his hair. “That thing is about ready to fall apart,” he said with a heavy sigh. “There’s no suspension, and I thought the handlebars were about to crumble right under my--”

“Hi, Tifa~!” Aerith brayed, ignoring him in favor of rushing up to the bar and jumping onto a stool. She perched her knees on the worn, faux leather padding. “Cloud and I biked over to see you!”

“Ah, so you’ve experienced the Rustmobile,” Tifa quipped, crossing her arms. She caught Cloud’s eye and had to bite back a giggle. _Poor thing._

“Yeah, that’s a good name for it,” he replied, shaking his head. “Might as well be riding on the rims, with how worn out the tires are…”

“Listen, I’ll spruce it up with some flowers from the shop, and you won’t be able to notice a thing.” Aerith jabbed his shoulder with a wry grin, then whipped her head over to Marlene. “Hi, sweetie!”

“Hi!” She waved to Aerith, then peered forward to catch Cloud’s eye. He replied with a single wave and a smirk, and she returned it tenfold.

Aerith sat up to do another once over the bar, then settled back. “Still no Vincent, huh?” she asked.

“Actually, he just came back today,” Tifa said, tucking her hair behind her ear. With the same hand, she gestured an arc with her finger. “Well, last night, technically. He was in pretty rough shape.”

“Oh my God, is he okay?” Aerith asked, green eyes wide, and if Tifa looked closely, she could see she was wearing a pink shade of lip gloss. The scent of artificial watermelon wafted off them, along with her usual floral aura. “Where is he?”

“Barret took him downstairs--”

“You can’t go down there!” Marlene insisted suddenly, pulling on the sleeve of Aerith’s denim jacket. “Daddy says we can’t…”

“Aw, really?” Aerith pouted and glanced toward the trapdoor. “I want to make sure he’s okay…”

“Did he say what happened?” Cloud asked quietly. His eyes were on Tifa, but as soon as he realized he had garnered the group’s attention, they fled to the counter.

“Not...really,” Tifa replied. “Something about...I don’t even know, he saw someone? He was worried about Shinra finding him, I...guess?” She huffed and tapped her fingers against the bar. “He wasn’t really making a whole lot of sense…”

“Oh, jeez,” Aerith remarked. She covered her mouth and glanced behind her. “Well, I haven’t seen any Turks around this area...did you, Cloud?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

 _Vincent doesn’t talk too much about himself, and it’s hard to piece things together when he does,_ Tifa mused. _So, who knows if he’s really on the run. But then again, if he_ does _make his living as some kind of mercenary or assassin, then--_

“Hey.”

Tifa snapped back into focus--Aerith was smiling at her with a hand out on the bar, while Cloud’s hand had drifted to her resting one. He glanced over to her, then stopped his progression. “I think he’ll be okay. Usually if it’s something serious, Turks are on it before you can even blink,” Aerith continued. “At least, that’s what Zack’s told me…”

“Yeah,” Cloud concurred, fingers a whisper from Tifa’s. “I-I wouldn’t worry…”

Aerith glanced over at him, then down at the bar and beamed. “Aw, are you being shy since I’m here?” she cooed. “Go on, you can hold her hand~!”

Cloud sighed and ducked his head. “Aerith…” Nonetheless, even though he could hide his face, he couldn’t hide his reddening ears--but, he still closed the gap between their hands, fingertips rough and dry. Tifa bit her lip. _Cloud…_

“There you go!” Aerith cheered, then waggled her own fingers, stretching out for Tifa’s other, hidden hand behind the counter. “Now, if only I could reach…”

“Huh? Oh…!” As soon as she brought her arm into view, Aerith snatched at it and laced her fingers together, giggling all the while. It was contagious, and soon fled to Cloud, even if he had to cover his mouth to keep it in. _Ah, this is…_

_(“Remember! You’re just as important!”)_

Tifa finally allowed herself to smile, glancing back and forth between the two of them. _This is what she meant then, isn’t it? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but…_

“Hey, you guys!” Marlene said, standing on the barstool and leaning heavy on Tifa’s shoulder. “I wanna play too!”

Aerith opened her mouth for a moment, then squeezed Tifa’s hand quick before relinquishing it. “Aw, okay, get in here!” She coaxed Marlene into her lap, where she held both Tifa and Aerith’s hands, bouncing on her thigh.

“Yay!” she cheered, beaming between the three of them.

Cloud chuckled, low in his throat, then gestured with one hand. “Be careful so you don’t fall,” he advised.

“Oh, she’s fine, see? She’s holding onto me,” Aerith insisted, even as she wobbled.

This didn’t convince Cloud, as he scooted closer and reached out to stabilize Marlene, squeezing Tifa’s hand even tighter. Eventually, he gave up and let go, in order to grab Marlene by the waist and set her on his lap. “You’re sitting on your knees,” he pointed out. “She’s...she’s going to slide off…”

“Oh, _fine,”_ Aerith huffed, walking her fingers over to take Tifa’s hands once again. “If you wanted to hold her, you could’ve just said so.”

“Cloud’s comfy!” Marlene exclaimed, leaning back into him.

Despite being very pink, Cloud’s voice stayed mellow and subdued. “Thank you,” he replied.

Tifa didn’t realize she was staring at them, hands laced with Aerith’s until he glanced over to her with bright, cyan eyes. As they met, his lip curled inward, and he winked at her before looking back down. It was only a twitch, subtle like the rest of him, but she definitely caught it.

And just like that, a flutter rose through her chest, heart pounding dully in her ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the updates are coming a little slower! I know, it's technically not _that_ slow, once a week is still respectable, but I'm keeping up on it! This was one of those chapters that took a life of its own once I actually started writing it.
> 
> Welcome back, Vincent! He's had a bit of a rough time--if you've read "On Call", he's seen a couple of SOLDIERs recently in his time away from the bar, and a part of his past he wasn't ready for. We may elaborate on this in the future, but our focus is on the main foursome, so it will be brief. I sure got myself into a world that has a large, elaborate cast...!
> 
> We get to learn a little more about Barret this chapter too. He's a good dad. I also managed to have a character have a forethought about something, and have them not be correct! This whole end of the chapter got really sticky sweet cute, and it's just...it's just good. You're important, Tifa!
> 
> Next chapter is a fluffy one with Zack, Cloud, and Aerith. Stay tuned!


	36. Shared Kisses

“Hey, anyone want a snack?” Zack called from the kitchen. “We’ve got popcorn…”

Back on the couch, Aerith fanned herself with a magazine, shirt rolled up to her stomach. “I’m good,” she said, rolling her head over to Cloud on the opposite side. “You?”

He sat up and glanced over the couch cushion. “Um…” he started, feeling his t-shirt stick to his back. “I’ll have some popcorn.”

Zack shot him a grin. “You got it.” 

Cloud bit his lip and eased back down onto the couch. He pinched his shirt by the collar and tried to air out his chest. “I know, it’s hot, isn’t it?” Aerith remarked, looking him over as she slapped the magazine back onto the coffee table. “I knew it’d only be a matter of time before this place became a sauna…”

“Doesn’t the plate help keep the heat down?” Cloud asked. “Besides, the sun’s gone down…”

“You’d think, but it bakes everyone underneath, and the vents end up just circulating hot air. It’s nasty.” She stuck her tongue out. “You’d probably be better off staying on base during these hot months…”

“I know it,” Cloud sighed. The popping of kernels from the microwave began to bubble through the air.  _ I’d be more comfortable over there, sure,  _ he thought.  _ But, I’d rather be too hot here, with them, then alone in the AC… _

“Baby, we’re getting lonely,” Aerith called. “Get your ass back over here.” 

“Just a sec! It’s almost done,” Zack replied. “Want extra butter?”

_ “No,  _ don’t put extra butter on it,” she huffed. 

“Hey, you’re not going to be eating it, why do you care?”

“Well, if you’re  _ making  _ some, I’ve  _ gotta  _ have a sample. That’s how it goes!” 

Zack wandered to the doorway, ducking just under it and resting his arm on the side. He had abandoned wearing a shirt, wearing only lounging pants low on his hips. “Jeez!” he exclaimed. “Well, maybe Cloud and I will hog it all away from you, huh?”

“No way!” Aerith said, pouting. “We share you, so you have to share too.”

The comment caught him by surprise, as his grip on the doorframe slid away, and his grin grew brighter. “True,” he said, raising his eyebrows and staring at the floor. 

The microwave beeped, but despite it, Zack kept glancing between Cloud and Aerith, particularly lingering on the former. Cloud found it hard to keep a smile off his face, and hid it by ducking just below the cushions so it couldn’t be seen.  _ You’re the best, Zack. I’m so glad we get to be together… _

Aerith giggled. “Are you going to get your popcorn before it burns, loverboy?” 

Zack shook himself out of his daze. “Oh, yeah!” He bounced back into the kitchen, clattering open the microwave and shaking the bag. “It doesn’t look burnt…”

_ “This  _ time,” Aerith muttered, winking at Cloud. “This puppy usually wants  _ all  _ the kernels popped, so he’ll leave it in too long and burn the bottom. And they’re still not popped!”

Cloud snickered. “I, ah...I usually take it out too early, and Tifa complains…”

“When are we going to get her over here, anyway?” Aerith crossed her arms right beneath her bust. “She’s only been here like, once…”

Zack strolled back with a bowl overflowing with buttery popcorn. “Well, she was over here that whole week when Cloud was sick,” he said, plopping between the two of them. In their chatter, Cloud and Aerith had scooted closer, so with the addition of Zack, they ended up both clustered flush next to him. 

“That doesn’t count!” Aerith huffed. “That was stressful, and he wasn’t even awake. We need  _ happy  _ times together!” 

“We’ll get her over here,” Zack remarked, picking out a piece of popcorn and tossing it in the air. It bounced off his nose, but managed to get in his mouth. “Just gotta keep asking…”

Cloud reached for some popcorn himself, taking a small handful and tucking his arms back into his personal space.  _ Yeah, it’d be nice if we could all hang out together again. She seemed okay the other day, when Aerith and I visited, but she still had an excuse when we left. She’s been a little distant ever since Zack and I got together… _

“Oops.” Zack reached over and plucked a piece of popcorn out of Cloud’s hair. “Dude, it landed right on one of your little spikes!” 

“Are you going to try and catch  _ every  _ piece like that?” Aerith asked.

He lobbed another kernel up and managed to grab it with his tongue. “Maybe.” 

She huffed and leaned forward. “You know, he’s only doing this because  _ you’re  _ here,” she said, hiding the side of her mouth with one hand. “He’s showing off for you…”

Aerith winked, and Cloud bit back a smile as he eased himself back into the couch. His cold fingers graced the side of his burning face as he ate another piece of popcorn.  _ For me, huh? That...that’s not going to take too much, honestly…  _ Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Zack pop up another piece into the air--it lobbed too high, however, and fell on the other side of the couch.  _ Even if he is being silly about it.  _

“Aw, damn,” he muttered before grabbing another kernel. 

“You’re sweeping on cleaning day,” Aerith said, folding her arms. 

“But I hate sweeping!” 

She scrunched her face, shoving her shoulder against his arm as best as she could. “Tough!” 

Zack cocked his head and opened his mouth, forcing the bowl of popcorn into Cloud’s arms. He nearly fumbled it over, but managed to grasp it while still keeping his small handful of popcorn in one hand. “Oh, really?” Zack taunted, squirming over right into Aerith’s face. “What happens if I do this…” 

Judging by the back of his head, Cloud could easily decipher that he went in for a kiss--and while Aerith responded well enough, she pushed him away with one finger on his bare chest. “Hey, take it easy, cowboy,” she said, a giggle in her throat. “No amount of kissing is going to get you out of that, no matter  _ how _ good you are.”

“Aw, man!” he exclaimed, scooting first back into his place in the center, then wrapping an arm around Cloud’s shoulder. For some reason, the additional warmth wasn’t uncomfortable or unwelcome. “Hey, Cloud, let’s see what you think…” 

Cloud’s heart shot directly into his throat. “Um--!” he spat, but before he could say much more, he was nose to nose with a smiling Zack. Cloud’s lips parted on instinct, waiting for his touch, but when Zack only continued to tilt his head, he realized:  _ he’s waiting for me.  _

_ Ah… _

It was Cloud who closed the gap, and Zack replied in full force once they made contact. Their lips found an easy flow between kisses, and his eyes fluttered closed. Zack’s hand trickled down his chest, brief and light, but it was still enough to make him shudder. “Mmn…” Zack murmured as he broke it. “So, is that good enough to get me out of chores?” 

“Uh...ah…” Cloud floundered, blinking slowly. “W-well, I…I mean...”

“I think that’s cheating?” Aerith commented, wrapping her arms around one of Zack’s. She balanced her chin on his shoulder with a smirk. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s cheating.”

Zack whipped his head around, bumping it against hers. “Huh? What do you mean,  _ cheating?  _ I just thought--”

“You could get a second opinion, huh?” Aerith interrupted, dragging him closer. “Well, if you’re going to do that, might as well get a third…”

She brought him down into another kiss, longer and slower this time, and Zack chuckled into it by surprise.  _ This was...unexpected,  _ Cloud thought, eating another piece of popcorn before setting the bowl down on the coffee table in front of him. The adrenaline pooling in his stomach made it hard to swallow, even with Zack’s arm still around his shoulder. With each second that passed, their kisses grew hungrier, and Cloud found himself holding his breath.  _ They’re really...getting into it.  _ His fingers twitched on his thigh, almost in the same rhythm that Zack’s flinched against his shoulder. 

“Ah…” Zack sighed as he broke the kiss, and turned back to Cloud. “Mmn, hey…”

With less buildup and hesitation, he brought him into another kiss, and Cloud dove into it like a deep pool. Closer like this, Cloud could feel the gentle, low moans deep in his chest, and it sparked prickling heat in the back of his neck. “Nn…” 

He scooted closer, tucking himself flush against his chest, when he suddenly Zack gasped in his mouth.  _ “Ah,”  _ he breathed, pulling away to peek at Aerith. “Babe…”

Her lips were pressed right against the nape of Zack’s neck. “Hm~?” she said, giving it another couple kisses. “Am I distracting you?”

“Y-yes, well,  _ no,  _ but…” Zack tripped over his words, his face flush and voice breathy. “You can...keep doing that?” 

Aerith grinned. “Oh, yeah?” Nonetheless, she leaned back and crossed her arms over her stomach, tugging at the bottom of her shirt. “Hey, Cloud, do you mind if I take my shirt off? It’s getting a little warm in here, don’t you think?” 

“Um,” Cloud gulped with wide eyes. 

She hesitated and cocked her head. “It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable,” she added, elbows lowering. “And you’re welcome to join me…”

He could just make out the outline of her bra beneath her shirt as he paused to think, Zack gently stroking his shoulder.  _ Well, if she stays in her bra, I guess that’s okay. He’s shirtless already, and if he’s going to kiss both of us like this, well...  _ He swallowed and nodded slowly.  _ Besides, it’s not for  _ my  _ benefit, it’s for his… _

“Yes?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” Cloud reiterated. “It’s fine…”

In one swift motion, she whipped her shirt off and over her head and laid it on the armrest behind her. She wore a simple, tan bra--not of much interest to Cloud, but Zack was drawn over to it, pulling Cloud with him as he grazed his fingers over her cleavage. “Mmm…” he purred with a grin. 

Aerith let out a hissing laugh. “Everytime,” she muttered, lifting his chin up with one finger before he could duck his face into her chest. “You are the straightest bi guy I have ever met.”

Zack blinked. “Sooo, what’s that supposed to mean?” he said. 

“It means you’re not giving your boyfriend enough attention.” She pointed back over to Cloud, who jumped when he was addressed.  _ Boyfriend. Yeah, that’s me, isn’t it?  _ he thought, butterflies in his stomach. 

Zack pushed him back so he was more upright, dropping his arm from his shoulder to around his back. “I can take care of that,” he murmured in a deep tone, bumping his forehead against Cloud’s. A sigh of a chuckle, before they kissed again, Zack’s hands wandering more than before, down his sides and to the hem of his t-shirt. Two more kisses before he spoke into his lips: “I can take care of this, too?” 

He pulled at his shirt. “Mmn,” Cloud muttered. “Y-yeah, sure…” 

With a grin, Zack gripped it and yanked it over his head, fluffing his hair in the process. He tossed it over his shoulder, and Aerith watched it arc over her head and onto the floor. “Take care of it later,” he muttered. “Now…” 

Cloud leaned in to kiss him again, but Zack ducked beneath him, diving for his neck instead. Instantly, he shuddered, goosebumps along his spine as he stretched his head up so Zack could have better access. Beyond him, Aerith had wrapped her arms around Zack’s stomach and was gently kissing his back, eyes up and watching with mild amusement.  _ She’s into this too… _

_ (“I always thought love shouldn’t have limits…”) _

He bit his lip and let his eyes flutter closed.  _ Yeah, I can...I can go for it...  _

Cloud soaked himself in the sensation of Zack’s lips against the thin, sensitive skin on his neck, one of his broad hands rubbing his back. He interrupted himself with a chuckle. “You’ve got goosebumps,” Zack commented. 

All he could manage was a shaky snicker, as Zack’s lips strayed up around his jawline, right beneath his ear--breath shuddering and dangerously intimate right in his ear.  _ God, God.  _ Cloud swallowed hard before he came back around for a last, long kiss against his lips. This time, it was open mouthed and full, and Cloud followed the motions of Zack’s tongue against his, trying to keep pace.  _ “Ahn…”  _

His quiet, lilting moan caught Zack by surprise, and he answered in turn.  _ “Mmn,”  _ he sighed, mouth falling back into a smile. He leaned back just far enough to meet Cloud’s eyes, stroking a hand back through his ice blond hair. “Damn…”

Aerith tapped Zack’s shoulder. “My turn?” she asked, pushing her breasts up with her arms. 

His gaze was immediately drawn downward. “Mm,  _ yes,”  _ he replied, situating himself toward her. They both giggled into their first few kisses, short and sweet, all while Zack kept his arm right on the cusp of Cloud’s hips. He found himself in a daze, even as Zack played at the waistband of his sweatpants. 

Aerith managed to open one eye and point back with a finger. “Mm, Cloud,” she said, interrupting Zack’s kisses. “Right here…” She pushed Zack’s mane of black hair around towards one shoulder and stroked the back side of his neck. He shivered in response, and Aerith beamed. “He likes that.”

Cloud nodded, straightening himself so he could reach the spot she had pointed at, and ran his lips over the back of his neck.  _ “Oh…”  _ Zack murmured, one hand completely cupped around one of Aerith’s breasts. Cloud pressed himself flush against his back and continued to kiss his neck, shuddering hands running down his sides.  _ God, he’s so strong, I can feel it,  _ Cloud thought dully, allowing heat to wash over his entire body. It was different than the humidity that was trying to stifle them, and he welcomed it.  _ Zack, Zack… _

“Fuck,” Zack huffed, sitting back in the middle of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. His mouth was curled into a lazy grin, and he stretched out both of his arms to draw both of his partners in close to him. “I could do this all night…”

Aerith fidgeted on her side, cuddling close. “Then why’d you stop, sunflower?” 

“Well,” he started, sitting up a little. As he used one hand to wipe a sheen of sweat from his brow, his blue eyes flicked down, and both Aerith and Cloud caught the motion. Almost in tandem, they followed his gaze to his crotch, which seemed...larger than Cloud remembered it. 

_ Oh.  _ Cloud sighed through his nose.

Zack continued. “I, ah, I don’t want to get too heavy if Cloud’s got to get back on base…”

“Ah, actually,” Cloud interjected, swallowing to clear his throat. “Lu--I mean, I got permission from Dr. Crescent to stay--”

Zack’s entire face brightened. “Really? Nice!” He kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair. “I didn’t even have to pull anyone’s arms!” 

_ That’s because I did it for you,  _ Cloud said.  _ Not my favorite experience… _

_ (“Okay, you’re all set,” Lucrecia said, bandaging the crease of his elbow with gauze. “We monitored your sleep last night, so I suppose you can go back to the 2nd barracks…” _

_ Cloud took a deep breath. “Um, I was wondering…” He hated the way his voice quivered, but he pressed on. “I-if I could g-get signed out...tonight…” _

_ The dingy, tile floor of the rehab lab room gave him comfort in the silence that she offered for the moment. “Let me guess,” she sighed. “Going off with Zack Fair?”  _

_ He nodded deep. “H-he’s...he’s my...my friend, and…” Cloud bit his tongue, “boy” accompanying “friend” much too close in his mouth.  _ Have to be careful, careful, especially around here--

_ “I understand,” she muttered. When he finally glanced up to Lucrecia, her gaze was distant with arms folded across her chest. “After what happened, you can’t feel completely at ease staying on base, can you?”  _

_ Her green eyes flicked down to his, sharp. “And after my first encounter with him, it’s clear that he’d give his life to keep you safe.”) _

Cloud studied Zack’s profile, long enough for him to catch his eye, and Zack winked in return.  _ Zack… _

“Well, how heavy do you  _ want  _ to get?” Aerith asked, rubbing his chest. Her head tilted back and forth as she was mesmerized by her own actions, but after a second, it shot back up. “Wait, have you two even  _ done  _ anything together yet?” 

“Huh? Uh, no…” Zack replied, and shrugged with a toothy smile. “First time for everything?”

Adrenaline spiked down through Cloud’s extremities.  _ Shit, does he really want to have sex? Now, tonight? With  _ me? His heart hammered in his chest and he shrunk into the cushions.  _ I’ve never done anything like that in my life, and Aerith’s probably so much better, I’ll just mess it up… _

Much to his relief, Aerith squinted at Zack. “Honey, maybe you shouldn’t go full tilt so soon,” she advised, eyes slipping over to Cloud. “I think it’d be better if you two did it together  _ first, _ before jumping into a threesome.” 

“A-and,” Cloud piped up--once green and blue eyes were on him, his throat nearly closed, but he pressed on. “I-I don’t think I’m ready r-right...right this second…”

“Oh, sure,” Zack said, kissing his temple. “No worries, no pressure. I just got excited, that’s all.”

“Oh, we  _ know,”  _ Aerith remarked, lightly patting his cheek. “If you get  _ too _ excited, you and I can settle things in the bedroom later. How’s that sound?” 

Zack nodded eagerly, a lock of hair falling into his face. “Good!” 

With a snort of laughter, Aerith dropped her face into Zack’s shoulder, shaking her head. “God!” she exclaimed, giggling. “You’re something…”

“Sure am,” he said with a sigh, squeezing both Aerith and Cloud closer to him. He tilted his head against Cloud’s. “Ain’t that right?”

Cloud nodded, nuzzling against him, feeling a drowsy smile make its way onto his face.  _ You are, you are something,  _ he thought.  _ You’re strong, you’re cute, you’re so impressive, even if it is a little over the top sometimes. You’re goofy and it’s so easy to be with you… _

_ It’s so easy… _

_ I’m so lucky to be with you… _

“So?” Aerith asked. “Are we going to keep going?” 

“Mm,” Zack replied. He rubbed his head against Cloud’s to get him to look up, noses just touching. His voice dropped to a gentle rumble. “Yeah. I want to kiss you more…”

_ Me too,  _ Cloud thought.  _ Me too.  _

He craned his neck up, and they kissed once again. The popcorn bowl was left abandoned and untouched on the coffee table. 

* * *

 

At 7th Heaven, Marlene danced around Tifa’s feet as she swept around the bar, beneath tables and barstools. “You’ve got to go to bed, hon,” Tifa insisted after almost stepping on her toes for the umpeenth time. She leaned against her broom with both hands. “It’s  _ way  _ past your bedtime.”

“But I’m not sleepy!” Marlene protested, stomping her foot. She toddled over to where Vincent still sat, tugging on the back of his trenchcoat. “I wanna play with Vincent!” 

He barely acknowledged her with a tilt of his head, but Tifa caught the subtle motion as she circled around him. “Well, he has a bedtime, too,” she said. “You shouldn’t--”

“He was a big doggie!” she crowed, standing on her toes. “He played with me last night, and was a big doggie! Rawr!” 

Tifa couldn’t help but giggle as she leaned the broom up against the bar. “I’m sure he was,” she said, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. In a swift motion, she scooped Marlene up beneath her arms and carted her to the stairwell. “Eee! Put me down!” she cried, kicking her feet. 

“Okay, then you _have_ to go up to bed!” Tifa said, easing her down halfway up the stairs. “I’ll be up in a few, okay?”

“Okaaaaay,” Marlene sighed, stomping all the way up to her room. 

When Tifa returned to the main floor, she scooped up her broom right beside Vincent as she cruised back behind the bar. “You’re sweet to her,” she commented, sweeping dirt and crumbs away. 

Vincent grunted incoherently. On the other side, Barret was nearly motionless, only wiping the same spot of the counter over and over.  _ He’s been out of it all day,  _ Tifa mused as she swished the broom around his feet.  _ I thought I heard something from outside last night, but I was so tired, I just fell back asleep...wonder if someone tried to come by…?  _

She didn’t dwell on it, leaning the broom against the sink and taking Vincent’s empty glass from in front of him. “Playing pretend with her, after...w-well, whatever you were up to,” Tifa stammered. Looking him over, he looked even more pale than he did the other night, but was no longer shaking, no longer had the same haunting look in his reddish stare. “I know she can be a handful…”

To her surprise, Vincent chuckled, dark and raspy. “Pretend,” he muttered. “Right.”

Barret cleared his throat loudly, rubbing his forearm with a distant look in his eyes. “Tifa, you need to make sure she doesn’t come wandering down on her own, understand?”

His voice was low and serious, enough for her to straighten her back. “Sure,” she replied. “Even...if you’re down there?”

He nodded, glancing over to Vincent. “I want Vinny over here to get the rest he needs, if he’s gonna be staying with us.” 

Vincent raised his head, posture adjusting from its usual hunched state. “It’s...all right?” he asked. 

After a moment, Barret nodded with a thin-lipped smile. “Sure it is,” he answered. “You can stay as long as you need to.” 

Each movement Vincent made was deliberate and slow--first, his eyes fell down to the floor. Then, he sighed out his nose. Then, he turned back toward the bar, the stool squeaking as he did so. And finally, after a minute staring at the counter under Tifa and Barret’s watch, he spoke. “Thank...you.” His eyes closed. “Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it,” Barret replied, sauntering toward their end of the bar. 

“Even…” Vincent started, then stopped, his gold prosthetic clenching on the bar. “Even if...if I…”

“I  _ said,  _ don’t  _ mention it,”  _ he reiterated sharply, but his tone calmed quickly. “You’ve been through hell, my friend. You’re doing just fine.”

“Yeah,” Tifa agreed, pushing herself away from the sink. “I know that...I kind of missed you when you weren’t around. Hoping you were okay. Isn’t that right, Barret?”

“Mhm,” he replied. “So, you don’t have to worry about anything. Just take it easy, all right?” 

Another deep nod from Vincent, before he pushed himself away from the counter with both hands and stood. “G’night,” he muttered, trudging toward the trapdoor, already open, and disappeared down the stairs. 

“Night,” Tifa called after him. As soon as he was completely out of sight, she edged closer to Barret. “So, did anything happen--”

“I’d rather not discuss it,” he interrupted curtly, fists clenched at his sides. “Why don’t you head up to bed, Tifa?” 

“What, really?” She put her hands on her hips. “If we’re all--”

_ (family) _

“--staying in the same house...o-or, place, or whatever,” she huffed, “I should know what’s going on, too.”

Barret’s dark eyes narrowed. “Maybe you should,” he said. “But I don’t think you want to.” 

_ What...the hell?  _ Her fingers hooked into the beltloops of her shorts and she gripped them with a frown.  _ Do you really think I’m so fragile that I can’t handle it? After watching my best friend almost  _ die  _ from weird shit I barely understand?  _ “C’mon, I can--”

_ “Go to bed,  _ Tifa,” Barret pronounced, each consonant harsh and deliberate. With that, he turned his back to her. “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Fine.” She whirled on her toe and flung the stairwell door open. 

“Remember what I told you about Marlene--!” he called after her. 

_ “Yes,”  _ Tifa hissed. “You’re going to wake her up if you keep your voice up.” 

She bounded up the stairs shaking her head. “Jesus,” she muttered to herself, kicking her shoes off toward the bed. “What kind of horror story could he have? I already know that he fuckin’  _ kills people  _ for a living, or something like that…” 

The phone’s shrill ring broke her train of thought, and she dove to answer it. “Hello?” Her heart hammered in her chest. 

_ “Hey, Tifa~!”  _

_ Aerith.  _ She relaxed instantly, flopping down on the bed. “Hey, what’s going on? It’s pretty late…”

_ “Is it?”  _ Her voice grew distant, but she could still hear her over the tinny speaker.  _ “Honey, what time is it? ...Oh, shit, we were at it longer than I thought. Is Cloud still up? ...Okay.”  _ She resumed with a clatter.  _ “Sorry about that. Want me to call you tomorrow instead?” _

“N-no, it’s all right,” Tifa replied quietly, cradling the phone on her shoulder. 

_ “Good! Because we’re making plans.”  _

“P-plans?” 

_ “Yup! Right now. We need to hang out. What are you doing tomorrow?”  _

“U-uh, I’m working the bar...Barret’s been busy keeping an eye on Vincent lately…”

_ “Okay. What about the next day? Thursday?”  _

_ Jeez, she’s being persistant.  _ Still, Tifa found herself smiling. “I’ll have to ask tomorrow…” 

_ “Well, this week, we’re getting together, okay? We have to! Promise?”  _

She chuckled to herself, staring up at the ceiling. “Yeah, yeah. I promise.”  _ Why wouldn’t I? It’d be nice to hang out with just her and I again… _

_ Ah… _

_ “Okay, I’m holding you to it, pretty lady~!”  _

“A-ah, okay, okay!” Tifa’s face bloomed pink as she sat back up, fast enough to make herself dizzy.  _ Another date. I wonder if we’ll ride that awful bike again… _

_ (bright smile, bushy hair everywhere with green eyes shining) _

She bit her lip.  _ I suppose...it won’t be so bad.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Nothing like some summertime makeouts to spice things up! Cloud will get better and better at not melting into a puddle with Zack as this relationship goes on. He's getting better already, after all. Zack and Aerith are very considerate toward Cloud re: sex and won't push him into anything. Cloud doesn't care about Aerith's boobs, but Zack sure does. The working title for this chapter was "Aerith & Cloud Take Turns Kissing Zack For 3 Hours Straight", by the way. 
> 
> "Big doggie", huh Marlene? Who knows if Tifa and the rest of the poly will ever know Vincent's "secret"--it's likely that they may never, so we'll keep it that way in the main fic. The 7th Heaven found family is a good one, Vincent will be spending a lot more time there from now on, more than he already did. 
> 
> We'll get to Tifa and Aerith's date a little later--next chapter, we'll have some bonding between Zack and Angeal. Stay tuned!


	37. Crossed Paths

“See, I knew I could rope you out of there!” Aerith said as she pedaled through the streets of upper Midgar, cobblestones rattling beneath the rusted frame. “Barret’s a softie deep down.”

Tifa could feel every bump they went over, every squeak of the worn spring beneath the frame, and she gripped the underside of the long banana seat with ferocity. “Sure,” she replied, thighs tucked right on either side of Aerith’s hips. “I still feel bad, I’m supposed to keep an eye on Marlene so she doesn’t bother Vincent…”

“Is he still staying with you guys?” Aerith asked. She took a corner toward an outside side street, right at the brink of the plate, where one could fully see the height difference between the city above and the ground below. 

“Yeah,” Tifa replied. She focused on the bright pink hair bow fluttering in front of her to quell the queasiness in her stomach. “Don’t know how long he’s going to stay…”

“Did you ever figure out what happened?”

“Nope. If Barret knows, he won’t tell me. And you know how Vincent is.”

Aerith slowed the bike by a small park--only designated by a set of benches and a swingset with two swings, grass neglected and trampled. “Well, I guess the most important thing is that he’s all right,” she sighed, skidding her feet on the pavement. “Hop off, we’ll walk for a bit.”

Tifa swung her leg around and walked bow-legged for a moment as she pulled down her shorts. “Good, my ass was getting sore,” she grumbled. As she glanced behind them, there was a stream of petals following them up to the bike. “Uh, I think your flowers are shedding…”

“Hm?” Aerith looked over the handlebars, where she had hastily tied a basket with rubber bands, overflowing with carnations of various colors.  _ That basket was a lot fuller than when we left,  _ Tifa mused. “Oh, well, it happens…” 

“You’re not going to get in trouble for losing the flowers?” she asked.

She snorted. “No way! We’ve got more inventory than you can shake a stick at. You’ve been by, it’s like a mini greenhouse.” Aerith giggled and beamed at her. “Besides, we’re spreading flowers all around Midgar! Makes this place a little less dreary, don’t you think?” 

Tifa shoved her hands in her pockets as they strolled down the street. “Yeah, I guess so.”  _ Below the plate is far more dreary than it is up here, but it certainly is...a city.  _ She stared up at the sky, then her eyes wandered to the skyscrapers toward the center of the city. They seemed to spike higher and higher, until they reached Shinra HQ at the very center, a glass and metallic beacon that dwarfed everything around it. 

In her pondering, she suddenly felt something soft stroke her cheek, and she jumped. Whipping around revealed a red carnation in her face, its gentle fragrance doing little to ease her nerves. Aerith chuckled as she bopped her on the nose with the flower. “For you!” she chirped. “I think red flowers suit you best.”

“O-oh?” she replied, taking it between two fingers. She absently tucked it behind her ear, fingers brushing against her hot face. “I-I never thought much of red…”

“Well, just for flowers, you know!” Aerith bumped her hip against Tifa’s, weaving the bike as she walked it. “I tend to pick yellow for Zack. You know, sunflowers. Cloud seems more like white...or pink, even. And I  _ definitely  _ like pink.” 

“Yeah, that fits.” She eyed the bow in her hair once again.  _ She has a lot of it in her wardrobe, of course she likes pink…  _ Her gaze dropped through the shape of her face, lingering on a stray lock of hair that was missed by her ponytail, bouncing against the side of her face. Tifa fussed with her bangles in an effort not to sweep it away herself.  _ Aerith… _

_ (“...beautiful girl…”) _

She swallowed hard. “S-so, where are you taking me?” she asked. 

“Oh, here and there,” Aerith lilted, tipping her head from shoulder to shoulder as she did so. “This loop around the outside of the plate is kind of nice. I don’t want to spend money today…”

Tifa nodded. “I hear you.”  _ Although, with how Barret has been taking care of meals for me, I’ve been pretty comfortable with gil. I’ve got a stash under the bed for emergencies now.  _

The road started to curve back around the circumference of the city, but it was truncated by a tall chain link fence laced with barbed wire at the top. A sign hung in plain white with red text: “NO TRESPASSING: SOLDIER TRAINING GROUNDS.”  _ Training grounds?  _ “Hey, what’s this?” Tifa asked.

“Oh!” Aerith exclaimed, a skip in her step as she rushed ahead, scanning beyond the fence and behind her for landmarks. “If we’re above Sector 5, then this is where the 2nds train. This is where Zack fell from the sky! See!” 

She yanked Tifa by the arm next to her and pointed to the edge of the plate, where there appeared to be a gaping hole. “They haven’t fixed it. They just fenced around it. Can’t imagine why, but it gets good light for the church garden!” 

Tifa snorted. “They’ll throw their money into more military stuff, but not to fix a hole in the plate…” 

“That sounds right,” Aerith sighed, shaking her head. “Speaking of which, looks like there are some SOLDIER up here…”

Tifa squinted along the remarkably plain turf of the grounds--starting at her feet, it was a rubber, track material, but there were no obvious landmarks on the plain. Therefore, it was easy to see the group of 2nds in their purple uniforms, with one 1st standing before them. He was brandishing a sword, but also had a sizable one on his back. “Who is that…?” Tifa muttered, wandering closer to the fence and gripping between the links with one hand. “It kind of looks like Angeal…?”

“Hmm…” Aerith joined her, flush against her shoulder. “Oh, oh yeah. That’s  _ definitely  _ Angeal. Zack told me about the huge sword he has, that he barely uses around base. Lemme see--” She puffed out her chest and scrunched her forehead, trying to make herself look bigger than her petite frame allowed.  _ “Use brings about wear, tear, and rust…”  _

“God!” Tifa snickered, shoulders shaking. “Does he really say that?”

“I’m just saying what Zack told me,” she replied with a smirk. “But, I wouldn’t be surprised. That thing has to be God damn  _ heavy,  _ and he just carries it around on his back like that…”

“Mm.” Tifa studied the plateau further, before a flash of blond caught her eye.  _ That spiky hair…  _ “Cloud…” she murmured.

“Is he out there?” She lowered her voice as well, head right next to Tifa’s. “Oh yeah, he’s going up…”

Angeal’s voice echoed across. “2nd-class Strife, square up,” he commanded, holding his sword out. “Remember to follow through with the weight of your whole body…”

Cloud nodded, perceptible even from the distance, then rushed toward Angeal, his own sword forward.  _ “Rrrah!”  _ he grunted, throwing it forward with a two handed swing just over his shoulder. Angeal was quick to block the blow, but the clang that rang out was enormous, rattling in Tifa’s teeth.  _ Holy shit,  _ she marveled as they kept the tension for a few more seconds.  _ The amount of force behind that has to be huge… _

Angeal eventually out-pressured Cloud, staggering him backward several feet. “Don’t telegraph your swing so much,” Angeal advised, balancing his sword on his shoulder. “This is the standard weight for 2nd and 1st-class, you shouldn’t be so heavy with it…”

“Yes, sir.” It wasn’t quite audible, but Tifa found herself hearing his voice reply in her own mind, filling in what the sound of the city washed out. 

“If you’re going to be 1st with the rest of us, you’ve got to be lighter on your feet. Gen--ah, Rhapsodos and Cetra will run circles around you, especially with their lighter weapons.” Angeal cleared his throat, then bent down to study Cloud more carefully. “Are you all--”

_ “Cloud!”  _ Aerith shouted suddenly, piercing Tifa’s ear and making her bangles rattle against the fence as she jumped.  _ “Cloud, over here!”  _

She whipped toward her, sleek ponytail smacking Aerith in the back. “What the hell!” Tifa hissed, grabbing her arm. “You’re going to get him in trouble, or  _ us  _ in trouble!”

She cocked her head. “What? It’s just Angeal. It’ll be okay!” She grinned nearly as bright as the sun above them, just starting to wane toward the west.  _ God, that smile. You think you can get away with anything, can’t you?  _

“C’mon, let’s shout together! He’ll hear us for sure!” Aerith jumped up and down, using the fence to give her extra leverage. “One...two...three!”

Despite her exasperation, Tifa found herself shouting with her.  _ “Cloud!”  _

The third shout garnered the entire company’s attention, let alone Cloud and Angeal, and they all turned toward the source. Tifa shrunk beside her, but Aerith waved high above her head, wiggling her hips as she did so. “Hey~!” she called. 

Even from the distance, Tifa could see Angeal’s shoulders heave as he sighed, but he patted Cloud on the back, pushing him over toward the fence. He jogged over, sheathing his sword on his back with a smile on his face. “H-hey, guys…!” he panted, staying right close to the fence. 

“How’s it going? We’re out for a bike ride!” Aerith said, gesturing to her bicycle leaned against the fence. 

“Cool,” Cloud replied with a nod. Tifa couldn’t take her eyes off his cyan, bright blue eyes, brighter than the sky above them.  _ They’re mesmerizing...are they glowing right now?  _

“I even spruced it up with some flowers, see!” Aerith skipped around the bike to the waning basket, then sifted through to find a white carnation. “Want one?” 

“E-er, I probably shouldn’t,” Cloud replied. “I’m still training…”

“I thought you’d still be in rehab,” Tifa remarked quietly. “Are you...feeling okay?”

He looked her in the eye for a moment before responding. “I’m all right,” he said. “I don’t...want to fall behind in 2nd-class training, so I come out with the others twice a week.”

“That’s good,” she said. She let her hands drop from the fence only to hold them behind her back, fussing with the bangles on her wrists. “You...j-just try not to push yourself, you know.” 

A rush of air out of his nose, one that Tifa instantly identified as a silent chuckle, before he leaned his head against the fence before her. “I know,” he muttered. 

“2nd-class Strife! Break’s over!” 

Angeal’s voice boomed through the grounds, and Cloud jerked up, his posture straight as a board. “C-coming, sir!” he called back. It was odd to hear his voice so sharp, but it softened just as soon as he returned his attention to the ladies. “I-I’ll see you later, then…”

“Yeah, see you tonight!” Aerith said. “I’ll see if I can get Zack to cook something for dinner.”

Cloud snorted. “Good luck with that one,” he replied, a smirk on the side of his face before he turned away. 

Adrenaline bubbled in the pit of Tifa’s stomach. “Cloud!” she called suddenly, running her index finger around her bracelets and pulling hard. 

He stopped in his tracks. The sleeveless uniform showed off his arms, and there was some definition beginning to show in his biceps, despite being thin as he ever was.  _ Cloud, don’t push yourself too much, even if whatever they gave you allows you to,  _ she thought as she chewed her lip, trying to figure out what to actually say.  _ Even if you’re with Zack, I still care about you, I still worry about you… _

_ I still… _

_ I still… _

“G-good luck with your training!” she managed finally. 

The smile that accompanied his reaction was enough to close his eyes, and he nodded to her. “Thanks, Ti.” 

With that, he jogged back to his group, melding in with the rest of the plum colored 2nd-class uniforms. Tifa kept track of him by the striking brightness of his hair, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Cloud’s a sweetie, isn’t he?” Aerith remarked. 

“Y-yeah,” Tifa murmured.  _ He always has been. I wouldn’t want him any other way.  _ “Zack’s lucky.” 

The thought burned her more than she anticipated. 

Aerith hummed, pitch arcing down, before removing her hand and sneaking it down Tifa’s arm. “You could be lucky too,” she said with a wink. “C’mon, let’s ride around some more before it gets late.” 

_ What’s that supposed to mean?  _ Tifa thought as Aerith heaved the bicycle off the side of the fence and mounted it.  _ They’re both with him, what place is there for me? Zack’s fine, I guess, but he’s nothing compared to Cloud.  _

_ Or, to her… _

Aerith patting the seat behind her shook her thoughts, and she sighed as she perched herself on the back seat, wincing as the rusted spring creaked. “So, when do I need to take you back?” Aerith asked as she pushed them forward.

“Five,” she muttered. Her initial position was to grip beneath the seat, but she soon found herself wrapping her arms around Aerith’s waist.  _ It’s steadier this way,  _ she told herself, resting her head on her back.  _ I won’t feel like falling.  _

_ Falling…is that what this is?  
_

“Okay. We’ve got time,” Aerith sang. “I’ll get you back just in time for the SOLDIERs to come home for dinner!” 

Tifa chuckled in response, the wind swinging her hair back, but it was dim and forced.  _ I know, I told Barret I’d do the night shift, I’d work the rest of the day as soon as I got back. I can’t back out of it now. But, I really...I really want to spend more time with them.  _

_ I could be lucky too, huh?  _

She sighed, heavy as her hands fidgeted against Aerith’s shirt.  _ I doubt it.  _

* * *

 

_ “...Because all I really want is to be with you, feeling like I matter too, _ _   
_ _ And if I hadn’t blown the whole thing years ago, I might be here with you. _

_ Tomorrow we can drive around this town, and let the cops chase us around, _ _   
_ _ The past is gone, but something might be found to take its place…” _

[ “Hey Jealousy”, Gin Blossoms,  _ Dusted _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5JNwinCmuA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what, I lied to you in the notes of the last chapter--I decided to do a quick Aerti date chapter, after suddenly coming up with a little scenario for it. "Hey Jealousy" appears on _New Miserable Experience_ with a little more polish, but I find myself preferring the original better. Cloud probably _shouldn't_ be training so hard, as he's still in rehab...but, he still wants to impress Zack (and Tifa too). When is Tifa going to realize that she can _also_ share in this relationship? Time will tell...
> 
> Okay, for real this time: Zack and Angeal next chapter! Stay tuned!


	38. Jazz Night

_ Clash!  _

The sound echoed in the hollow, 1st-class training arena, emphasized by the tall ceilings and the mirrored, metal walls. Zack pushed his sword hard against Genesis’ bright red rapier, infuriated by the lackadaisical grin on his face. “Yup, you sure are a product of Angeal’s training,” he said, slicing upwards to break the lock of their swords. Sparks flew up from the tip as he jumped back. “C’mon, you’re 1st now, you’ve  _ got _ to have something better than that.”

Zack switched his grip to a single handed one, using the other to wipe a sheen of sweat from his brow.  _ Genesis is fucking fast,  _ he thought, taking two steps back to square off against him.  _ He dodges every swing with a counter, too. And then he looks at me as if he knew that was what I was going to do all along.  _ He narrowed his eyes as he watched Genesis take a drag from the cigarette(?) behind his ear.  _ And who knows if he’s high or not… _

Another bolt forward--this time, Zack rushed around his left side, trying to slice at his belt, but he caught him with a back-handed guard. “Christ, you are  _ so  _ easy to read,” Genesis laughed, smoke puffing from his mouth. His red sword was always one step ahead of him, even if Zack tried to slice above his head. “Seph would run circles around you…”

_ “Damn it!”  _ Zack cursed, side-stepping and jabbing right near his neck. Finally, his blade made some kind of contact--it skimmed along Genesis’ shoulder, nicking the pad on the side. 

Genesis’ eyes widened, the cigarette falling from his mouth.  _ “There  _ you go,” he said, chuckling deep in his throat.  _ “Really  _ dig in…”

Zack swung back and forth across his chest, grinding his teeth. Although each blow was blocked, Genesis’ stance was withdrawing, backing him up against the far wall.  _ This is one of the first times I’ve really fought him solo. I’ve seen the others spar--both Angeal and Seph have a sort of calm about them, but Gen… _

_...he looks like he could fly off the handle at any second. _

His arm began to ache, and a light sheen of blue hazed in his vision the more he pushed. “Use your strength,” Genesis muttered, relentless even as his back hit the wall. “They made you a monster, so use it--!” 

Anger ran fresh and hot through the back of Zack’s spine.  _ “I’m not a monster!”  _ he shouted, jabbing his sword between his left arm and his side.  _ Damn it, that was really close. I could’ve skewered him. He insisted that we didn’t use the practice swords.  _ His heart pounded behind his eyes, just as the blue began to fade from his sight.  _ Fuck…!  _

Genesis used this moment to his advantage. “Then prove it--!” he said sharply, rapier rising from his right side. One slash, quick as lightning, slashed up across his cheek, and then back down, marking an “X” on his face. 

Zack jerked back instantly, the shock from the pain dropping the sword from his palm.  _ “Fuck!”  _ he cursed. He clapped a palm across the offending cheek, and when he withdrew it, blood drooled down the fingertips of his gloves. “What the hell, man?” 

_ “My friend, the fates are cruel,”  _ he recited, sheathing his sword behind him as he lazily sauntered around Zack.  _ “There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess…”  _

Zack rolled his eyes as Genesis crushed the cigarette he had discarded with his toe, still smoldering on the floor. “You might be 1st, but you’ve got a hell of a long way to go,” he remarked, shaking his head. “One day, you’ll be just as jaded as the rest of us. Surprised you aren’t already.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I don’t want to be,” Zack grumbled. Every time he spoke, the slashes on his cheek stretched. “Jesus, that stings--! Do you do this every time?” 

Genesis shrugged. “Depends. You could’ve dodged it, if you were quick enough.” His eyes flicked behind him, and he smirked. “Oh, look who it is.”

Zack turned, hand over his cheek, to find Angeal watching with his arms crossed in the doorway. “What happened?” he asked with a furrowed brow, then gestured Zack over with one hand. “C’mere, let me see the damage…”

“It’s just a scratch,” Genesis said flippantly. “He’s had worse.” 

_ Sure, maybe,  _ Zack thought as he jogged over to Angeal waiting.  _ I’ve had a bullet tweezed out of my shoulder before near the end of Wutai, but nothing like that in friggin’ practice.  _ Zack slowly lifted his hand from his cheek, and Angeal sucked in a hiss of air. “Christ, that’s a little deeper than ‘just a scratch’. That’ll probably scar.”  

The crack of Genesis’ knuckles echoed in the tall arena. “Just put a bandage on it. He’ll be fine.”

Angeal glared at him.  _ “Gen.  _ You’re not supposed to actually injure anyone in training. You’re supposed to use the practice swords--”

“What fun is that? You’re so boring,” he interrupted, swishing his bangs out of his eyes with a flick of his head. “Seph doesn’t mind it.”

“Yeah, well, Sephiroth can tolerate  _ a lot _ from you, a  _ surprising  _ amount of your bullshit,” he snapped, then sighed heavily.  “Just like me, apparently...” 

The two SOLDIER shared a look.  _ I don’t even know how you do it,  _ Zack mused, lips constantly flinching from the pain in his cheek, having to bite them to keep them still. He watched Genesis’ face go from smug to distant, before Angeal patted his back and pushed him toward the exit. “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up…” he muttered.

Their pace was brisk down the long, empty corridor, and Zack kept glancing behind him to make sure he wasn’t dripping down the hall. “Is he always like that? I’ve never sparred with him before--” Zack started.

“Yeah,” Angeal replied, turning a sharp corner into the bathroom. “He just goes at full tilt, _all_ the time. Granted, Sephiroth’s the same way,  _ and  _ more dangerous, but he knows when to say ‘when’.  _ Most  _ of the time. You put those two together, they’ll just about kill each other, even in practice.” He shook his head as he pulled wads of scratchy, brown paper towels from the dispenser. “Take your gloves off.”

“Oh, yeah.” Zack ripped them off and dropped them on the edge of the sink, then took a closer look at the cuts in the mirror. They weren’t nearly as big as they felt, but the “X” shape was certainly there, and they were deep enough to keep oozing blood, especially at the intersection. “Fuck…” 

He cranked the faucet and splashed his face, red swirling below. “I would’ve  _ rather  _ sparred with you, but Gen said you weren’t around…”

“No, I was training 2nds today,” Angeal replied. He folded the paper towels in a neat, square shape and handed it over to Zack. “I was surprised to see Cloud with them.”

Zack whipped his head over, flicking water droplets everywhere. “How is he? How’d he do?” 

Angeal smirked, pointing at the paper towel in his hand.  _ Oh, yeah.  _ Zack hastily pressed it against his wound before Angeal spoke again. “He’s still getting the hang of things. I don’t think he’s used to his strength yet.” He scratched his goatee under his chin. “Or the mako. He got dizzy a couple of times, despite insisting that he was okay.”

Zack frowned. “Damn it, Cloud…”  _ I can still see the half-lidded glow in his eyes, when he used to jerk awake unseeing in that mako haze...hell, sometimes he has nightmares, and he’ll wake up on the couch, whimpering with two blue dots in the dark-- _

“Don’t worry, I’m sure the people down in the labs will scold him enough,” he said. “He’s been staying at your place most of the time, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Then he’ll be fine.”

Zack nodded. “Okay.”  _ If you say so.  _ He peeled back the paper towel, blood marking his wound on the thin, scratchy paper.  _ Yeah, that’ll definitely scar… _

Angeal watched him for a moment, brow still creased, but his expression soon shifted into something lighter. “Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” he said. 

“Sure, what’s up?” Zack replied. He picked up his gloves by the edges and stuffed them into his belt. “Need me to cover you on patrol, or--?”

“No, nothing like that,” he said as they walked out of the bathroom. “I’m subbing at a jazz club over in Sector 4 tonight. I can get get one person in for free. You interested?” 

Zack beamed, even if it hurt his face. “Hell yeah! Dude, that’s what you were really good at in school, right?” He bounded right beside Angeal, nearly skipping. 

“That was a long time ago, but yes,” Angeal chuckled. “The other guys don’t really care for it, but I still keep my chops up. It’s a lot of fun.” 

As he rang the elevator, Zack could feel the quiet pride emanate from the smile on his face.  _ It’s cool when he gets to solo a bit on his own in practice,  _ he thought.  _ But this’ll be something new altogether! In his element, just like when… _

_ (“You stay close to me, all right?” Angeal advised. “Don’t get too excited out there.” _

_ In the caravan, Zack’s thigh bounced up and down. “Got it.”  _

_ “I mean it.” _

_ “Yeah, yeah, I know.” _

_ “What was that, 2nd-class Fair?”  _

_ “O-oh. Y-yes, sir.”  _

_ The back door opened, and he kept his stern gaze for only a moment longer, before it relaxed into something more composed. “All right,” he said, reaching for his sword behind his back. Zack did as he was told, keeping a only a pace behind as they jumped out into the hot desert sand. “Let’s go…”) _

The elevator closed behind them, and Zack leaned against the back wall. “So, do you do this sort of thing often?” he asked. “First I’ve heard of it.”

“Oh, off and on,” Angeal replied. “There have been a lot of times where this falls on nights the band has rehearsal. And God forbid if  _ I’m _ out,  _ both  _ Seph and Gen would throw a fit. No one needs that.” 

Zack barked out a laugh. “I hear you.” He folded over the paper towel in his hand, almost soaked through, and examined it again.  _ Should stop bleeding pretty soon. Mako’s great for that.  _

The elevator pinged at an odd floor, and a handful of 2nds crowded in, chattering to themselves. Among them was Cloud at the very back, and he lit up as soon as his eyes fell on Zack. “Hey--!” he greeted. He weaved through the crowd to reach him, drawn immediately to his cheek. “Oh God, what happened?”

“Eh, it’s just a scratch,” Zack brushed off, waving his hand. “Genesis and I just got into it in the training room, no big deal.”

Cloud cocked his head and reached out to touch it, but Zack swatted him away. “It’s still pretty fresh,” he said. He kept hold of Cloud’s hand at their hips, twisting it so that he had it in a loose, linked hold. 

“Mm.” Cloud’s face slowly faded into a shade of pink, and Zack could feel him fidget against his hand.  _ Are you worried about the others?  _ Zack thought, eyes ticking around the elevator.  _ Everyone’s doing their own thing, you’re fine.  _ The only eye he managed to catch was Angeal’s, and Cloud followed suit. “1st...class Hewley…”

“On your way to rehab?” Angeal remarked. “I’ve already sent a report down to Dr. Crescent, so make sure to fill her in if there was anything I missed.”

Cloud winced, twisting his face and glancing down. “Yes, sir…” he mumbled. 

Zack snickered and squeezed his hand. “You’re probably giving her a run for your money, with me signing you out all the time…”

“Sh-she doesn’t complain about it as much anymore,” Cloud added. The elevator pinged at the 5th floor, and he tried to worm his way from Zack’s grip as he stepped out. Zack kept right behind him, however, followed suit by Angeal as they weaved into the evening bustle of Shinra personnel. “Um, hey…”

“What’s up?” Zack asked.

Cloud stopped them in the middle of the hallway, hesitating and shuffling his feet. “Um, are you going to walk back to the apartment w-with me tonight?” he said quietly. 

_ Damn, he’s really sweet…  _ Zack bit his lip, bringing a hand up to frame his bangs around his face with two fingers.  _ And I hate to tell him no, but…  _

Angeal waited against the wall of the elevator, nonchalant with his arms crossed, but eyes fixed on them. “Actually…” Zack said, drawing his attention back to Cloud. “Angeal invited me out tonight. Sorry, bud.”

“Oh, o-okay,” Cloud replied. He scratched the back of his neck. “Ah, I’ll just stay on base then--”

“No, no, you can still hang out at my place ‘til I get back,” he exclaimed, squeezing his hand. “Aerith will love the company. I still want to see you when I get home.”

Cloud’s expression brightened, even though his smile was only a faint line on his face. “Okay,” he said with a nod. “She said that you were going to cook tonight, though…”

“Did she?” he chuckled. “Guess I’ll have to do that some other time...hey, can you let her know that I’m going to be out?” 

“Sure.”

“Tell her...I’ll be back before midnight.” He paused. “No, that’s too late. Eleven.”

Cloud snorted. “Okay.”

“Zack,” Angeal called from the elevator. “Let’s go, I’ve got soundcheck in less than an hour, and you’ve still got to change and wash up.”

“Got it!” He bent down to kiss Cloud on the cheek, but thought better of it the more eyes he saw on them. Instead, he released his hand and murmured into his ear. “Love you, Cloud. I’ll catch you later.”

Cloud’s mouth hung open, ears blooming red, and he nodded, taking a couple steps back. “Y-yeah. S-see you.” 

He darted down the corridor and disappeared quickly, and Zack covered his smile as he backed up, nearly running into a couple people before he got back to the elevator.  _ Cloud.  _ Angeal called the elevator down with a smirk on his face and a shake of his head. “What’s that look for?” Zack said.

“Oh, nothing,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling. “History repeats, that’s all.” 

The elevator skimmed open, filled to the brim, and it separated them enough so Zack was unable to follow up.  _ Whatever,  _ he thought, mashed between a 3rd-class and a lab assistant.  _ So long as he’s not on my case, I don’t care. Anyway, we’ve got a gig to go to…!  
_

* * *

 

The venue in Sector 4 was a small one--it was shaped like a shoebox, dark paneled walls lining all the way back, with a single red wall at the end. Several tables were set up along the sides, making a straight shot in the center of the room to the band, and a modest bar was tucked away on the left side. “Not bad,” Zack commented as he looked around the room. He ran his finger underneath his t-shirt collar as he eyed the patrons.  _ Seems a little fancier than I expected, though,  _ he thought, noting that there wasn’t a single other t-shirt in the room. His scarring cut was hidden beneath a snug bandaid, but still stung with every minute motion he made with his face.  _ I’ll just park near the front, no one will notice… _

Angeal lead the way back to where the band was setting up, cymbal bag over his shoulder, and made a beeline for the drum kit. “Go on, get comfortable,” he advised. “I’m going to get set up here--”

“Angeal!” 

A booming voice echoed in the mostly quiet club, and a man with brown hair and frosted tips sauntered up to Angeal, clapping him on the back. “Good, glad you could make it on such short notice,” he said, crossing his arms over his ornate vest. 

“Balthier.” Angeal shook his hand in turn, then gestured over to Zack, who was just taking a seat at the closest table to the stage. “This is my friend Zack Fair, just made 1st-class SOLDIER a month or so ago.” 

Balthier sauntered over to where he was sitting and shook his hand with a tight grip. “Balthier Bunansa, pleasure,” he said. “I manage this club and play lead trumpet in the Midgar Brass Machine.” 

“Whoa,” Zack replied, flexing his hand under the table.  _ That’s a strong shake.  _ “That’s pretty--”

“Awesome? Yeah, I know,” he interrupted, puffing out his chest. “We usually play on the weekends, really fill out the stage. Weekdays I get our little house group together, these guys over here.” 

He jabbed a thumb over behind him. A woman with a dark bob, nearly navy in the cool lighting, was adjusting the knobs on the full sized keyboard, occasionally playing chords to test the sound. She wore a dark button down, just like Angeal and the man currently tuning the upright bass beside her. Or, he was  _ trying _ to by ear, until he scrunched his face and tapped her on the shoulder. “Aqua, do you have a tuner?” he asked.

She sighed heavily through her nose, then bent down to her purse at the foot of the keyboard stand. “Honestly, Terra,” she huffed, digging through and fishing out a small pocket tuner. “You should  _ really  _ bring your own…”

“But you’re here,” he said simply, running his hand through the flip at the front of his tawny brown hair before grabbing it.

“Yeah, but what if I pull a Demyx and flake out?” she retorted with a frown. 

Balthier caught wind of this and wandered back over, squaring off in front of her. “But you’d  _ never  _ do that, would you?” he said.

She raised her head and pushed her chin out.  _ “No,  _ because I have a sense of  _ responsibility,”  _ she replied. “Unlike  _ some people.”  _

Terra shrank behind his bass while Angeal chuckled. “I’m guessing he does this a lot,” he commented, adjusting the height of his stool and giving the bass drum a couple kicks. “I’ve been getting quite a few calls from you guys lately.”

Aqua nodded, exasperation etched on her forehead. “It’s because our usual sub, Ventus, is studying abroad this summer. Sora is always at the island, and he can’t stay out late…” She ran a hand down her cheek before addressing Angeal more confidentially. “Really, thank you  _ so much  _ for filling in, 1st-class Hewley…”

“It’s no trouble,” he said. “And I’m off duty--just call me Angeal.”

While he was watching the conversation, a waitress tapped Zack on the shoulder. “Can I get you anything, sir?” she asked. 

“Oh! Um, a...a beer, I guess?” Zack replied, tapping his fingers on the table.  _ Maybe I should’ve brought Cloud and Aerith,  _ he thought.  _ Would’ve been more of an audience. But, he only asked me, so… _

Angeal rattled his sticks on the edge of the snare. “So, what are we starting with?” he asked. 

“How about a standard swing?” Balthier suggested from the corner. “Something easy, and I’ll write up a set-list in the meantime.”

“You’re not playing with us?” Angeal raised an eyebrow.

“Unfortunately,” he sighed. “My horn’s in the shop for monthly maintenance, and I nearly blew my chops trying to blast a double-G on a Ferguson chart last week.”

“No shit,” he laughed. “Occupational hazard, huh?” 

_ I have no idea what they’re talking about,  _ Zack thought as a tall mug of beer was brought to his table. He promptly took a long drink from it.  

“Okay then,” Aqua said, adjusting a stand in front of her keyboard. On it was a thick, spiral bound book that she quickly flipped through. “How about--”

Balthier interrupted her almost immediately. “How about ‘But Not For Me’? That one’s nice and mellow.” With a chuckle, he made his way over to the bar, pulling a notepad from his back pocket. “Go on, count it off.”

Aqua tilted her head to the side, paused in her flipping, and Zack could swear he could see a vein pulse on her forehead.  _ Is the requirement for being a band leader being an egotistical jackoff?  _ he thought, covering his mouth. “Sounds great,” she managed to reply, smoothing down the current page.  “You start, Terra.”

“Really?” he said, straightening his posture so he wasn’t lying on the bass. 

_ “Yes,”  _ she sighed. She swept her bangs out of her face with one hand. “Just do a two-five-one into the head, we’ll do melody, then solos--”

“All right, all right.” With that, he glanced over her shoulder, then began to walk a simple bassline up the fretboard. The upright gave an earthier tone than Zack was used to hearing from Genesis’ bass, mellow with palpable movement. Angeal accompanied with a simple high hat rhythm, then fell into a quiet rhythm once Aqua joined in on keyboard. Her own style was sparse and mellow as well, but despite it, the entire club quieted to tune into the music around them.  _ Nice.  _ Zack smiled and tapped his toe to the beat.  _ Angeal looks relaxed, for once. Must be nice, not having to deal with LOVELESS and the biggest ego on the planet.  _

He took another sip of his beer and settled into the music, ignoring the bustle around him.  _ I wonder if Cloud made it back all right. I probably should’ve just called Aerith myself--then again, if one thing leads to another and she’s really worried, she’ll just page me. “Where are you, you big dork? Come home soon.” Something like that.  _ He smirked to himself as Angeal picked up his drumming while Aqua soloed over the form.  _ They’ll find something to do without me, they get along well enough. I’m glad.  _

_ They’re my...two favorite people, after all.  _

The melody turned around, and it was Terra’s turn to solo. It was busier than Aqua’s, threatening to speed up at any moment, but Angeal kept him in time, watching carefully. Aqua was also watching him closely, a crease in her brow.  _ She’s watching him like Seph watches me--as if he’s going to mess up at any second. Relax, he’ll be fine. Probably. I always end up okay, anyway… _

His solo ended, and the group played together once again, soon segued by a series of short drum solos from Angeal. His hits were more purposeful than what Zack recalled in practice, at both the easier tempo and the relaxed volume.  _ Angeal...is so cool.  _

_ (“All right, company, listen up.”  _

_ Zack stood as straight and tall as he could, even as he towered over most of his standard-class compatriots, while the 1st-class paced in front of them. “I’m 1st-class Hewley, and I’m going to be your commanding officer on your journey to SOLDIER. It’s not going to be easy, by any means, and those of you who  _ do  _ make it…don’t get to slack off.” _

_ Angeal paced before them with his hands behind his back, then suddenly stopped within Zack’s line of sight. “It’s a tough climb, and I’m not going to be easy on you. But it’s important to remember what you came here for, what drove you to stand here today. _

_ “Embrace your dreams. And whatever happens, protect your honor.” _

_ His deep blue eyes, strong and steady, rested on Zack directly, and his posture jerked even further. “Never forget that.”) _

The number ended, and he became swept up in the clapping for the group. He caught Angeal’s eye, and he gave him a wink.  _ Yeah, this is really his element. Make me wonder why he decided to be in a rock band. I guess...even if they are terrible, Genesis and Sephiroth are his friends.  _

_ (“…They’re assholes sometimes, but that’s about the scope of it.” Angeal smiled to himself. “We have each other’s backs through thick and thin, y’know?”) _

Balthier clapped himself and walked in front of the group. “Thank you, thank you very much!” he proclaimed. Aqua rolled her eyes behind him, but she quickly straightened up before he spun toward her. After a moment of talking Zack couldn’t decipher, he sauntered away, and Aqua counted in the next number, a medium paced Latin groove. Zack sighed and went to take another drink of his beer, but was startled to find someone else sitting in front of him.  _ “Shit!”  _ he exclaimed.

Before him, Cissnei grinned with her chin in her hand. “I was wondering when you were going to notice me, Zack,” she said with a chuckle. Instead of her standard Turk suit, she was in a white cocktail dress, covered in small splashes of yellow, red, black, and blue. Its neckline was high, but sleeveless, and accompanied with a black scarf tied around her neck. She had brought a glass of wine with her, and took a small sip. “I have to admit, I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“What, am I not fancy enough?” Zack said with a chuckle. “I’m actually here for Angeal; guess he’s subbing for the usual drummer.”

“Oh, nice,” Cissnei replied. Her amber eyes flicked behind him, toward the bar, but quickly shifted back. 

“What about you? You’re not undercover, are you?” 

“No, I’m off duty tonight.  _ Technically.”  _ She brought her pager out from her lap and shook it twice with her wrist. 

Zack did the same with his own pager from his belt. “Oh, I know the feeling,” he said. “You never know when you’re going to have to be on the job.” 

“Mmm.” She sighed, a heavy one that rose through her shoulders down through her chest. She bit her lip staring down at the table, then was drawn to his cheek. "What happened to your face?"   


"Oh, it's nothing," Zack said, grinning out the side of his mouth despite the sharp sting. "Just sparring with the other 1sts. Gotta stay sharp, y'know."

She chuckled and shook her head. "You SOLDIER are so rambunctious," she replied. "Makes it hard to keep an eye on all of you."

"I'm sure it does," he said. "We're the best of the best!" 

Zack puffed out his chest, although Cissnei appeared more amused than necessarily impressed. She laughed, a free sound that caught him off-guard. _Come to think of it, I don't think I've_ ever _seen her off duty like this. She's usually so serious..._ Cissnei recovered quickly, however, accompanied by another sip of wine. “So, how’s everything been? How is Cloud doing?” 

_ Ah, yeah. She probably knows all about that. What  _ don’t  _ the Turks know?  _ “He’s all right, still recovering. He’s been doing regular 2nd-class training along with his rehab, though, so that’s good…”

She nodded and ran a finger around her wine glass, delicately manicured. “You’re a lucky man, you know that, Zack Fair?” 

“Huh? I guess so,” he said, leaning back and lacing his hands behind his back.  _ I’m a 1st-class SOLDIER, in a sweet band with a bunch of elites, with two cute partners waiting for me at home-- _

“Honestly…” She lowered her voice. “Not many people get an assassination order from  _ us  _ written off from them.”

Zack flinched, nearly knocking over his beer. “Wh-what?”  _ So, they  _ were  _ out for me, after what happened with Hojo and Cloud. I didn’t realize...it was an assassination order. Fuck.  _

“You’re surprised, huh? So, they didn’t tell you the details.” She smirked and shook her head. “Angeal took care of most of it, although Sephiroth messed with some of our records.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah. Genesis threatened the president. Again.” 

_“Again?”_ Zack gawked. _That doesn’t seem quite his style. Then again..._

“Apparently not as bad as in the past.” Cissnei took another drink of wine. “That’s the thing of it. There’s only...so much HQ can do when it comes to 1st-class. Most of the time they just send them away so they don’t have to deal with them. You guys...are  _ powerful.  _ And in groups...”

The number ended, and she used the applause in-between to mask a chuckle. “God, listen to me. I probably shouldn’t even be telling you all this.”

Zack shrugged 

_ (“...you all stick together.” _

_ “What’s so bad about that?” _

_ “It makes ‘em nervous.”) _

and took another drink. “Hey, I’m trying to just lay low for right now so no one changes their mind,” he sighed. “I’ve got people I’ve got to take care of, y’know? And I--” 

“Any horn players in the house tonight?” Balthier called out suddenly from the stage, drawing both of their attentions. “Terra, you didn’t happen to see Axel come by, did you?”

“Uh, no…” Terra said, arm around his bass.

Aqua scanned the room, then skittered around her keyboard and made a beeline for a table near the front, but on the opposite side of Zack and Cissnei. “Namine, did you bring your sax?” she asked before vanishing out of range. When she returned to the stage, a petite, blonde girl followed behind her, toting an instrument case nearly as big as she was. 

“All right, very nice,” Balthier said. “I’d play myself, of course, if I could.” He patted the girl on the shoulder, and she shrank away to rest her case in front of Angeal’s drum kit. “Is she up to snuff?”

“She solos in her jazz ensemble all the time,” Aqua reassured firmly. “And  _ anything’s _ better than Axel…”

Terra snorted, but was quickly cut off by Balthier. “Hey, switch to electric,” he ordered, slapping the body of the bass. “You can’t play funk with an upright.”

“I-I can’t?” he replied, but backed up with the instrument, glancing behind him. “I mean, all right…”

The chatter in the club resumed its normal lull, and Cissnei took another drink of her wine, now almost empty. “What were you saying?” she asked.

“Huh?” Zack said. “Oh, ah…” He stared into his mug.  _ Just saying how I know that if I try to pick everyone up and run, I’ll probably get tracked down and killed anyway. Pleasant conversation, you know?  _ “It’s...nothing.”

Cissnei nodded, tucking a lock of her wavy, honey colored hair behind her ear. It revealed a sparkling set of earrings. “I understand. You probably didn’t expect to talk work on your night off.”

_ Work,  _ Zack mused as he nodded.  _ That’s what it is, isn’t it? It’s a job, but God, it gets consuming. Especially with all that Shinra throws at you… _

_ (at the price of freedom) _

He played with the feather pendant around his neck, turning his attention to the bandstand.  _ Maybe someday, this’ll all pay off. If I can prove my honor, and get to live a happy life with those I love, then...that’ll be enough.  _ On the stage, the girl Namine was situated with a large saxophone, sticking close to Aqua as she played, surprisingly loud for her stature. 

“Zack?”

He shook his head and glanced back over. Cissnei had stood up, a woman with a blonde bob at her side. “Elena and I are going to head over to the bar,” she said with a small smile. “It was good talking to you.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Zack said, offering her his standard grin, surprising himself with how easy it came despite how his mind was churning. “I’ll see you around, then?” 

“Yes.” The two women walked behind him on their way over, but Cissnei dropped a hand to Zack’s shoulder and murmured in his ear. “Your friends are safe with you around. You’ll be fine.”

He whirled in his seat to try and reply, but she only gave him a single wave before she disappeared into the throng of people at the bar, lost to the crowd and the sounds.  _ Huh,  _ Zack thought, staring at his empty beer mug. The groove from the band was enticing enough to get him to tap his foot again.  _ What am I doing, worrying like this? I’m out here to listen to my best friend play his heart out, not to… _

_ (“They made you a monster--”) _

_...dwell on any of that stuff.  _ His eye wandered to Angeal, who was grinning as he watched the saxophonist solo wildly over the funk infused groove.  _ We’re not monsters.  _

_ (“I love you, sunflower,” she whispered, an inch away from his face in the dark…) _

_ I won’t believe it.  _

_ (“Zack.” Tentative and gentle, hands laced before he stood on his toes and pecked his cheek…) _

A smile spread on his own face as he eased back in his seat.  _ Not for a second.  _

* * *

 

"Well, that's a wrap!" Balthier exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “Nice job tonight, everyone.”

“Good night!" Aqua chirped, relief palpable on her face. "Thanks again for subbing, Angeal.”

Angeal shouldered his cymbals on his back and saluted the group, already packed up in the empty club. “No problem,” he said, then addressed Namine at Aqua’s side. “Hey, kiddo, you sounded awesome. How old are you?” 

“Th-thirteen,” she replied, high pitched and quiet. “I’m going to be starting high school in the fall…” 

“That’s great,” he said, and put his hand out for a high-five. She slapped it with a wide, toothy grin, and he chuckled. “Keep up the good work. Take care, everybody.” 

Zack hip-checked Angeal as they headed out of the club. “You were incredible out there, man,” he said with a grin. “Dude, that solo you had was just  _ wicked!”  _

“Thanks a lot,” Angeal replied, beaming down at the ground. “It’s a nice change of pace. I miss doing funk and Latin charts...I used to listen to jazz albums all the time as a kid. Still have a few…”

“Hell, you could get _me_ into it. I always thought jazz was kinda boring.”

“No, you just have to find the right stuff.” The air outside was humid, but mild, and the stars glittered above them. Angeal stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I can make you a tape if you want.” 

Zack nodded enthusiastically. “Sure, that’d be…” His eye caught a trail of smoke lilting into the air, and he followed it down to a cigarette held at the side of a red, leather jacket.  _That hair, and I only know one guy who wears red leather in the middle of the summer..._ “Genesis?” 

Genesis simply raised his eyebrows as he leaned against the brick side of the building. “Long set tonight,” he remarked at Angeal.

“How long have you been here?” he asked. 

“Long enough to hear that bassist isn’t worth his salt.” He shook his head and took another drag, blowing the smoke into the sky. “Amateur sounding…”

“Well, why didn’t you stop in?” Angeal asked. “I’m sure Balthier nor Terra would’ve minded if you sat in for a couple songs.”

“Tch. Jazz isn’t my thing,” he said with a curled lip. 

_ And yet you’re still here,  _ Zack remarked to himself. _Weren't they in a jazz ensemble together when they were kids?_

“What a shame,” Angeal sighed, laced with amusement. “You would’ve been a little easier to keep time with. Not to mention the AC would’ve been more bearable than this humidity.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Genesis dismissed, flicking the ash off his cigarette. “If I wanted to go in, I would have.” 

“Uh-huh.”

Genesis huffed, then turned to Zack. “How’s your cheek?”

He peeled off the bandage taped to it and pointed. “You tell me,” Zack said. Glancing at the bandaid, it wasn’t pooled with blood, although every stretch of his face made it sore.  _ At least it’s stopped bleeding.  _

Genesis studied it for a second, then clicked his tongue. “It’ll heal. I’ve done worse.” 

_ That’s it?  _ Zack bit the inside of his cheek.  _ No “sorry I fucked up your face”, huh? Christ. Then again, what did I really expect…  _

“You’re awfully pleasant tonight,” Angeal commented with crossed arms. “Thought you’d be with Seph.”

“He’s at his mother’s,” Genesis replied dryly. “Can’t get high over there…”

“Jesus, you’re terrible.” Angeal shook his head, then turned to Zack. “You live right underneath here somewhere, yeah? By the Sector 5 church?” 

“That’s right,” Zack replied, coughing to the side.  _ The smoke in this humidity’s awful, but at least I’m not craving cigarettes anymore… _

“Well, I’ll tell you what. I’m going to leave you here--our place is in the other direction.” He smirked and punched Genesis lightly on the arm. “I'm going to take this jackass home before he finds trouble.” 

He snorted, rubbing his arm while he flicked his cigarette aside. “Can we stop at the liquor store on the way back?” he asked.

Angeal closed his eyes. “Like  _ that,”  _ he sighed, but shrugged. “Fine, we can.” 

To Zack’s surprise, Angeal then walked to him and brought him in for a one-armed hug. “Thanks for coming out tonight,” he said, patting his back. “Means a lot.”

“Oh, yeah, no prob!” Zack replied. He jumped back to break the hug, bouncing on his toes. “You sound great. I’d love to bring Aerith and Cloud sometime, too!”

“You mean the Zack Fair fan club?” Genesis muttered, almost under his breath. 

He scowled briefly at him, but it faded quickly. “More of an audience, y’know? I’m sure they’d love it.” 

“Sure thing,” Angeal replied. “See if Balthier can get you a SOLDIER discount, though. Cover charge is a little pricy. If you’re lucky, you may only have to pay full price for your girlfriend.”

“Got it.” 

“Come on, the place is going to close,” Genesis whined, back toward both of them. More smoke erupted from his face, although the humidity carried a different scent with it.

Angeal rolled his eyes. “There he goes again,” he mumbled, then cleared his throat. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Take it easy, now.”

“Yeah, see you, Angeal!” Zack called. 

With a two fingered salute, Angeal caught up to Genesis, still walking away. Zack watched as they began to chatter, with Angeal hip checking him once before they disappeared around the corner of a side street.  _ They go way back, I guess,  _ he thought, whistling as he wandered down the street.  _ They’ve been in SOLDIER longer than I have, and they’re doing okay. Sure, they’ve gone through some bad shit, just like most of us have.  _ The feather around his neck beat against his chest while he took the tunnel beneath the plate.  _ But they’re doing the best they can.  _

_ And I should too.  _

_ (“Your friends are safe with you around. You’ll be fine.”) _

He chuckled to himself, echoing faintly as he descended.  _ That’s a pretty heavy statement, coming from a Turk. But, I’ll take what I can get.  _ Zack picked up his pace, rounding the corner with the church in sight.  _ Now, time to get home to my favorite people. _

“Hope they didn’t miss me too much,” he said to himself, and beamed at the plate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little while since I've had a chapter of this length! Managed to get this done before I go away for the weekend, too. I'm indulging myself a little bit, being a jazz nerd myself. I recreated a cover of the combo's first number, ["But Not For Me"](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/148794257396/so-i-was-going-to-make-original-jazz-covers-for) that you can listen to over on the meta blog. 
> 
> It's been a little bit since we've hung out with any of the 1sts. Genesis is pretty awful, but Angeal is a good egg. Look at all the gratuitous FF/KH cameos this chapter--thanks to everyone who gave suggestions when I asked on Twitter and the like. So, we've got Balthier from FF12; Demyx (who flaked out), Aqua, Terra, and Namine from Kingdom Hearts...as well as a brief mention of Axel from KH as well. I got a few other suggestions from a bunch of different FF games, but I wanted to keep some kind of theme for these cameos. The band itself is all Kingdom Hearts--just like Cid and Leon back at the record store both are in Kingdom Hearts together. 
> 
> Also, we see Cissnei again! Her tongue's a little looser when she has some wine and is off the clock. This is Elena's first appearance in the main fic (however brief), but she does make a small appearance in an extra log concerning Tseng and Aerith, [which you can read over here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/148451833191/case-file-021091) Her talking about the incident with Hojo and Cloud unsettles Zack from his chill demeanor, but he'll be fine. After all, he's got two cute datefriends he's keeping safe.
> 
> So, what are Aerith and Cloud up to while Zack's out jamming to jazz? Tune in next time to find out!


	39. Discovery

Cloud jogged down the short set of cement stairs that led to Zack and Aerith’s apartment and tapped on the door. “Aerith? It’s me…”

“Coming!” 

He stuffed his hands into his 2nd-class company jacket, “STRIFE” embroidered on the lapel, stepping back just in time for her to fling open the door. “Hey there!” she greeted, looking around him before letting him pass her. “Zack’s not with you?”

“No,” he replied, slipping the deep purple jacket off his shoulders and hanging it on the door knob of the closet. “He said he was going out with Angeal, and that he’d be back before eleven.” 

“I see,” she said, crossing her arms and drumming her fingers along the crease of her elbow. “Out where, did he say?” 

Cloud shrugged. “Angeal mentioned something about a soundcheck…”

_ “Oh, _ it must be some kind of band thing,” she replied. “That’s okay! It’ll just be us tonight. And then we’ll tackle him when he gets home.”

“Okay,” Cloud chuckled. Fluffing the back of his hair, he wandered into the kitchen and immediately opened the refrigerator.  _ Aerith mentioned Zack was supposed to cook, but there isn’t exactly much to work with.  _ Squinting as he scanned the shelves, he spotted a plastic container filled with spaghetti alone near the bottom. “Hey, I’m just going to heat up these leftovers, is that okay?”

“Which ones?” Aerith called back.

“The spaghetti?” 

“Oh, sure.”

He pulled it out and popped it into the microwave, hitting the quick reheat button several times over. “What  _ was  _ Zack supposed to cook tonight, anyway?” he asked as she passed by the kitchen entryway.

“Hm? Oh, I dunno,” she replied with a giggle. She shrugged and readjusted her bra strap on her off the shoulder shirt. “I was going to let him figure that one out.”

“Ah.”

She skated across the living room, every step she took light and graceful. “This is good,” she said at the stereo, popping open the tape player. She pulled out the current tape and set it on top, then skipped back into the bedroom. “Because  _ that  _ means I can weed out my closet without him pestering me.” 

_ She’s got a point,  _ Cloud thought with a snort.  _ He’s pretty distracting, and easily distracted when you’re actually doing stuff that he’s not directly involved in. Like when I was studying for my SOLDIER exam-- _

_ (“This is a direct order, future SOLDIER! Damn, you are really light…”) _

He smiled to himself as he opened the microwave two seconds before the timer went off, carefully holding the edges of the container with his fingertips. He rushed to the counter to drop it, then dug a fork from the drawer-- _ last one,  _ he mused, glancing back at the sink full of dishes. Before he could think to much about it, the stereo began blasting a straight-ahead pop groove, accompanied by a girl chorus.  _ “Shoo, shoo aaaahhh,”  _ Aerith sang along, skipping back to the bedroom. “Hey, Cloud!”

He twirled a fork in his spaghetti before picking up the bowl and walking out to the living room. “Yeah?” he said before taking a bite.  _ Ugh, this is bland. Oh, well. There isn’t much better here right now…  _

Aerith poked out of the bedroom and grinned. “Here, you can help me! I’ve got like a million dresses to sort through.”

Cloud swallowed his mouthful of spaghetti, an enormous lump of starch down his throat. “How?”

“Oh, you know,” she said, tossing her ponytail back and forth. “Just help keep me organized! Make a keep and a throw pile over there.” She waggled her hand at the back of the couch. “Then I can bag up the stuff to get rid of and take it over to the Goodwill on my way to work…”

She disappeared once again into the bedroom.  _ She sure has a way of roping people into things,  _ Cloud thought, sitting on on the armrest of the couch. It creaked even under his weight, and he found himself keeping one foot on the floor to balance.  _ It’s hard to say “no” to her, but usually whatever she’s got going on isn’t that bad.  _

_ “I’m gonna give him all of my love each and every night, _ __   
_ One thing I know he’s dreaming of each and every night, _ _   
_ __ And don’t it make you feel good?” 

Aerith hummed with the tape from the bedroom. “Mm, keep!” she shouted, tossing a pink dress through the door. Luckily, the distance wasn’t that far, and it landed on the back of the couch. “Toss!” Another, this one blue, heaped onto the pile.

Cloud set down his dinner on the table and shook his head, separating the two dresses.  _ These are both nice.  _ The blue one had a silky fabric, but a hole in the seam near the hip. It was simple, with a scooping neckline and quarter-length sleeves.  _ Really...nice.  _

_ (a pretty dress) _

He fiddled with the fabric between his fingers.

_ (wouldn’t you like to be pretty enough to wear a dress…) _

_ Yeah, I would.  _

_ (with fuller hips and just enough of a chest to notice, for him to touch) _

“That’s a nice one, isn’t it?” 

Aerith’s voice startled him, enough for it to fall out of his hands and onto the seat of the couch. “H-huh?” he yelped, adrenaline making his hands shake. Looking up, she had wandered out of sight again, and he fumbled to fold the dress up. “U-uh, y-yeah, yeah it is…” 

“Zack really liked it, but it’s got that hole in it, and--” Aerith meandered back to the doorway, a green floral dress in her hand, when she stopped dead in her tracks. “Are you okay?” 

“Wh-what?” Cloud’s heart pounded in his chest.  _ Stupid, stupid, looking at a dress like that. I’m a guy, _

_ (are you?) _

_ I’m not supposed to...to wear that, to even think about that… _

_ (“Cloud can wear whatever he wants, as long as it makes him comfortable.”) _

He took a deep breath through his nose. “Y-yeah, I’m okay.” 

Her green eyes continued to scan him as she tossed the dress over her arm. “You sure? You look like you just saw a ghost or something.” 

He shook his head. “Nope. I’m okay. Positive.”

Another pause as she continued to stay where she was, only raising an eyebrow.  _ C’mon, just move on, so I can breathe again,  _ Cloud thought desperately, clenching his fists.  _ Don’t dwell on it, don’t dwell on it… _

Instead, Aerith stepped closer, running her hand over the collar of the discarded dress. “It’s a shame to get rid of it,” she sighed. “Do you like it?” 

“Yeah,” he answered automatically. “I-I mean, it’s really...i-it’s nice.” 

She stared right at him. “Do you want to try it on?” 

“What? No, no!” He barked out a laugh, forced enough to almost sound like a cough. “N-no, I-I just...it’s, ah...a-ah…”  _ Fuck, fuck! Get your stupid words out, just _

_ (she knows she already knows) _

_ damn it, come on, c’mon…!  _ “Wh-why would I...want to?” Nausea churned in his stomach, threatening to upset the pasta he had tried to eat earlier. “No, it’s fine…” 

Aerith’s stare wandered off him, but she still stayed put, still playing with the fabric of the dress.  _ I blew it, I blew it,  _ he thought, hands clammy as he hugged his elbows.  _ Why would she ask that, if she didn’t already know? She’s already put makeup on me before, even if it was just a little mascara _

_ (and it was nice, wasn’t it?)  _

_ I just...I’m not...it’s weird, I’m not supposed to be like this… _

_...right? _

Finally, Aerith sighed. “Shame,” she said, very gently. “I think it would look great on you.”

Cloud stared at her as a smirk tugged on her lips. “R...really?” he asked, voice cracking. “But...but…”

“Why…” she started, picking it up and pushing it into Cloud’s chest, even with the couch between them. “...don’t you try it on, and find out?” 

“A-Aerith,” Cloud stammered, mouth dry. “You know, I can’t…”

“Why not? C’mon, have you ever worn a dress before?” 

_ (“Cloud, honey, take that off! And don’t go through Mama’s closet again, please…”) _

“No…” he mumbled.

“Well, there’s no time like the present! How are you going to know unless you try?” She pushed further, dropping the dress into his arms, and he held it against him as she grinned. “Here, I’ll go back and let you change.” 

She skipped back into the bedroom, still humming along with the tape, while Cloud sighed with the dress in his hands.  _ Oh, boy.  _ He ran one hand through his hair.  _ Well...she seems enthusiastic about it, so… _

Without any other thought, he yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, along with his jeans. The dress had a zipper in the back, and he pulled it down and gingerly stepped in.  _ What if it doesn’t fit?  _ The thought was fleeting as it slid fluidly through his hips, and fit snugly along his arms and shoulders. He tried to reach around his back to grab at the zipper, but it just eluded him. “Uh, Aerith?” he called. “I...need some help…”

She popped out with alarming speed. “Coming!” Aerith darted around the couch and promptly jumped around to his back. “Jeez, this fits you even better than I thought,” she commented as she zipped the back, then turned him around toward her by his shoulders. 

“Ah…” Cloud looked down at himself. The chest and neckline was puckered for lack of anything filling it, but the rest of it fit seamlessly through his waist, to where it billowed out around his knees. His fingers flinched at the skirt, tugging at the pleats.  _ I’m wearing a dress… _

“Hmm…” Aerith took a step back and surveyed him. “It’s missing something.” She paused for another moment, then snapped her fingers. “Got it. One sec.”

She rushed back into the bedroom, bringing the sound of clattering dresser drawers with her, until she reemerged with a tan bra in her hand. “Here, wear this. It’ll fill you out more.” 

“Wha--” Cloud stammered, even as he held his hand out for her to hang it on. 

“You’ve got to have a  _ little  _ something, or else the neckline is going to look weird. I’m pretty flat, so it should fit you fine.” She patted her own chest as she said this, then promptly unzipped the back with vigor. “Try again! Here, do you need some help?”

“Um,” Cloud said as he slowly tugged the sleeves from his arms. “Well, I...guess…” 

“Here, I’ll show you so you know how to do it yourself.” Aerith plucked the bra from around his wrist and flipped it inside out. “Okay, so you turn it inside out, like this, then wrap it around so the clasps are facing you…”

She coaxed his arms up as she stood behind him, wrapping the bra around to his front. “Hm, looks like the last clasp will do,” she muttered, peeking around him. She clipped the two hooks at the widest band length. “Then, you just...spin it around…”

The band chaffed around his side as she shifted it along his stomach. “...flip the cups up…” They sat flush against his chest, and as soon as they were there, he felt an odd surge of adrenaline through his spine. “...and put your arms through the straps. Boom, done!” 

Aerith allowed him to put on the straps himself, and it hiked the bra further up his chest as soon as they were there. “Oops, the straps are too tight. You’re longer from the shoulder to the bust than I am. Here…” 

She adjusted the straps along his shoulder, face less than an inch away from his. “Hey…” Cloud muttered.

“Hm?” Aerith replied, lips pursed as she fixed the other strap, snapping it into place. It pulled the bra down just enough so it was on the right part of his chest. 

He pulled the dress over his arms once again, as if he were in a dazed trance as he tried to gather the proper words in his mouth. “Why...are you doing all this?” he asked quietly.

She zipped him once again. “I dunno. I just had a feeling...it might be something you liked.” Aerith stepped around him with her hand over her mouth. “Unless I’m wrong, and you don’t.” 

Cloud bit his lip.  _ I can’t...say that I don’t. I’d be lying.  _ Slowly, he shook his head and looked back down at himself. With the bra, the chest of the dress was properly filled, and even gave him a small bit of cleavage at his neckline. “It’s...it’s…”

Aerith took his hand. “Here, get a better look at yourself,” she said, and pulled him to the bathroom, flicking the light on as she did so. She pushed him in front of the mirror and stood just out of the way so he could see himself in full frame. 

_ I look...totally different,  _ he thought, confronting his own mako blue eyes in the mirror, wandering down through the dress.  _ But...I still look like me. I still  _ feel  _ like me. Ah… _

“It looks really cute,” Aerith commented, hanging back. 

“Yeah,” he whispered, unable to hold back the smirk creeping on his face.  _ I...like this.  _

“You know, I think you look better in it than I did,” she remarked, leaning over and examining the side. “Hell, even the hole doesn’t show.” She stood back up straight with her hand on her chin. “God, you look so pretty, Cloud.”

_ There it is again,  _ he thought as he looked over to her.  _ Pretty.  _ Heat rose into his face.  _ I like being...called that… _

_ (boys aren’t supposed to be pretty, _

_ are you a girl or a boy?) _

_ I...don’t know anymore.  _

Aerith bit her lip. “You know what would make you even  _ more  _ pretty?” she said.

“What?” Cloud replied.

“Some makeup. C’mon, I’ll doll you up.” She slammed the toilet seat on his other side down and patted the top of it. “Here, sit!”

“Er, I don’t know,” he said, smoothing the back of the dress before he sat down anyway. “What if Zack comes home? I don’t think...I don’t…”

“Don’t worry!” she assured, waving her hand as she pulled open the drawer under the sink, sifting through makeup bottles. “It’ll be--”

_ “Really,”  _ Cloud reiterated, fidgeting with his hands in his lap.  _ What would he think? What would he do, seeing me like this? He’s still my senior, he could get me kicked out of SOLDIER if he knew, and maybe he...maybe he…  _ “I-I don’t...h-he doesn’t know anything, and I--”

His voice crept up in panic, and as soon as it cracked, Aerith immediately stopped what she was doing and fell to her knees before him, taking him by the shoulders. “You’re okay,” she whispered. “I get it, too--when him and I first started dating, I was afraid to tell him that I was bi, let alone polyamorous. I thought he’d be a real ass about it, or get more possessive…” She looked down toward the floor. “He’s a simple country boy at heart, that’s for sure, but he’s honest and wants to make people happy. And he loves you so much.” 

Cloud nodded slowly.  _ I love him, too. That’s why I’m so scared…  _ “Y-yeah,” he said, swallowing hard. “I-I just...I dunno, I’m trying to...figure this out too. I’ve...always wanted to be called pretty, wear things like dresses and sh-shit like that…” He scratched the back of his neck, clawing to try and ease the anxiety percolating in his stomach. “B-but that’s...that’s not what guys are supposed to do, let alone SOLDIER...I mean--”

“Says who?” 

Cloud blinked at Aerith, mouth still open. She ran her hands down his shoulders and pulled them back into her own lap. “Hm?” she said, cocking her head. “Just because you’re SOLDIER, doesn’t mean you can’t wear a dress and look pretty.”

“Yeah, but…” He shook his head, and attempted to remember to breathe. “There’s...more to it than that…”

Aerith nodded deeply. “Yeah.” She stood up and brushed off her knees. “Here, I’ll tell you what.” 

She left the room, and Cloud heard the turning of a couple locks on the door. “That will hold him up a little bit when he comes home,” she called back, then leaned in the doorway of the bathroom. “And we can keep this between us for now.”

“Okay.” Finally, he let out a long sigh and dipped his head. “Sorry…”

“Hey, don’t apologize.” Aerith lifted his chin up with a thin bottle of mascara. “Let me guess--you’re still figuring things out, huh?” 

He nodded as she uncapped the mascara. “You know, when I was in high school, I knew someone who reminded me a lot of you.” She pointed up, and his eyes followed as she carefully brushed the mascara wand on his eyelashes. “She was very pretty, but she was also scared of expressing herself this way. Even just to me. But...it can be pretty scary. When people see you as one way…

“...as one gender…

“...when you’d really rather be comfortable as something else.”

She pulled back and capped the mascara, then covered her face with one hand and paused.  _ Aerith,  _ Cloud thought.  _ You’re...so open about all this. What’s it like, to not be afraid of anything? God…  _

Suddenly, she chuckled and shook her head, still with her hand over her mouth. “God, but what do I know? I barely know what I’m talking about myself--”

“No, no,” Cloud said. “It’s fine. I haven’t...I’ve  _ never  _ talked about this with anyone at all, so…” He managed a small smile for her. “It’s...nice.”

Aerith’s apprehension melted as she dragged her hand away from her face, and she suddenly hugged Cloud around his waist, resting her head against his new bosom. “We love you no matter what, Cloud,” she said into his collarbone. “We’ll be here for you--me, Zack, Tifa--”

_ Right, Tifa.  _ Adrenaline shot through him once again. “Y-yeah, probably shouldn’t...mention it to her, either…” 

“Okay, I won’t.” She glanced up to him with a coy look. “She’s known you for ages, so I’m  _ positive  _ it won’t be a big deal.”

“Yeah, but still…”

“I know, I know. I still need to get her to kiss me first, anyway.”

Cloud snorted. “Oh God,” he chuckled. “You...really like her, don’t you?”  _ Who wouldn’t, anyway? Ti… _

_ (did you miss your chance?) _

“Mmhmm!” Aerith popped up with a wink. “Tifa is strong and pretty, and so cute...I just want to hug her all the time!” She giggled as she brought out a palette of eyeshadow. “God, sorry, I get carried away sometimes…!” 

Cloud shook his head and smiled. “It’s all right,” he replied.  _ I mean, I get where she’s coming from. I guess I...feel the same way. Maybe not quite as strong, but… _

_...for a pretty long time, now.  _

It took him a moment to realize she was staring at him. “What?” he said.

She grinned devilishly. “I see that little smile,” she teased. “Here, I’m going to put blue on you to match your dress…”

_ Match my dress,  _ Cloud thought with a smile.  _ My pretty dress.  _

* * *

 

Zack hummed to himself as he took the steps two at a time down to his apartment.  _ What a good night--good friends, good music, and now home to my good partners.  _ He flipped out his keys and snapped over the first lock, but when he went to pull open the door, it stayed shut.  _ Huh?  _ He unlocked the second one, still nothing.  _ That’s odd.  _

The third one finally gave, and he flung the door open. Aerith was before him, arms spread wide. “Welcome home, sweetie!” she greeted, hugging him around his waist. 

“Hey, hon,” he replied, kissing her head. “The door was triple locked?”

“Oh, Cloud must’ve locked them all when he came home,” she replied. Her eyes immediately darted to the side of his face. “Hey, what happened here?” 

“I was sparring with Gen today, and--” Zack started, just as Aerith peeled up the bandage on his cheek. “Yeah.”

She sucked in sharp through her teeth. “Ouch, that looks like it hurts, baby…”

“I-it’s just a scratch,” he insisted, even as her fingers brushing past it made it ache. “I heal fast, it’ll be better before you know it.”

“Don’t be too much of a tough guy,” she said, patting his opposite cheek with a smirk. “You can tell me if it hurts.”

_ Oh, you.  _ He tilted his head back and forth. “Okay, it stings a little,” Zack replied with his tongue out, then scanned the room. “Where’s Cloud?” 

“He’s in the bathroom,” she said, eyes flicking over for a split second before returning to him. “I missed you, will you kiss me?” 

Zack grinned, bending down to nuzzle his nose against hers. “Of course I will,” he said, and promptly met his lips against hers.  _ Mm, Aerith, you’re so sweet,  _ he thought as they kissed, her arms around his neck. When he tried to break the kiss, she pulled him in closer for longer, a giggle in her throat.  _ Oh, so we’re playing this game, huh? Let’s see...  _

With ease, he situated his forearm under her rear and lifted her up into his arms, causing her to squeal. “Ack, Zack!” she exclaimed, kicking her feet.

“Well, if you’re going to keep kissing me, I want to keep you in range,” he said, winking while he adjusted her. 

“I can’t help that you’re a God damn beanstalk--!” she huffed. 

The bathroom door clattered open with Cloud wiping his face with the back of his arm. “Hey!” Zack said, walking Aerith over to the couch and laying her down. He swung around the back of the couch and took his face in both hands and kissed his forehead. “How’s it going? What’d you two do while I was gone, anyway?”

Zack relished in Cloud’s pink face, the bite of his lip when he smiled, and the brightness of his eyes as he tried to keep them on him. “Ah, well, we...we just…”

“We went through and organized some of my closet!” Aerith followed up, gesturing to a pile of clothes at the end of the couch with her foot. “And listened to my music that you don’t like.”

“Oh, perfect,” he chuckled, hands on both of Cloud’s shoulders, gently massaging them. “At least I didn’t miss much, then.” 

“What about you?” Cloud asked quietly. “How was your night?” 

“Great! We went to this jazz club up in Sector 4, it was pretty snazzy!” He hugged Cloud against his chest and wandered them around the couch so they were in sight of Aerith. “Angeal’s a phenomenal drummer, it was a ton of fun to watch. I totally would’ve brought you guys if I could…”

“I don’t know if I’m a huge jazz nerd,” Aerith remarked, stretching her arms up. 

“Dude, this was really cool, though! You’d love it anyway. I did, at least!” Zack fluffed Cloud’s hair and looked down at him. “Next time I’ll--hey, did you do something different?” he asked, peering at his eyes.  _ They look a little darker, somehow...like that one time Aerith put mascara on him.  _

“U-uh...n-not really?” Cloud stammered, fidgeting a little in his arms. “I mean, I just washed up…”

Zack stroked the side of his cheek with his thumb.  _ Still gets uptight sometimes, poor thing.  _ “It’s not bad. I kinda like it,” he said softly. 

He kissed his temple and grinned, but Cloud surprised him by keeping him low to his face, tugging on his collar. “Hey…” he muttered.

“What’s up?” Zack found himself matching his tone, low and tender. 

“I…” He hesitated, then murmured right into his ear: “I love you, too.” Cloud sighed right against his neck, the warmth from his face palpable. “Sorry, I didn’t get to...say it when you did, back on base, but I…”

Zack beamed, and picked him up by his waist, holding him under his rear, similarly to how he held Aerith before. “You’re a sweetheart, you know that?” he said, laughter bubbling with every word he spoke. “My sweet little chocobo.”

His smile was contagious, and Cloud soon mimicked it, arms laced around his shoulders. “Z-Zack…” he mumbled, but still couldn’t keep the grin off his face.  _ I love that smile, I love it,  _ Zack thought, carrying him around the couch.  _ Let me hold on to it as long as I can… _

Suddenly, he felt Aerith press herself against his back. “Where do you think you’re going, loverboy?” she asked, pushing him gently toward the bedroom. “I think  _ someone  _ owes us for playing hooky on dinner, tonight…” 

“What? Aw, c’mon!” Zack whined as he was shuffled into the bedroom, Cloud still in his arms. “I’ll get something good tomorrow, I promise! I’ll stop at the store-- _ oof!”  _

He flopped back onto the mattress, putting Cloud in his lap, while Aerith climbed on quickly, a spark in her green eyes. “Move aside, Cloud,” she said. “It’s time for this puppy’s punishment.”

“Oh,  _ no!”  _ Zack cried as Cloud rolled off him. Aerith waggled her fingers in front of his face before diving for his stomach, tickling his middle and making him squirm. “No,  _ baby, stop! Aaah!”  _

He cackled as she tickled him, and soon was assaulted by Cloud as well, thin fingers at his neck. “Not you, too! I’m getting ganged up on!” 

“Damn right!” Aerith exclaimed, squeezing his thighs.

Immediately, Zack kicked up and curled into a ball, hiding his head underneath a pillow, and was promptly piled on. “Come on, Cloud!” she said. “Help me squash him!” 

“O-okay…!” Hesitation was present in his voice, but soon his weight was added to the pig-pile on top of him.  _ Jesus!  _ Zack sputtered from the pressure on his chest, but was still able to breathe despite it.  _ Looks like I’m going to have to pull out my SOLDIER strength--!  _

“Rrr _ ah!”  _ Zack grunted, flexed his body out straight, then pushed himself up off the mattress, toppling Aerith and Cloud off either side. Aerith crowed with laughter, curled in a ball, while Cloud giggled and settled himself close beside him. “Hey, you know, we  _ might  _ be able to fit three on this bed…”

Aerith scooted up next to him, draping one leg over his. “It’d still be a tight fit. We’d have to squeeze, and you like to spread out when you sleep.” 

“Do I?” Zack questioned.

“Yes, you do,” Aerith affirmed. “You’d push poor Cloud off within an hour of you falling asleep.”

“Well, we just put him in the middle,” he said, wrapping his arm around Cloud’s shoulder and pulling him in. “Problem solved.”

“Sure, it’s okay,” Cloud said, shrinking further into his side. 

Aerith leaned over Zack’s chest. “You don’t mind cuddling with me a little?” she asked, winking at him. 

Cloud returned the look with a smirk and shook his head. “I-it’s okay,” he replied, a little sheepishly. 

“Oh, are you two dating now, too?” Zack asked, his other arm around Aerith. 

“No, we just had some bonding time together,” she chirped. “We’re good friends! Isn’t that right?” 

“Right.” 

Zack chuckled and leaned his head back against the headboard.  _ This is good,  _ he mused to himself, the warmth of his partners against him lulling him into a comforting drowsiness.  _ So what if I have a nasty scar on my face now? I’m going to...remember today for a long time. Spending it with all my favorite people… _

_ Hell, what’s better than that?  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aerith has a Bananarama tape playing in the background, the featured song being ["Shy Boy"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hErKqs1a7U). This is a very Cloud song, at least for this iteration of Cloud, hehe. 
> 
> Trans!Cloud is here! As far as labels go, this Cloud is genderfluid, although I'm not sure if it will be explicitly used for him in the fic. Whether that term was common in this time period is iffy, plus even though Aerith is very queer educated, her trans knowledge is a little fuzzy still. Aerith and Cloud are basically QPP's--this won't be the last time she lets Cloud wear her old clothes. Aerith is very encouraging, especially paired with a shy Cloud. And of course, some nice poly moments at the end. I can't wait to write more of the other trio combinations when everyone's together! Clackrith is easy, since Aerith is so open and her and Cloud are Very Good Friends. 
> 
> If anything seems odd or contrived in this chapter, please let me know!
> 
> Let's see, what are we doing next chapter? Oh yes, we're working up to Aerti! Aerith declares a sleepover at 7th Heaven with Tifa--stay tuned!


	40. Sleepover

Behind the bar, Tifa slumped on the counter and rubbed her temples. “Ugh, I’m so fucking tired,” she muttered to herself. _I’ve been sleeping like shit lately. Barret’s got me paranoid that Marlene’s going to run down in the middle of the night or something._ She caught Vincent’s eye at his usual stool, but only for a moment. _He’s off with her running errands for the store. I haven’t had a real day off in a while, just a couple hours here and there when Aerith whisks me away…_

_Aerith…_

As the bar was empty, she allowed herself to rest her head completely on top of her crossed arms, the ache in her feet keeping her from dozing. _I wonder if she’ll stop by, or if she’ll just call today. Funny, I look forward to it more and more everyday…_

“Tifa,” Vincent grumbled at his seat.

“Hm?” She rose from her slump and rubbed her eyes. “Sorry…”

He merely shook his head and tapped the side of his empty glass. “Right, I’ll get you another one,” she sighed, pulling the glass away. Her hands moved in fluid autopilot, mixing the drink while her eyes glazed into soft focus. _Just the same thing, day in, day out, a routine…_

_Routine isn’t bad, but…_

_God, I’m just so tired._

By the time she looked up, she could sense another body at the bar. “Hey, what can I get for you?” she said, voice flat and monotone.

“How about a kiss?”

Tifa shook from her haze, only to be face to face with Aerith, grinning while rolling her fingers on the bar counter. “Sorry, you probably get that from sleezier customers,” she replied with a wink. “How’s it going?”

She chuckled and scratched the back of her head beneath her long, brown hair. “It’s...going,” she replied. “Been slow today. And I’m--” Tifa yawned long and loud, attempting to fan her face to quell it. “--tired.”

“Aw, that sucks,” Aerith pouted. She twirled a stray curl of hair around one finger, pursing her lips. _Is she wearing lip gloss?_ Tifa thought idly as she watched her. “Yeah, must be one of those days. It was quiet at the store today, too. Not that it's _unusual,_ but it felt more barren than usual. Even the church, too--”

“How often are you there, anyway?” Tifa asked, propping herself on the counter.

“Mostly the weekends, although…” She paused, her expression falling. “We're getting more patients lately, so Elmyra needs more help…”

“Patients?”

“Sector 5 church is one of the only AIDS sanctuaries under the plate. Which is weird, but…” She shrugged and sighed. “Oh, well. Shinra gives us plenty of supplies, but it cuts into our funding, and we’re starting to run out of space…”

Tifa held her breath. _AIDS. I remember people gossiped about it back home, but it wasn’t a “thing” there. It was always someplace else._

_(“Dirty queer disease,” her father grumbled, crushing his cigar in the ashtray on the table. “Weeding out the weak is what it is…”)_

She bit the inside of her cheek. _But now, it’s really here. Huh._

Aerith’s eyes lowered to the table as she continued to mutter. “Things used to be worse. But when one of Shinra’s own execs tested positive--and died on company time, they started to actually care and do something about it. That’s what I heard, anyway. People are still dying, though…”

She fell silent, and in the space, Vincent’s head slowly rose from its normal slouch. _"Just_ one of Shinra's execs?" he said, slow voice a low rumble. He took a long drink from his glass, draining it right down to the bottom, even though Tifa had just filled it. “It was the President himself. That's why they had to do something about it."

 _That's more than I've ever heard him talk in one sitting,_ Tifa thought, holding her breath. _The President, huh? No wonder._ After a moment, he shook his head again and cleared his throat. "But, that’s how it’s always been…”

Aerith reached over and patted his shoulder, and he flinched from the contact. “Sorry to get all somber on you--!” she chirped, putting on a chipper smile. It faded quickly. “I just...it’s exhausting sometimes.”

“I can imagine,” Tifa remarked. _Looks like I’m not the only one who’s run down around here._

Aerith nodded, then lurched out for Tifa’s arm with both hands. “Come over tonight,” she said suddenly. “Let’s have a sleepover. Stay the night.”

“Uh…!” Tifa fumbled, feeling her heart pick up speed in her chest. “I-I can’t, I’ve got to work, still…”

Aerith sat up, looked around, and shouted. _“Barret!”_ Vincent winced in his stool.

“No, he’s not here right now,” Tifa hissed, fidgeting in her grip. “Maybe some other--”

“Then I’ll just have to stay over here!” she insisted. She stood up on her knees on the stool and bounced, her chest hovering in Tifa’s face. “It’ll be fun!”

“U-uh, I don’t know…”

“Vincent, can I stay the night?” Aerith asked, whipping her head over as she wormed her hands around Tifa’s arms, searching for her hands without looking. “Pleeeease?”

He rested a hand against his forehead. “That isn’t...my call,” he mumbled, shaking his head.

“I’ll just take that as a yes~!” Aerith cheered. _God, you’re so bouncy,_ Tifa marveled, watching the bow in her ponytail flutter as it swung on her back. “Yay, we’re going to watch TV, and eat junk food, and all that fun stuff!”

Tifa chuckled, unable to keep a straight face any longer, despite the tired sensation behind her eyes. “All right, fine.” _Yeah, I guess we are. There’s no saying no to you, when there’s something you want, is there? And why would I want to?_

_A sleepover.._

_(The fall air chilled her even beneath her sweatshirt as she knocked on Cloud’s door, and she hugged her arms for some semblance of warmth. His mother answered the door, blonde hair just beginning to gray framing her face. “Oh, hi there, Tifa!” she greeted, the turned around. “Cloud! Tifa’s here.”_

_His footsteps thundered down the stairs, wide-eyed as he rushed to the door. “Hey,” he said, waving her in. His t-shirt hung on his gangly form, and he used it to wipe sweat from his forehead. “What’s up?”_

_She smirked as she looked him over. “Were you training again?”_

_“Yeah,” he huffed. “I need more stamina if I’m going to try to get in again…”_

_Despite the protest on her tongue, she bit it back as Cloud’s sky blue eyes studied her, clear like water. When his mother walked back to the kitchen, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Everything okay?”_

_“Yeah…” She bit her lip, twisting her hands inside her sweatshirt sleeves. “Um...is it all right if I stay over tonight? Dad and I got into a fight again…”_

_“Mom!” he called, not taking his eyes off her. “Can Ti stay over?”_

_“As long as she sleeps in the living room, yes!”_

_He nodded, a side smirk on his face…)_

The door clattering open broke her memory, as Marlene dashed through, a running start to leap on the barstool next to Aerith. “Hi!” she greeted, waving enthusiastically.

“Hey, kiddo!” she replied, ruffling her hair. “Guess what?”

Marlene let out a little gasp. “What?”

“I’m staying the night tonight!”

She gasped even louder. _“Yay!”_ Marlene fell forward into Aerith’s bosom, hugging her tight around her waist and knocking the wind out of her.

“Hey, this ain’t an inn anymore,” Barret grumbled, arms full with plastic bags as he kicked open the trapdoor. “What, did you and Zack get into a fight?”

“Oh, no!” she said, sliding off the stool (with Marlene still attached to her) and edged her way to the door in the floor. “I just want to spend more time with Tifa! Since you make her work all the time.”

“You’re here every friggin’ day!” he called up.

Marlene stood right at the edge of the stairs, peering over. “Stay up here, hon,” Tifa advised.

“I knoooow,” she said with a stomp of her foot, just as Barret came back up the stairs.

“I _don’t_ make her work all the time,” he sighed, making his way behind the bar. _“She’s_ the one who wants to.” His dark brown eyes bore through Tifa, enough to make her grip the counter. _What’s that look for? It’s not like…_

_Ah…_

“Sooo, I can stay?” Aerith asked, fluttering her eyelashes. “Pretty please~?”

“Fine, I don’t care.” Barret shrugged his shoulders and rubbed above his prosthetic-- _that looks different than the one I usually see him in. A spare?_  “‘Fraid I don’t have an extra cot for you…”

“Oh, that’s no problem! We can share a bed!”

“What?” Tifa exclaimed. “I don’t know if it’ll fit two people…”

“It’s okay! We can squish,” she replied with a giggle. “I sure as hell am not sleeping on the floor.”

“I could...sleep on the floor,” she offered, hands beginning to fidget in Aerith’s. “I have some extra blankets--”

“No way!” Aerith interrupted. She shook her head in wide swings, her ponytail swirling around to her opposite shoulder. “You’re going to be comfy too! It’s fine!”

“Ah…” Tifa sighed even as Aerith beamed back at her, green eyes sparkling, the only thing she could really focus on. “O-okay…”

“I won’t cause any trouble!” Aerith directed this mostly at Barret, who had his arms crossed and an indescribable look on his face. Was it amusement? Was it disapproval? Or was it none of the above?

Tifa couldn’t quite tell, even when he rolled his eyes and turned back toward the sink. “I’m sure, flower girl,” he replied. “Go on, show your guest upstairs, hon.”

She slipped out of Aerith’s grip, wiping her clammy hands on the thighs of her jeans. “E-er, yeah…!” _Why do I feel so nervous?_ she thought. _It’s just a little sleepover, we’re both girls, so it’s not...a big deal._ As Marlene tagged along behind Aerith toward the stairway, Tifa’s own legs felt like they were only vaguely attached to her body. _Yeah, it’s not._

“Yay, a sleepover!” Marlene cheered, her voice echoing in the stairwell.

Aerith giggled along with her. “We’re going to have a ton of fun tonight!” Tifa heard her say. “Where’s your little doggie?”

Tifa took each step slowly, her voice ringing in her ears. _Is it?_

* * *

 

Later in the evening, Tifa sat back on her bed and watched Aerith on the end, fitted in an old sweatshirt of hers and a pair of pajama shorts, her Walkman between them. _Yeah, it’s fine,_ she thought to herself, a hand over her mouth. _She said she didn’t have anything to sleep in, if she could wear some of my things. So, I said yes. Of course I said yes._ The tape rolled, playing music almost at the same volume as the gears turning inside it from a tinny speaker. _She’s pretty no matter what she wears._

_Ah..._

Aerith suddenly jumped off the bed and stood on her toes. “Oh, shoot!” she exclaimed.

“What’s up?” Tifa asked.

“I totally forgot to tell Zack I was doing this,” she said with a sheepish smirk and a shrug. She tugged down the sweatshirt enough so that it nearly covered the shorts she was wearing and dashed over to the phone. “Let me just call him real quick…”

Tifa’s eyes wandered over her bare legs as she rocked back and forth on her feet. _Maybe I could be lucky too. That’s what she said, wasn’t it? But…if she’s still calling him right now, then what kind of luck do I have?_ A twinge twisted in her chest. _I just…_

Aerith cradled the phone on her shoulder, twirling the cord between her fingers. “Hey, baby! ...Yeah, I’m at Tifa’s.” She winked at her as she said this. “Yeah, she’s good.” She shifted the phone on her shoulder. “Zack says hi.”

Tifa only waved. _I just...I’m…_

“Yeah, so I was planning on spending the night here,” Aerith continued. Even with her distance, Tifa could almost hear Zack whine through the receiver. “Oh, you big baby, it’s just for one night. Isn’t Cloud there? Can’t you have fun with him?”

Tifa hugged her arms around her stomach. _Cloud. Cloud, too._

“Oh, he’s on base?” Aerith scrunched her face. “Well, I didn’t know! He usually comes home with you! …Sweetie. …I know. …Well, just go through the shoebox or something. It’s just for a night.” Her expression smoothed into a gentle smile. “I love you too, sunflower. …I will. Bye-bye.”

She hung up the phone then jumped back onto the bed, curling as close to Tifa as she could without laying on top of her. “He can be a big baby sometimes. ‘But I’ll miss you too much!’” She rolled her eyes. “As if he isn’t a military brat who gets roped away for weeks at a time…”

“Is it hard?” Tifa asked quietly, jaw tense.

“Yeah. I think the longest was…just over a month? Maybe a little longer?” She crossed her legs into a pretzel and rocked back and forth. “It got lonely. And that was before we had our own place--I was still living under the church at the time.”

“Yeah…”

Aerith stared down at the bed, head cocked. “Sometimes…I worry that he might not come back,” she muttered. “I know he’s strong and everything--God only knows how they make mako and how it makes you tougher, but…just…” She whipped her head back and stared at the ceiling. “Ugh, why am I _like_ this today?”

“Like what?”

“You know! A big worry wart!” Despite the comment, she laughed and unraveled the bow from her hair, wrapping and unwrapping the ribbon around her hands. “I’m always happy-go-lucky Aerith, nothing’s supposed to get me down. I cheer everyone up! That’s what I’m here for.”

 _Yeah, I’ve noticed,_ Tifa thought. _You were the one who tried to get me to smile when Cloud was sick, when I didn’t think he’d wake up from that mako induced coma. I wonder, did you see or sense how tired I felt when you came in today? And that’s why you’re staying the night, staying here with me? You’re so sweet, Aerith…_

_(“Ti?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“I’m glad you came over.”_

_“Huh?”_

_He looked at her for a long time, but in the end, said nothing…)_

She found that she had been holding her breath, and let it out through her nose, like steam from a gasket. _You’re not like him, no, you’re a lot flashier and spontaneous, you’re wild and free. But there are some things…that feel the same._

“I just…” Aerith started again, curling her lips inward. “I guess I don’t feel like I have to hold back around you. It’s nice, every once in awhile.”

“Don’t you...talk about these things with Zack, too?” Tifa asked. “I mean, he is your boyfriend, after all.”

“Well, yeah. You gotta talk with your partners--er, partner, I guess--or else things just fall apart.” She laid her ribbon on Tifa’s knee, smoothing it out carefully. “But after the whole Cloud thing, I guess I’ve been holding back a little bit. I don’t want him to get like...he did then again, not so soon. You’d be surprised how he can worry.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Tifa pulled her long, brown hair over her shoulder and began combing it through with her fingers, just along over her bust. “I mean, I worry about Cloud, too…”

“I know you do. I can see it,” Aerith said. “You two seem really close.”

“I...guess.”

“Hm? What do you mean, ‘I guess’?”

“Well…” Suddenly, her eyes felt strained, hands tense as she pulled down through her hair. “It’s just like what I thought--Cloud hasn’t been coming by as much since he got together with Zack. I don’t know. I guess he’s got a long going on, with rehab too...it must wear him out…”

“He does seem drained some days when he comes by,” Aerith concurred. “And...I don’t know how good of sleep he’s been getting lately.”

“Really...?”

She paused to watch Tifa’s hands, then shook her head. “Can I play with your hair?” she asked. “I want to braid it.”

“S-sure.” Tifa scooted around and leaned back into Aerith, acutely aware of her fingertips grazing her collarbone as she brought her hair behind her back.

Aerith hummed idly with the still running tape as she combed through her hair, splitting it into three sections. “Um...Aerith?” Tifa asked.

“Yeah?”

“How...I mean, when did you know that you loved Zack?”

“Hmm…” She pondered for a moment, then snickered. “I didn’t think you’d be asking _that_ question.”

“What do you mean?”

“He doesn’t seem to impress you.”

Tifa bit the inside of her cheek. “Wh-what makes you think that?”

“Oh, I dunno. Just an observation.” Tifa felt her fingers work through her hair, keeping the braid tight as she moved down her back. “I think…well, it wasn’t right away, I can tell you that much. When he’s in ‘impress a lady’ mode, he can be _awfully_ cocky.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“And I hadn’t dated a guy in a while, and here comes this _super_ straight one trying to butter me up. I was almost _frustrated_ with how cute I found him. Especially with some of the things that came out of his mouth…” She giggled as she braided all the way down her back. “Oh, shoot. I don’t have an extra hair tie…”

Tifa folded her legs under her and stood on her knees. “I have some on my dresser--”

“Nope! I’ve got it.” She fussed at the end of her hair for a moment, then threw it around Tifa’s shoulder so she could see. “Ta-da!”

Her braid was tied together with her pink ribbon in a neat bow. Tifa whirled around, staring at Aerith’s ponytail, still intact. “I-I can just get...my own…ah…”

“It’s cute!” she chirped. “I know, it probably won’t stay, that’s why I use a real hair tie whenever I wear it. But, for now!” Aerith bounced on her knees, giddy.

Tifa couldn’t help but smile, running her finger beneath one of the loops of the ribbon. “Is this the one he gave you?” she asked.

“I think so. I have one that’s just like it, too, so it may be the duplicate,” Aerith replied. “Oh yeah, back to what I was saying…

“I think…well, he charmed me right from the get-go, but…I really fell for him a while later. He had just come back from being stationed for a while. He came to see me at the church, still in uniform--Jesus, I don’t think he had even cleaned up yet. He wanted to see me that badly.” Aerith bit her lip, but it wasn’t enough to hide the grin growing on her face. “He stayed late with me, and we just…talked. You’d think we’d have sex or something right away, but…not that night. He told me little stories about his adventures, even the ones when he felt afraid. It made him seem…vulnerable. Like he wasn’t just this strong, arrogant SOLDIER, or just a goofy puppy dog. He was real. ‘I thought about you every night, Aerith’, he said to me, in this hushed voice.”

Tifa nodded slowly as Aerith’s expression drifted. “He became more than just some guy I was dating. Or a really good kisser.” She giggled and winked at her, then her eyes lingered on her for a moment. _From the words she’s saying…she’s in love with Zack,_ Tifa thought. _There’s no doubt about that._

_But from her eyes, from the way she’s looking at me…_

“You know something?” Aerith said. “I’ve never...believed in love at first sight, ever. I think you need to really be with someone…to know that, or not.”

She reached out for her hand, laying on her lap, and laced her their fingers together, and smiled at her in the near silence. The tape played as their background, as Tifa couldn’t take her eyes off her:

 _“Finally baby, the truth has come down now,_   
_Take a listen to your spirit, it’s crying out loud._   
_Try to believe--you say you love me, but you don’t know._ _  
_ You’ve got me rockin’ and a-reeling…”

Aerith took a deep breath, then lunged into Tifa’s arms, pushing her back into the headboard and burying her head into her chest. _How do I feel about you?_ Tifa asked herself as she returned the hug, trickling her fingertips along her back. _I want to be with you, I want to, even if you’re with Zack…_

_...funny, I’m starting to care less about that…_

“Thanks for listening to me babble,” Aerith said, muffled into her t-shirt. “Seems like everytime I’m with you, things just pour out of my mouth…”

“It’s all right,” Tifa replied. _Yeah, it’s all right. This is all right. This is what I wanted, wasn’t it? And I don’t...I don’t feel so lonely anymore. Aerith…_

_I…_

Marlene’s giggle echoed through their closed door, and both girls froze on the bed. “Get into bed, you little rascal!” Barret’s voice boomed in the hallway, along with his footsteps. “Daddy’s got to sweep the store…”

“They’re cute,” Aerith whispered, chuckling as she wrapped her arms more snuggly around her waist.

“Yeah.” Her face was warm, and it was beginning to resonate through her entire body, making her feel at ease for the first time that day. “He’s always been--” She was interrupted by a yawn, long and loud. “--sweet with her…”

Aerith lifted her head up and scooted up against her body. “Maybe we should get some sleep too,” she said with a smile. “Sleepyhead.”

“Don’t--!” Tifa exclaimed, pushing her head as she giggled. “I just got...really tired all of a sudden…”

“That’s okay.” Aerith rolled off her toward the wall, and promptly spooned her, snuggling into her back. “We can just stay right here…”

“Aerith.”

“Hm?”

“I need to turn off the light…”

“Aw, fine…”

Reluctantly, Tifa slipped off the bed, clicked off her Walkman, and wandered to the doorway, where the lightswitch was. “Are you...going to be okay sleeping in that?” she asked, resting the Walkman on the dresser on her way by. “You’ll probably be hot…”

“Oh, I’m okay,” she replied, hugging herself. “It’s yours, so it’s nice and cozy.”

This time, Tifa didn’t bother hiding her smile, as Aerith pulled her bushy hair out from its ponytail, shaking it out. “Okay,” she said, before turning out the light.

Carefully, she tiptoed to the bed, and was immediately greeted by Aerith’s arms around her, nestling herself close into her back. “Sleeping together in a twin isn’t the most comfortable,” she murmured, voice close in her ear. “But...it’s nice every so often.

“It’s…

“...nice…

“...being close to you.”

Tifa swallowed hard, butterflies threatening to fly up from her chest and out her mouth. _Yeah, it is. It really is._ In the end, she stayed quiet, relaxing herself against her in the dark. _I was tired before, but now…_

_...who knows if I’ll sleep._

* * *

 

Morning came, and Aerith sat up to peer at the clock on the nightstand. _Looks like it’s time for me to get going._ Tifa lay still, sleeping quietly beside her, and she covered her mouth as she drew her bangs away from her eyes. _God, it took so much not to just…scream that I love her. Funny, talking about Zack last night made me pine even more for her. How the heck does that even work out?_

_I think...she’s ready, though. Next time. Next time, I’ll go straight for the kill._

The gentle stroking of her cheek stirred Tifa, and she rolled over to her stomach. “Nngh…” she groaned.

“Shh, you can sleep,” Aerith murmured, barely resisting the urge to kiss her hair. “I have to get going to work.”

“What...time is it?” she grumbled with her eyes closed.

“Barely nine,” she replied. “When do you start?”

“Barret usually...has me come down around ten…” She stretched and curled up further, leaving enough room for Aerith to shift over the side of the bed and slip out. “But Vincent…sometimes gets us breakfast, so…” She groaned again. “Lemme sleep a little more…”

Aerith giggled. _She’s so cute._ “Okay, sweetie.” She stripped the sweatshirt and shorts and gathered up her clothes from the night before. _It would be so easy to steal this,_ she thought as she folded them neatly beside the bed. _Give her an excuse to come see me. But...I won’t. Not this time._

She tied her hair back with the hair tie around her wrist, then glanced over to see the bow still fastened snug at the bottom of Tifa’s hair. _But that...she’ll have to give back. That’s good._ She walked backwards to the door, tightening her ponytail. “Come see me sometime, okay?” she whispered.

“I will,” Tifa mumbled.

“Promise?”

She opened one, auburn brown eye. “Promise.”

Aerith nodded, closing the door behind her. As soon as she cleared it, she jumped up and down in place, arms pressed against her chest. _Ooh, I’m going to burst! Next time, next time I’ll kiss her, I’ll tell Zack that I’m going to do it, then I’m going to_ do it! _I can’t wait--!_

She galloped down the stairs, but stopped short when she found Barret nearly at the foot of them, blocking the doorway. “What’s this all about?” he said. “I think you’ve got the wrong address…”

“This is 7th Heaven, right?” a voice said. “Got the receipt right here. Paid in full. Where do you want it?”

“Er…” Barret scratched the back of his head. “Down in the basement, I guess. Here, can you take the old one out while you’re at it? I’ll pay you to take it to the dump…”

He stepped away from the door enough to let Aerith through, walking around the bar to the trapdoor. Taking up nearly the whole bar, two delivery men carrying a sizable couch made their way behind them. “Well, that’s something,” she muttered to herself. She crept up to Vincent, already in his usual seat with a cup of coffee, as they lugged it down the stairs. “What’s this all about?”

Vincent sighed heavily. “A favor,” he mumbled.

“Oh?” Aerith replied, cocking her head.

Voices echoed from the basement. “Jesus Christ, what happened here? This thing’s torn to shreds!” “Yeah, used to...uh, have a cat that used it as a scratching post. Never could break the thing of the habit.” “I’ll say...c’mon, up we go…”

Vincent pointedly avoided Aerith’s gaze, even when she tried to search for his eyes. _I don’t remember Barret ever having any pets. Marlene would be spouting about them all the time if he did. Unless it’s a_ really _old couch. But, somehow..._

Heavy footsteps pounded up through the trapdoor, as the delivery men heaved a different, more battered couch up through. Stuffing was falling out from every angle, and there were huge gashes on the cushions, ragged and torn. One of them was completely missing, revealing the inner springs of the couch. “Wow,” Aerith marveled, mouth hanging open. “That’s…”

Vincent sunk into his trenchcoat, even as Barret made his way over and patted him on the back. “You didn’t have to,” he muttered to him.

“Least I could do,” he replied, muffled and barely audible. “I’m--”

“Don’t.” Barret huffed, then addressed Aerith. “Hey, morning, Aerith. You staying for breakfast?”

“I’d love to, but I have to go to work,” she replied. “Someone has to help spread flowers through Midgar!”

“I suppose that’s right,” he chuckled. “You sure I can’t get you anything? I’m making eggs…”

“It’s fine.” Aerith waved her hand. “Tifa’s still sleeping upstairs.”

“That’s all right, let her.” Barret made his way around the bar, taking Vincent’s coffee mug as he went. “Was thinking of giving her the day with Marlene anyway. I’m glad for the help, but sometimes she works too hard.”

“Is that right?” Aerith crossed her arms. “Weren’t you always saying that you needed all the help you could get, and you wanted her to work _more?”_

“Yeah, well, it’s not as bad as I expected.”

“I think you’re getting soft.”

“Hey, who are you to talk?” Barret exclaimed, giving her a stern look. “I’m just--”

“I’m kidding!” Aerith snickered. _But, it’s true. You’re a dad at heart, aren’t you, Barret?_ “Well, I’ve got to run!”

“Don’t be a stranger,” he said. “I think Tifa really likes it when you come by.”

Aerith couldn’t help but laugh, especially to hide the rise in her chest. “Oh, I know she does,” she replied. “That’s why I do~!”

With a wave to both Barret and Vincent, the latter replying with a deep nod, she skipped out of the bar, onto the streets and around the alley. _Oh, Tifa, Tifa, Tifa,_ she sang in her mind, racing down the street. _I can’t wait to make you mine…!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 8/27: Added a few sentences to add to lore.
> 
> Sorry for the wait! I was at a wedding this past weekend, and it hurt my momentum a little bit. I hope this was worth it! Of course, Tifa and Aerith were listening to _Rumours_ on her Walkman, the song being ["I Don't Want To Know".](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j_SMTtNx94)
> 
> I'm sure they could've kissed this chapter, but I'm saving that for a little later. Not too much later, I promise! Zack references a certain "shoebox", which can be found in [these](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/149090378411/flash-time-38-nsfw) [flashes](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/149416386536/flash-time-40) here. This is a pretty emotionally vulnerable chapter for the both of them, as these things tend to go. Also, wonder what happened to that couch in the basement...
> 
> I believe next chapter is a rehearsal one--a _real_ rehearsal, not whatever happened last time, heh--where we'll catch up with Cloud, Zack, and the rest of the 1sts. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!


	41. Rehearsal (V)

“...So, you’re staying the night tonight, yeah?” Zack asked Cloud as they made their way down the halls of headquarters. He grappled his shoulder and pressed him up against his side, making him stumble against him.  _ “Please?” _

“Okay, I will,” Cloud replied, smiling down at the floor. “I already asked Lucrecia, anyway.”

_ “Yes!” _ Zack pumped his fist and ruffled his hair before letting him free, snaking down the mostly empty corridor of the third floor. “Hey, you must be coming close to being done rehab, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” Cloud stuffed his hands back into his company jacket pockets, still staying close to Zack. “I want to get something nice for her, like a thank you gift, for all she’s done…”

“Oh, for sure. What about some flowers? I’m sure Aerith could hook you up.”

_ Yeah, she probably could,  _ he thought.  _ I sure...lucked out with my boyfriend’s girlfriend being so enthusiastic,  _

_ (“We’ll love you no matter what, Cloud…”) _

_ and supportive.  _ His heart jolted as he looked back up at Zack before they rounded the next corner of the hallway.  _ How am I even going to tell him? I hate hiding it, but I don’t know how he’s going to react, not for  _ real,  _ and I just-- _

“Aw, shit, speaking of Aerith,” Zack said, chuckling. “I think her and Tifa are going to be a  _ thing  _ soon.”

Cloud’s heart-rate kicked up yet another notch. “Wh-what? You think so…?” 

“Yeah, she can’t stop talking about it,” he replied. “Last night she kept saying to me, ‘next time I see her, I’m going to kiss her.’” He chuckled and fluffed the back of his hair. “It’s kind of cute, actually. Say, you know Tifa better than I do. You think she’s got a chance?”

“Er...well…” Cloud stewed in thought, face growing warm.  _ I mean...I’ve never seen her date any other guys before. If she did, it was pretty short lived. And I’ve seen how they are together. Aerith just kind of...sweeps her up.  _ “I think so, probably.”  _ And she looks happy.  _

_ (“Cloud.”) _

_ So, why should I… _

_...feel like... _

He floated behind as Zack threw open the rehearsal room door. “Hey, guys!” he greeted, holding it open for Cloud to duck under his arm. He paused and stared for a second. “Uh...what’s up…?”

The other 1st-class SOLDIERs were sitting in a circle around the drum kit--Angeal behind it, a hand over his mouth, Sephiroth flanking his right side, facing away from the others, and Genesis on his left, slouched in his chair and holding a bag of what appeared to be frozen peas against his face. “Hey, Zack. Cloud,” Angeal greeted, slapping his thighs. “Thought we might go through our setlist today for our gig coming up--”

“What happened?” Zack persisted, pointing to Genesis. “Where’d you even  _ get _ that?”

“Turks’ breakroom,” Genesis muttered, adjusting it against his face. When it moved, the skin beneath was red, and Cloud could almost see a bloom of purple beneath it.  _ Holy shit.  _ “They won’t miss it.” 

“What the fuck?” Zack glanced from Genesis, to Angeal, to Sephiroth as he slid his guitar case off his shoulder.  _ You know, maybe you shouldn’t keep pressing on this one,  _ Cloud thought, shrinking toward the back of the room.  _ Considering it was Genesis who gave you that nasty cut on your cheek… _

“Let this be a lesson for you, Fair,” Sephiroth said, voice a dangerous rumble, threatening enough to make Cloud’s whole body tense.  _ So then, did Sephiroth...do this?  _ “Do  _ not.  _ Call me anything. Other. Than my name.” 

While Cloud quivered in the corner, Zack only raised an eyebrow. “O...kay? Sure…” He glanced back to Cloud, then ushered him over, pushing aside a seat for him. Reluctant as he was, he crept over to the seat and sat back down, avoiding eye contact from the group. As soon as he was settled, Zack spoke again, directly to Genesis. “What’d you call him?”

Angeal snorted and shook his head. “I don’t think you want to know.”

“Well, now I’m curious to see what got you decked in the face,” Zack snickered. He bent over to try and get a closer look, but withdrew almost immediately.  _ “Ugh,  _ you smell blazed. No wonder.”

Genesis made a pinching motion with his free hand. “A fist in your face will make you sober pretty quick, though,” he grumbled.

Behind them, Sephiroth sighed, so exaggerated it nearly sounded like a moan. “Go on, tell him. I’m covering my ears,” he said, fingers dug promptly in them. “Humiliate yourself once more.”

Genesis glared at Sephiroth’s back, then at Angeal’s covered face, barely hiding his amusement. “Fuck you. Fuck  _ all  _ of you.” He briefly glanced at Cloud, who was managing to keep a straight face throughout the debacle. 

“C’mon, just get it over with,” Angeal said.

With a huff, Genesis scrunched his face. The room fell completely silent, save for the crunching of frozen vegetables against his face. “I called him ‘Sexyroth.’”

_ “Yikes,  _ dude,” Zack exclaimed, jumping backwards and nearly knocking over one of the empty chairs. “I really,  _ really  _ didn’t need to hear that.”

“Told you,” Angeal remarked, reaching behind him to pull out a notebook. “All right, guys, let’s do this…”

Even Cloud had to cover his face now, careful not to draw attention to himself as he scooted back.  _ God, that’s awful. I mean, Sephiroth  _ is  _ pretty, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a poster of him on my wall in my bedroom back home. But, still.  _ As soon as Zack passed by Sephiroth, he dug his fingers out of his ears and flicked his bangs back with a twitch of his head.  _ What goes on between those two, anyway? _

“Give that to me,” Sephiroth said, reaching over and yanking the notebook out of Angeal’s hand. He already had a pen ready, twirling it between his fingers and clicking the tip out. “I’ll be in charge of this.” 

He sighed and crossed his arms. “Sure, whatever…”

Sephiroth tapped the pen against his lips. “We are scheduled to perform at 8, so we should plan at least a two hour set--”

“Two _hours?_ Christ, that’s a lot,” Zack interjected, beckoning a glare from Sephiroth. “I’m serious, that’s more than a whole album! Do we even have enough songs to do that?”

“You underestimate our library,” Sephiroth sneered, gripping the notebook with white knuckles. “Furthermore, you underestimate our stamina. Unless you can’t keep up?” 

“I’ll be just fine, thanks.” Zack slouched far enough down  into his seat so that his chin was forced to rest against his chest, compounded by a pout.  _ God, Zack,  _ Cloud thought.  _ You really are a big puppy, but you’re cute… _

“Tch…” Sephiroth flipped the pen around again and began writing. “We should do ‘You’, that’s one we have down solid. ‘Good Grief’, too.” His eyes glanced up briefly at Genesis before he wrote again. “I suppose ‘Come As You Are’...”

Genesis smirked, readjusting the peas against his face. 

“A couple of Zack’s songs, maybe?” Angeal suggested. “We should  _ at least  _ do his original.”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Fine. We can do that one.”

“‘Mr. Jones’?” Zack asked.

“No.”

“What? Come on!” 

“Yes, we can do it,” Genesis said. “It’s fine.” 

Sephiroth squinted. “No, it’s not. I hate it.”

“The rest of us like it. You’re overruled.”

_ “No one  _ overrules  _ me,”  _ he pronounced, grinding his teeth. “And I say--”

“We’re doing it.”

Sephiroth growled from his seat, and when he motioned to get up, Genesis held out one hand. “One, you already punched me once today, so you can’t do it again.”

He gaped at him. “Who says--”

_ “Two,”  _ Genesis continued, holding out two fingers. “I’ll bet you don’t want to do ‘Charming Man’ because--” He paused to choose his words, eyes wandering around the group. “--because Ange and Zack don’t want to go at breakneck speed. And you can’t do the harmonies on ‘Pasalaqua’.” He cocked his head with a somewhat triumphant smirk. “So?” 

Sephiroth inhaled very, very slowly, and exhaled very, very loudly. “Okay. Sure. Fine. We’ll do that one.” 

_ “Yes,”  _ Zack hissed, pumping a fist in the air and sitting back up straight. 

_ Cool, this means I have a couple songs of his to look forward to,  _ Cloud thought, then found his mouth opening. “Hey, um…”

All variations of blue eyes turned toward him, a wealth of attention he knew he did not want. “Wh-where...where are you playing again?” His drawl emphasized his vowels, but the jittery sensation in his stomach wouldn’t allow him to swallow them.

“7th Heaven,” Genesis answered after a second. “That haunt under the plate, where that friend of yours works. Your date?” 

_ Ugh, I knew that already. I just forgot.  _ “O-oh. Right, yeah.”  _ My date, just that one time. But, she won’t be able to be my date anymore, will she? Not if she’s going to be with Aerith… _

_ I’m not upset, it doesn’t bother me.  _ Cloud told himself as the others turned back to themselves.  _ I have Zack, and he’s the best. So, why do I feel this way? Like she’s drifting away? Hell, if she’s with her, I’ll probably see her a lot more anyway. But... _

“Angeal,” Sephiroth said, keeping his eyes down. “Would you want to do ‘December’?”

“Oh, sure, you ask  _ him  _ if he--” Genesis complained, but was quickly cut off. 

_ “Gen,”  _ Angeal snapped. “You’re thinking about the extra percussion, is that right?” 

Sephiroth nodded. “That is correct.”

“Well…” He sucked in air through his teeth. “I mean, if it’s only for one song, I don’t know if it’d be worth it. And because you want it perfect…”

“Always.” He ran a hand over his bangs and through his hair, not once getting caught on a stray lock, and flipped it out. “So, we’ll pass on that one. For now.” 

A pause ran through the room. In the meantime, Zack caught Cloud’s eye, and gave him a little wink. He returned it with a small smile, then rolled his shoulders back and relaxed more in the small, folding chair.  _ Being surrounded by all the 1sts always gets me nervous, but I feel more relaxed when Zack’s around. And when they’re not in uniform. That means they’re off duty, and they can’t penalize me when I fuck up.  _ His gaze dropped to his knees.  _ Then again… _

_ (“All right, 2nds, you’re free to go,” Angeal said, clapping his hands. “Strife, a word.”  _

_ Cloud’s heart leaped into his throat, willing his feet to move toward him through the throng and chatter of the other SOLDIERs. “Y-yes, sir?”  _

_ His dark blue eyes studied him. “How are you feeling?” he asked, softer than Cloud anticipated. _

_ “Huh? I-I’m fine,” he managed. He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. “Sorry I keep...I keep falling behind the others--” _

_ “Don’t worry about it. Not every standard gets promoted straight to 2nd like you did.” His hand wandered to the feathers at his belt, smoothing them down. “You ought to pace yourself though. I know Zack asks about you all the time.”  _

_ “A-ah, right.”  _

_ He stared at him for a moment longer, then snorted and patted his back. “Guess that’s all I’ve got. Go on with the others…”) _

He realized that the only sound in the room was his bouncing leg, and he quelled it quickly.  _ Well, Angeal’s nice, he’s not so bad. I haven’t gotten any one-on-one time with the other 1sts. I don’t want to imagine what Genesis would be like, let alone Sephiroth… _

“Let’s do YYZ, just the three of us,” Genesis suggested suddenly. 

“Really?” Angeal said. 

“Yes,” Sephiroth affirmed, jotting it down. “Zack, you can just...mock the few keyboard lines.”

“Sure,” Zack sighed. “Whatever that means…”

“See, look at his face light up,” Genesis chuckled, pointing over to Sephiroth. “Now  _ that’s  _ a song where he can show off.”

“As it should be,” he murmured.

“Hey, weren’t you guys going to pick up a song for Aerith to sing on?” Zack asked. 

“Not for this gig,” Sephiroth interrupted near instantaneously. “No.”

“Shit, but I do have the tape I think…” Genesis rose from his seat, leaving the bag of frozen peas on his chair while he dug through his jacket. He seemed to get a little distracted by the folds of it, but soon pulled out a cassette, hastily labeled with red permanent marker. “There we go. First side has the stuff Seph and I picked out--”

“Have her pick  _ only one,”  _ Sephiroth grumbled.

“--and the other side is the Buckingham Nicks album she wanted.” He flipped the tape to demonstrate, even as it was sheathed in its case, then tossed it into Zack’s lap. 

He caught it, barely fumbling before he set it on top of his guitar case. “Nice, thanks,” Zack replied.

_ “Anyway,”  _ Sephiroth coughed. “That’s not up for discussion right now. We still need more songs for me to sing…”

Cloud found himself drifting as their voices dropped to a lull in the background.  _ Ti, I haven’t visited you in almost a week. Every time I think to call, it’s already late, and the others are going to bed. Maybe you getting together with Aerith will be a good thing _

_ (even if I couldn’t have you) _

_ so I can see you more.  _ He fussed with the sleeves of his jacket, just slightly too big for him.  _ Ever since I moved here for training, I’ve kept missing you, missing you. We were always together for such a long time...weren’t we?  _

_ So now, we have our own lives...isn’t that what happens?  _

_ I’m not sure… _

“Here, get your things out,” Sephiroth said, loud enough to jar Cloud’s attention. “Let’s practice our closer, make sure Zack knows it well enough.”

“All right, finally!” Zack jumped up out of his seat and immediately unzipped his guitar. “I’ve been itching to play all day, y’know? I’ve got an audience after all.” He looked directly at Cloud and gave him another wink.

“Yes, your fanclub, that’s just great,” Genesis sighed, finally tossing the bag of peas aside. “Maybe he could go put these back where I found them?” 

“After your sweaty face has been on it?” Sephiroth scoffed, then nodded to Cloud. “You can just throw them away. Like he said, I doubt they’ll be missed.”

“Yes, sir,” Cloud answered automatically, provoking a smirk from him. 

As he shuffled to where the bag was discarded, he sensed Sephiroth following behind him, and quickly slipped out of the way so he could make his way to Genesis plugging in his bass. “So,” he muttered, barely out of earshot of Cloud, “you think I’m sexy?” 

He stayed long enough to watch Genesis’ face curl in disbelief, emphasized by the black and blue mark on the side of his cheek--small, but dark. “Jesus,” was all he replied--or rather, all Cloud allowed himself to hear before he scurried out of the room to find a trashcan. 

* * *

 

_ “It’s never going to be the same, _ __   
_ ‘Til the life I knew comes to my house and says… _ _   
_ __ Hello, hello…”

Sephiroth’s solo wailed in the small room, along with the crash of cymbals from Angeal’s fills. Cloud watched with amusement as Zack wandered across the front, playing and singing to himself while Sephiroth stayed at the mic.  _ “Hello, hello…”  _ Sephiroth sang as he glared at Zack. “Will you stay still?” 

“Nope!” Zack crowed, bouncing and spinning around in place. In the process, his foot got tangled in the auxiliary cords, and he had to hop on his other foot to shake it off.  _ So energetic,  _ Cloud mused, tilting his head.  _ He’s so cute… _

A banging on the door behind him grabbed his attention, and he whirled around in his seat. A teenager with dark hair and long, silvery-gray bangs mashed his face against the window.  _ His eyes look...kind of like Sephiroth’s.  _ Slowly, as the number came to a close, Cloud walked up to the door and opened it up. “Hey…?” 

“Yo, Seph!  _ Seph!”  _ the teenager yelled immediately over Cloud’s shoulder, then glared at him. “Dude, move out of the way!” 

Cloud shuffled aside, wincing as feedback echoed from the amps. “Ugh, what the hell are you doing here?” Sephiroth groaned, playing a loud chord on his guitar in frustration. 

The teen ran right up to him, waving briefly to the others. “‘Sup, guys?” he greeted.

“Hey, Kadaj,” Angeal said before taking a long drink of water. 

“So, what are you guys practicing? Huh? Something sick?” Kadaj mocked an air guitar line, and briefly reached out to the strings of Sephiroth’s guitar before he jerked it away.

_ “Don’t  _ touch. It  _ or  _ me,” Sephiroth said through clenched teeth. “We’re rehearsing for our gig coming up--”

“A gig? You guys are finally going to perform somewhere? All right!” He whipped around, his clearly greasy hair staying in place, back toward the door. “Loz, did you hear that? We’re going to actually hear Seph’s band play!” 

“Loz” was a tall figure, similarly built to Angeal, wearing a leather jacket and his black, short hair gel spiked back. “Yeah, I heard,” he said with a very heavy sigh. “Sorry. He just got his license and came  _ directly  _ here. I tried to stop him--”

_ “Clearly  _ you didn’t try hard enough,” Sephiroth said, ripping the guitar off his body and standing it up against the amp. “I’ve told you a  _ hundred times  _ not to come by HQ.”

“Yeah, but why? Who cares?” Kadaj replied with a shrug. “All your buddies are here, I  _ still  _ don’t get what the big deal is--”

“Just get! Get out of here!” Sephiroth grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him directly into Loz, staggering both of them backwards. “For Christ’s sake--”

“Aw, be nice to your brother,” Genesis remarked, smirk palpable in his voice. 

Sephiroth’s eyes glowed with contempt, hair flowing as he turned to point back at him.  _ “You!  _ Are on thin ice, asshole!” 

Genesis only shrugged. “Still can’t punch me again. One per day.” 

Zack rolled his eyes and rolled down the volume on his own guitar. “Guess that’s practice, then, huh?” he said to Angeal. “Figures…”

“Never dull around here,” Angeal remarked, coughing off to the side. “Those kids…”

“So, when’s the big gig, huh?” the group heard Kadaj say just outside the door. 

“Couple weeks from Friday!” Genesis called out.

_ “Gen!”  _

He snickered while Angeal stared at him incredulously. “I’m amazed at how far you can push him,” he marveled. 

“Yeah, me too,” he replied with a snicker. “It’s always fun, playing this roulette with him.”

“Ah, 1st-class Cetra…”

The gravelly voice froze everyone, including Cloud, as they shifted their attention out the door. Only Sephiroth could be seen fully through the doorway, but he had straightened considerably, and managed to push Kadaj behind him. “Are these your siblings?” the voice asked. 

“Fuck,” Genesis hissed, glaring with clenched fists. “That’s fucking Hojo…”

“What? Shit.” Zack pulled Cloud by the shoulders off to the side, so he wasn’t in full view of the door. “C’mere, babe…”

_ I like it when you call me that,  _ Cloud thought, shrinking into the crook of his arm,  _ but is it a good idea to do it in front of the others?  _ There wasn’t time to dwell on this, as Hojo kept walking down the hall, eyes wandering into the open door of the rehearsal room. “Hm. Rhapsodos and Hewley. Hardly separated still, I see,” he remarked, pushing up his glasses. There was a crack still in the side of them, and some tape holding the bridge together. Then, his gaze flicked to Zack and Cloud, and immediately narrowed. “You two…”

“If you don’t  _ mind,” _ Sephiroth said from outside. “We’re just packing up.” 

“Right…” Cloud held his breath as the scientist continued to survey the group, with his hunched back and beady eyes scrutinizing every last detail.  _ He’s the one who poisoned me. And he’s still here. How is that...how is that possible?  _

“Get out,” Genesis barked suddenly. He lurched forward, but Angeal caught him by the back of the shirt, keeping him still.  _ “Leave.”  _

Hojo chuckled deep in his chest, even given the bloodthirsty vibe Genesis was giving off (Cloud could tell even without daring to look back). “Tch. You haven’t changed a bit,” Hojo sneered. “Just as unstable as ever…”

With that, he crossed his arms behind his back and faded out of sight. Sephiroth, now with his hand on Kadaj’s shoulder, pushed him forward. “Dude, who the fuck--” Kadaj muttered, trying to spin around.

“Just  _ go.  _ Get home, damn it,” Sephiroth hissed. 

Loz’s voice echoed in the hallway. “I’ve got him, Seph.” 

“Fucker!” Genesis spat, wrenching free of Angeal’s hold, just to rush to the wall and slam his fist against it. “God Christ, I hate that fucking bastard--”

Cloud flinched against Zack, and Angeal noticed. “Gen, take it easy.” 

“How?! He’s fucked with all of us now! Me, you--” He pointed up to Zack. “--you--” Then, to Cloud. “--him--! And if it weren’t for us, he would’ve gotten to Seph, too…” 

“He is a slimy asshole,” Sephiroth said as he ducked back into the rehearsal room. “If _we_ can’t get him fired, I don’t know if anyone can.”

Above Cloud, Zack said nothing, but felt tense against him, and Cloud wrapped his arm around his waist.  _ If it weren’t for you Zack, I’d probably be dead,  _ he thought. It sent a chill down his spine.  _ This place...really isn’t what I thought it would be… _

Genesis hastily gathered his things, throwing his jacket and his bass case over his arm. “We need to move the rehearsal room,” he muttered. “I don’t want to see his ugly face down here ever  _ again--” _

“Don’t think we need to go that far,” Angeal said. “We can just--”

“Well, I’m not sticking around tonight.” With that, he nearly ran out the door, bumping into Sephiroth along the way. His footsteps clattered loud through the empty hall, and they could even be heard going down the stairs, far outside of the practice room. 

“Are you going to chase him down?” Angeal asked, a moment after silence reigned again. “Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid?”

Sephiroth shook his head. “I need to make sure the hellions got home safely. This is the _exact reason_ I don't want them around here,” he replied, then shifted to Zack and Cloud. “You two shouldn’t linger either.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Zack said. He dragged Cloud with him as he zipped his guitar into its case, then shouldered it on his back. “Gen’s got a point, though…”

“About moving the rehearsal room?” Angeal finished. “It’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“Like most of his suggestions,” Sephiroth added with a sigh. He was already at the exit, one hand on the door. “I will take care of it tomorrow. They will listen to me.”

“Sounds good.” Angeal paced around the kit, backpack on one shoulder, and he used the other hand to pat Zack’s. “I ought to make sure Gen makes it home. Hey, don’t get too worked up, all right?”

Zack glanced over. “Huh?” He barked out a short laugh. “Hey, why would I--”

“I mean it. I get it.” Angeal’s eyes were steady, focusing from Cloud up to Zack. “He can’t touch either of you. Not after the fuss we made. So, just--”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got it,” Zack rushed. Cloud’s shoulder ached from how long he’d been squeezing it, along with the added pressure. “See you.” 

He held Cloud all the way out of the hallway, down the stairs, out the door into the smoking area. “H-hey,” Cloud asked, as soon as they had cleared HQ and were walking down the slope under the plate. “Y-you can let me go, now…”

Instead, Zack did the opposite--he brought him into a tight hug, resting his lips on the top of his spiked, blond hair. They stood there for a long time, long enough for Cloud to sink into the scent of Zack’s shirt, to memorize the rhythm of his heartbeat, as stuttered as it was. “Sorry, I…” Zack muttered into his hair. “I just...I’m nervous about losing you again. With that nasty scientist around…” 

“But, Angeal said we’d be okay,” Cloud said, pulling himself away just enough to look up at him. “Isn’t that--”

“I know, I know, and Cissnei said the same thing. I’ve got the word of a veteran SOLDIER  _ and  _ a high-class Turk, but I just…” His lips pressed together, and he bounced on his toes. “I still can’t help it. Those three days you were out were so hard…” 

_ Zack.  _ “I’m okay, though.” With a deep breath, he tried to infuse confidence in his voice, deepening it in the process. “I’m 2nd-class, I’m almost out of rehab, and I’m...here with you.” 

Zack’s eyes widened briefly, then he chuckled and bent down to kiss his forehead. “Yeah. You sure are,” he replied. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.” 

He sighed heavily before reaching down for Cloud’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Welp, you know what I need after all that,” he said, stepping up his pace. “Pizza and beer. With you and Aerith on either side.”

Cloud chuckled, bumping into him as they made their way under the plate. “You really like being with both of us, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah! Aerith’s a  _ genius!”  _ Zack swung his hand and looped them around a corner, contrary to where Cloud’s feet wanted to lead them. “C’mon, let’s hurry and get food. She’s probably waiting at home for us right now…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song the group does at the line break is ["Hello"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HF1Sfos3v4) by Oasis.
> 
> I might have gotten a little carried away this chapter, with the Sephgen shenanigans and Hojo's brief appearance...Genesis is so bitter about Hojo, and he has every right to be. They all do, but he shows it the most. I am inspired by ebooks Twitter accounts [on the regular.](https://twitter.com/genesis_ebooks/status/770626473069719552) Sephiroth is a diva, per usual. 
> 
> At any rate, I know what all of you are waiting for--next chapter, we'll see what Aerith and Tifa are up to while Zack and Cloud were at rehearsal! Stay tuned!


	42. Confessions

Tifa tossed her cigarette out on the pavement before ripping open the door of the flower shop.  _ Well, I’m here,  _ she thought, taking a deep breath in and out through her nose. Immediately, she was assaulted by pollen, and coughed out to the side. “Hello?” she choked, hiding her face in the crease of her elbow. The old scent of leather and cigarettes were only barely comforting.  _ Oh damn it, what if she isn’t even working today? She said she would be… _

“Hello~!” A voice sang from the back, and soon Aerith emerged, pink dress flowing at her knees as she spun around the counter. “Oh, Tifa!”

There was a distinct glow in her cheeks as she beamed back at Tifa, radiant like the sun, and she dipped her head to dull her own smile. “H-hey,” she replied, waving one hand up and letting it drop with a slap down to her side. “Thought I’d come by…”

“Yay, I’m glad!” Aerith cheered, elbows on the counter. “I’m actually about to wrap up here--did you plan that on purpose?”

“Well, I wanted...I wanted to hang out with you, so…” Tifa’s words flailed and twisted on her tongue, before she stuffed her hands in her pockets. “You know. Ah, Barret gave me the night off, so--”

“Oh, my God,” she exclaimed, slamming her hands on the counter. “You’re coming  _ over?  _ To  _ my place?”  _

“Y...yes?” 

Tifa couldn’t help but laugh as Aerith threw her arms up in rapture. “At  _ last!”  _ she cried. “Yay, this is so exciting! Here, just give me a sec to count up the register, and we’ll go!” 

“Okay.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and wandered over to the flowers on display, each bundle meticulously arranged in a colorful splendor.  _ She probably just makes arrangements all day,  _ she thought, running a finger over one of the soft petals. Her nails shown dark burgundy over the pale, pink flower, chipped on the very ends.  _ Not many people come by here, I suspect, to this weird oasis in the slums… _

“Hey, are you wearing my ribbon?” Aerith asked. When Tifa looked over her shoulder, she pointed to the end of her hair. 

“Oh, yeah,” Tifa remarked. She gathered her long hair up to show off the pink ribbon tied at the very end. “I figured I had to give it back sometime…”

She chuckled and went back to counting the register, coins clinking in the drawer. “I  _ suppose,”  _ she replied. The last syllable was long and drawn out. “You usually wear a red one, don’t you?”

_ I’m surprised you even noticed.  _ Tifa bit her lip.  _ Then again...am I?  _ “Yeah. It was a present from my mom, kind of. She gave me a set of bracelets, and wrapped them all up with that ribbon for my birthday the year she died.” 

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Aerith said. “A little memento wherever you go, huh?”

Tifa only nodded.  _ Mom passed when I was pretty young, but old enough to remember. I tried to run away, that maybe I could find her spirit at the top of the mountain, but… _

_ (“Don’t follow me! Go home!”  _

_ “I won’t let you go alone!”) _

_...someone… _

_ (He grabbed her by the waist, and she promptly punched him in the shoulder, staggering him back into the snow. “Tifa…” His voice quivered, and he rubbed his red nose fiercely with the back of his mitten before he ran back in front of her, arms spread wide, small ponytail fluttering behind him. “No.” _

“Move!”  _ she screamed, tears streaming down her face. “M-move...I-I wanna see Mama…” _

_ “You can’t, you’re gonna freeze, Ti.” His teeth chattered as he spoke…) _

_...stopped me.  _

Tifa rubbed the side of her arm and resumed admiring the flowers.  _ That was one of the first times he called me “Ti”. We weren’t...we weren’t even friends yet. He was just some kid from school… _

_ Now… _

Aerith sighed heavily and shoved the register door closed with her hip. “I wish I had something like that. All I have is this gemstone that was apparently a family heirloom…” 

Tifa cocked her head. “Oh?” 

“Yeah. I don’t know what kind it is. It kind of looks like an opal? White and iridescent?” She pulled a small key out from her bra and locked the register, while Tifa tried not to stare. “I want to get it set for a necklace, but it’s so heavy…” The key did not go back into her cleavage, instead disappearing as she ducked behind the counter. “It’s really pretty though, I ought to show you!”

She didn’t realize her mouth was open until she went to speak. “Well, you can when we get to your place,” she said, lacing her hands behind her back. 

Aerith grew quiet as she adjusted her purse over her shoulder, eyes on the floor. She took careful steps around the flower store, plucking a couple carnations from a bundle near the window. “Hey…” she muttered, twirling a red one between her fingers. “Um, I never...I never told you I lived on the streets for a while when I was younger...did I?” 

“H-huh?”  _ Where did that come from?  _ Her eyes were wide, even as Aerith slipped the flower behind her ear, smoothing her dark hair down as she did so.  _ I guess she didn’t, but… _

_ (staring at a bundle of blankets in an alley, “Oh, someone’s here now…”) _

Aerith nodded with a thin smile. “My mom disappeared, and Turks came--I know that’s who they were  _ now,  _ I didn’t then--and seized the house. So, I was out on my own. For a little bit. That’s why…I don’t have much from before then. Really, just that...one thing.” She patted the flower in place, then her hand ghosted over Tifa’s arm before dropping at her own side. 

Dozens of thoughts danced through Tifa’s head, but the cacophony of them was so loud, she couldn’t gather a single thing to say. “I-I…” 

Suddenly, she giggled and grabbed her hand. “Hey, don’t worry about it~!” she cheered, dragging her through the shop. “I’m okay now, I’ve got a little house, and Zack, and--”

“Hey, hey!” Tifa dug her heels into the creaky, dingy floorboards to stop her in her tracks, making her nearly fall over. “You can’t just...just…”

“Hm?” She spun around, one hand on the door handle, the other grappled around Tifa’s. “Can’t just what?”

“You can’t just...blow this off and say you’re okay, just like that!” she huffed. “Are you  _ sure  _ you’re okay?”

“I’m sure! I mean it!” Aerith threw the door open, bell jingling above them, and yanked Tifa out along with her, staggering her out to the sidewalk. “Didn’t you say I could tell you stuff?” 

“W-well, yeah…”

“So, I’m telling you stuff!” She fussed with the lock on the door--one near the top, another on the handle, and a deadbolt chain around the whole thing. “Just because I don’t mope about it, doesn’t mean it matters any less.” As soon as it was locked, she whirled around and leaned up against it. “I trust you, y’know.”

Their eyes locked, brown versus green, and Tifa took a deep breath. “I’m...glad,” she said as the air left her chest, leaving nothing but a jittering heartbeat.  _ I’m glad, I’m glad. I’m glad I can be with you, I’m glad we’re friends, I’m glad you can talk to me, I’m glad for every time you call me “sweetie” or  _

_ (“beautiful girl”) _

_...ah.  _

“Well, let’s get going!” By the time Tifa came back to herself, Aerith was dragging her bike out from the side of the store, covered insignificantly less flowers than she had last seen it. “Hop on!”

“Oh for  _ Christ’s sake,”  _ Tifa groaned, shoulders slumping. “Really?”

Aerith only grinned.

* * *

 

At her apartment, Tifa was well aware of Aerith leaning heavily against her shoulder on the couch as the TV displayed a movie in a wash of grainy static.  _ Just like being at home again, almost,  _ she thought idly.  _ Reception was just as bad out there, TV just as old… _

“Kissing scenes are so weird on TV,” Aerith remarked softly. “They always make the noises so loud. It’s kinda gross.” 

“Yeah,” Tifa chuckled. She only barely registered that was what was happening on the screen, the weight and warmth against her more pertinent. 

“And like…” Aerith sat up, scooting against the back of the couch, but still sitting just as close. “It always bugs me that whenever there are sex scenes, everyone’s basically fully clothed. Sure, censorship bullshit blah blah, but… _ no one  _ has sex with clothes on. That’s kind of the point.”

Tifa watched as she gestured while she spoke, and studied her profile--from the curve of her forehead, down to the angle of her nose, through to the rose tint of her lips. She even picked out a small beauty mark at the base of her chin. “I mean, sometimes Zack likes to keep a pretty bra on me when we bang, or one of my slips, but that’s pretty much it.” 

She nodded slowly, then came back to herself when she realized Aerith was staring at her. “Ah, y-yeah. W-well, I wouldn’t  _ really  _ know,” she stumbled, turning her gaze to the coffee table and tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ve...never had sex before…” 

“You aren’t missing much,” Aerith remarked. “Well, not  _ too  _ much. It all really depends if you have good synergy with your partner. That’s what makes it good.” 

“Ah.”  _ Synergy, huh? When you’ve never even done anything like that, how are you _

_ (soft naked body hovering over you) _

_ supposed to-- _

_ (she smiles, she leans down for a single kiss…) _

Tifa blinked hard and bit the inside of her cheek. It didn’t catch Aerith’s attention, as she had turned back to the TV.  _ Snap out of it, God. Seems like the more we hang out, the more I think...like this. The more I want to be around her, to be with her, so we can just…be us. She’s such a whirlwind most of the time…but I like it.  _

_ I like it… _

She let out air she didn’t know she was holding in her lungs, and let it out with a hiss through her nose. It was only to be replaced with another one, held just the same as her hands fidgeted at her sides.  _ I like her. I like her a lot.  _ Tifa tried to focus on the TV, but her attention was quickly deterred as Aerith turned back to her, a soft smirk on her face.  _ It’s kind of weird, isn’t it? To fall for another girl. Dad would probably throw me out if I hadn’t moved out already. But, it doesn’t feel like that to me. It feels almost...inevitable.  _

Tifa felt a tug at the bottom of her hair--Aerith pulled the ribbon from the bottom and unraveled it, wrapping it around her own hand. “I’ll get you one of your own,” she murmured. 

“I mean, I already have one, it’s not a big deal,” Tifa replied. 

_ (but it’s hers, it’s hers) _

“But,  _ I _ could get you one,” she said with a giggle. “Then you could start matching it around with your outfits!”

“I-I’m not that matchy-matchy…” Her face felt hot, and despite the benign conversation, her tongue had trouble pushing the words out of her mouth. “I just like the red one…”

“It is your color,” she remarked, then tapped her finger to her lips. It drew attention to them, which Tifa did not need. “Well, maybe not  _ red  _ red. More like...a burgundy. Something...deeper.” 

Tifa only nodded.  _ Deeper… _

They stared at each other again, and Aerith bit her lip as she set the ribbon down on the coffee table. “What’s that look for?” 

“H-huh? What look?” Her heart pounded in her chest as Aerith scooted a little closer.  _ Aerith, Aerith, Aerith… _

“That sort of dreamy look~.” She grinned, her face stretching wide. A curly flyaway fell onto her face from the top of her forehead, and she blew it away. “Tifa Lockhart, do you think I’m pretty?”

“A-ah?!” she exclaimed, adrenaline spiking from the top of her forehead and brushing goosebumps over the back of her neck. “W-well, I...I-I, y-yeah, I…”  _ Oh God, oh God, oh God-- _

Aerith’s eyes darted over her face, a small flush overtaking her own cheeks. “Would you kiss me if I asked nicely~?” she teased, leaning slowly closer. 

It took a tremendous effort for her not to emote with noise as Aerith drew nearer, their noses brushing. “I-I...ah…”

Aerith giggled, lilting as she rubbed her nose against Tifa’s. “I think you’re beautiful,” she said, voice dropping lower. “Would you? Please?” 

_ There it is again, “beautiful”. All it would take is a little bit,  _ Tifa thought, holding her breath as she stayed close, so close.  _ She’s asking me to kiss her, and I want to, so why don’t I just do it? Why don’t I? Just...just do it. You’ve got nothing to lose, you’re alone in her apartment and God, she’s so pretty and I bet...I bet her lips are soft… _

_ Ah… _

Tifa took a deep breath, and flinched forward--almost closing the gap, but not quite. In the end, it was Aerith that took the initiative, lacing her arms around her neck and meeting their lips together. Her heart pounded in her head as she let Aerith take the lead, molding into the kiss and letting her eyes flutter shut.  _ This is...nice,  _ she thought, hands shaking as she tried to relax them at her sides.  _ This feels...this is right. This is what I wanted. God, this is...just what I wanted.  _

As soon as she pushed more into it, Aerith pulled away, her own eyes barely open, her entire face a pink nearly the same shade as her dress. “I kissed Tifa,” she said in a sing-song voice. 

She couldn’t help but giggle. “Y-yeah, you...sure did.” Tifa held a hand in front of her mouth, etching the memory of the kiss into her mind so it wouldn’t become lost. “That...was my first kiss…”

“Wait, what?” Aerith exclaimed. “First kiss with a girl, or first kiss  _ ever?” _

“First kiss ever.”

She gasped, a laugh caught up in the end of the cadence. “Oh, my God! I’m your first kiss!  _ Nice!”  _ She beamed and hugged Tifa with force enough to shove her into the other side of the couch, sprawling her back into the armrest. 

_ “Ack,  _ h-hey!” she yelped. Aerith settled into her chest, and she could almost feel her heartbeat going as fast as her own, flush against her. “E-easy…”

“Well, was it a good one? Huh?” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

Tifa nodded slowly. “Yeah...it was.”  _ It was. It was. Aerith… _

_ I really...really like you… _

She scooted up against her. “Would you do it again?” 

This time, mouth dry as she nodded once again, Tifa leaned forward and kissed her, without another word.

* * *

 

“...Yeah, I’m dead serious,” Zack said, twirling his keys in his hand. “Seph has a full length mirror in his locker, custom installed. They say he gets there at 5 AM so he can make sure his uniform looks perfect.” 

Cloud balanced the pizza box with two hands, while a plastic bag with a large soda bottle balanced in the crease of his arm. “Holy smokes,” he laughed, staying close enough to him to bump his hip. 

“He’s  _ high  _ maintenance, I’m telling you what.” Zack jumped down the full length of stairs, making Cloud wince, then shoved the keys in the door. “Still wouldn’t wanna cross him, like Genesis does  _ all the fucking time,  _ but he’s still human, y’know.” 

“Mmn.”  _ Still human,  _ Cloud thought, taking the steps naturally with the soda bottle banging against his thigh.  _ After everything… _

Zack flung open the door and skipped in. “It’s all--hey, hey, hey…!” His voice shrunk to a whisper, and he threw an arm around Cloud, covering his mouth with one hand. 

As Cloud was pushed through the door, he struggled to keep balance his full arms, but eventually readjusted his gaze to the couch. On it, Aerith was lying on top of Tifa, and the two were completely engrossed in each other, kissing deeply in what seemed like slow motion.  _ Well, looks like she did it,  _ he thought, even as adrenaline prickled to his fingertips.  _ She wanted to kiss her, so she did… _

_ (she had a lot more guts than you did, than you ever could...) _

He bit his lip beneath Zack’s hand.  _ It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t. Looks like we’re both gay anyway, so…  _ He took a deep breath while Zack tiptoed him around the couch.  _ It’s okay.  _

_ Right? _

Aerith, hearing the mild commotion, opened one eye and held her hand up. An eager Zack slapped it, the sound echoing through the apartment, even with the low hum of the TV. Immediately, Tifa jerked up, panic lining every inch of her face. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed, fidgeting under Aerith. “I-I...Zack, holy shit, I didn’t--I’m so...God, I’m so sorry, I…!” 

To both Tifa and Cloud’s surprise, he only laughed, finally releasing Cloud to hang over the edge of the couch. “Dude, no worries!” he said. “Aerith’s been going on about this for  _ ages.  _ Since she first met you!” 

“Wh- _ what?!”  _ Cloud heard Tifa yelp. He set the pizza down on the kitchen table, along with the soda, and made his way over to the couch, hands in his pockets. “So, you--”

“I am totally cool with it,” Zack said, spreading his arms out wide. “Hey, it’s only fair, right? I get another boyfriend, she gets another girlfriend--”

“W-we’re girlfriends?” Tifa squeaked.

“Zack!” Aerith huffed. “I haven’t even  _ asked  _ her yet. Way to ruin it for me!” 

“Jeez, well, hurry up!” He slapped the couch before jogging around. “We ordered pizza, it’s going to get cold!”

_ “Don’t!”  _ Aerith exclaimed suddenly, sitting up on top of Tifa, making her groan. “You dare tell me to ‘hurry up’! I know how long it took you to confess to Cloud!” 

“Stuff happened, okay?” He sat on the armrest, the creak even more desperate than Cloud remembered it. “God, you guys are taking up the whole couch.”

Aerith frowned at him. “Will you let us have a moment, you overgrown puppy?” She sighed heavily, then adjusted herself on top of Tifa, stroking her hair back through her bangs. “Tifa, I do...really like you. You’re so sweet--” She kissed her forehead. “--and nice to kiss…”

Tifa snickered and ghosted her hand over her braid. “Yeah. So...so are you…” 

Cloud hung back in the doorway of the kitchen as the scene played out before him. “So? What do you think? Want to be my girlfriend?” Aerith asked. “Pretty girl from Nibelheim with a cute face, and such a kind heart…”

“A-Aerith…” Tifa flushed a brilliant shade of red and hid her face in her hands. From the sidelines, Cloud smirked and leaned his head against the doorway.  _ Guess that’s kind of how I was with Zack, huh? Funny...how things work out.  _

Tifa took a deep breath and faced her again, this time with a more collected smile instead of an embarrassed, scrunched face. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Hooray!” she cheered, flopping on her again, their faces ducking out of sight beneath the couch. “Okay, now you can get us some pizza, baby.” 

“I’m on it!” Zack said, flying off the couch. He winked at Cloud and patted his shoulder as he scooted past him and retrieved the pizza box.

“So, this means you’ll be over here more often, right?” Aerith said. “So you can sleepover, and we can cuddle again…”

“I guess so,” Tifa replied. “This place is pretty small though...you guys only have one bed--”

“Looks like we’ll need to look into a bigger apartment,” Zack replied, sitting on the armrest again as he leaned over to grab a slice of pizza. As he did so, there was an audible crack that silenced the three of them. “Oops…”

“And maybe a better couch,” Aerith remarked. 

“Oof, you’re squishing me…” Tifa groaned. “I need air…”

“Oh, sorry~!” Aerith’s head popped up over the couch, and she leaned over it back toward the kitchen. “Hey, Cloud, are you going to come join us? C’mon! Take off your jacket, stay awhile!” 

He blinked and shook his head. “Oh, yeah.” In a daze, he meandered to the couch--Aerith had situated herself in the middle, with Tifa on the far side, and Zack on the side closest to him. With a mouthful of pizza, he scooted over and patted the sliver of couch that was left, and Cloud eased himself down, pressed into the side of his boyfriend.  _ All four of us… _

“Eee, I’m so happy--!” Aerith exclaimed, bouncing as she grabbed a slice from the box. “We’re like a whole big family now!”

“Er, you think so?” Tifa remarked.

“Totally!” she replied, cheese threatening to drip off the slice, but she expertly caught it with her tongue. “You don’t have to be related to be family. Sometimes, the best kind is the kind you make for yourself!” She bumped Zack’s shoulder. “Isn’t that right, sweetie?”

“Yeah,” he said, kissing her head, and then Cloud’s. “It sure is.”

Cloud leaned over to get a pizza slice for himself, almost at the same time Tifa did. Their eyes met, and they hovered over the table for a second.  _ Funny how things work out,  _ Cloud mused once again,  _ you’re dating my boyfriend’s girlfriend. You should’ve seen your eyes light up, Ti, or how pink your face was. _

_ You’re happy, aren’t you?  _

_ We’re happy… _

Suddenly, Tifa snorted through her nose, and it developed into full blown laughter within seconds. Cloud caught it at the same time, and he shook his head as he brushed her hand before taking his slice. “Huh?” Zack asked. “What’s so funny, guys?” 

“Nothing,” Tifa said quickly, looking right at Cloud. “It’s nothing…”

_ Yeah, it’s nothing,  _ Cloud thought, immediately putting food into his mouth so he himself didn’t have to elaborate.  _ We can still have this, and we can be happy with them. It’s...well, would you call it ironic? That’s not really it. It’s something. And it’s something good.  _

“Whatever,” Zack sighed with a smirk. “Let’s put something decent on that isn’t all TV snow. Pass me the remote, babe?” 

Aerith dug around in her cushion as well, but it was Cloud that grabbed it from his side. “Right here,” he said with a little smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE DID IT FOLKS, THE AERTI IS HERE! Thank you for being patient! (This could apply whether you're reading it as it's being updated, or later, honestly...) This likely marks the halfway point of this story, or a little bit before. Pretty exciting! Took a few personal anecdotes for this one. Yes, the little gem Aerith references is a nod to the white materia she has in the game--it's also referenced in this [extra log.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/148451833191/case-file-021091) Zack is an enthusiastic boyfriend when it comes to his girlfriend getting another girlfriend. Those two are so cute…
> 
> Let's see, looks like next chapter we'll get some real debriefing with Cloud and Tifa (not just some shared laughs and looks over pizza), and follow Cloud through some Shinra patrol next chapter. Stay tuned!


	43. Basement

It was always a mild surprise when someone in a military uniform came through the doors of 7th Heaven--being in an alley in the slums made it automatically a dive; not to mention there were closer bars to headquarters, and much nicer ones at that. It made Tifa stand up a little straighter, especially when the sleeveless turtleneck and oversized belt of SOLDIER was displayed. But, she smiled with relief when she recognized the shorter stature, the puff of blond hair, and the quick gait of the man in uniform before her. “Hey, Cloud!” she greeted. 

He waved with a gloved hand as he sat on a barstool toward the middle of the counter, rolling his shoulders. “Hey,” he said. His smirk seemed to linger longer than she had seen it in a while, especially when he met her eyes. “How’s everything?”

“It’s early still, so fine,” Tifa replied. “What are you doing here? Everything okay with you?”

“SOLDIER--or, 2nd’s at least--get an hour lunch break. Thought I’d...come see you.” His hands twisted on the counter. 

“Thought you’d be eating with Zack,” she remarked, and immediately regretted it.  _ No, don’t be so smart sounding,  _ she hissed at herself, occupying her own hands with a dishrag and an already clean glass.  _ Isn’t it the truth, though?  _

Luckily, he snickered, low and through his nose. “Yeah, I would. I think he’s off doing actual work, though.”

“For a change?”

“For a change.”

They both laughed quietly to themselves, Tifa’s smile etched on her face as she idly wiped down the glass.  _ Ah, Cloud. You are in better spirits than I’ve seen you lately. You talk a little easier, too…  _ The rattle of ice at Vincent’s stool startled her out of her trance, and she stood up straight. “Ah, can I get you anything? Ginger ale, or…?”

“No, shouldn’t,” he said, eyes flickering down to the bar. “I’m all set…”

His hands began to fuss again, and she studied him closer. “You  _ did  _ already eat lunch, didn’t you?” 

His mouth twisted. “I had a little something. Promise.”

_ You’ve got to take care of yourself, Cloud,  _ Tifa thought with a furrowed brow, finally setting her things down to let her bangle bracelets rattle on the counter.  _ I remember when you used to skip lunch every day at school--”I had a cigarette, I don’t feel hungry.” You’re a little better than that now.  _ Her head tilted on her shoulder as her face relaxed.  _ Do you reminisce as much as I do? I wonder if it’s weird.  _

_ I wonder… _

“So,” Cloud said, biting his lip and not quite meeting her eye. “You and Aerith, huh?”

She snorted. “Yeah? What about it?” 

He shook his head. “She’d been talking about it for a while.”

“So I heard.” 

He rolled his shoulders back and sat up a little bit. “I’m happy for you guys,” he said. He bent his fingers over with his thumb, and she could hear the crack of his knuckles beneath his gloves. 

“This sounds familiar,” she remarked, leaning on the bar.  _ I said almost the same thing to you back then. It hasn’t been  _ that  _ long since you and Zack got together… _

“Yeah?” Cloud snickered. “Seems like...we have more in common than we thought.” 

_ You mean, both of us being into the same gender?  _ Tifa ran her tongue over her teeth.  _ Yeah, if you put it that way, I guess so. Would either of us have ever guessed it? I don’t know if it’s anything I knew about you, not for sure.  _ Their eyes met again, deep brown against cyan blue.  _ Could you have guessed it about me? Did I even know, before her?  _

_ Not that it really matters anymore.  _

“Hey, I…” Cloud started, then scratched beneath the turtleneck on his uniform at the back of his neck. “Sorry I keep missing you, and haven’t been visiting lately…”

“No, no,” Tifa insisted, despite the apology washing a blanket of relief over her shoulders. “I know, you’ve been busy, you’re still in rehab--”

“Yeah, but that’s no excuse.” His voice had a steadiness to it that drew her attention up. “We’re friends, Ti. You’re my best friend, and I…”

His eyes grew a little wider as he hesitated.  _ And you? And you what?  _ Tifa’s heart skipped in her chest, before she reached out for him and finished his sentence. “I-it’s okay, now. I’ll be over...over to see Aerith at your place, so we’ll be...seeing each other more now! It’ll be good.” 

Her hands didn’t quite reach him over the bar, but he closed the gap, loosely holding the tops of her fingers. Then, he nodded, slow and steady. “Yeah,” he muttered, the word barely making it out of his lips. He glanced up once again, a softer look in his eyes.  _ Cloud… _

_ Every time...every time you look at me like that, I wonder.  _

_ We’ve been friends so long, and I wonder...was there anything between us? Is there? You have Zack, and I have Aerith now, even if it’s still so new.  _

_ But… _

_ Do you wonder too, Cloud, or is it just me?  _

Finally, they broke eye contact, as Cloud glanced up to the quietly humming TV. “I should get going,” he said, clearing his throat. “Are you going to come over tonight?” 

“I’ll have to check with--” Tifa replied, then caught herself.  _ No, no more excuses. Not anymore.  _ “Yeah, I think I might.”

Cloud’s face brightened as he slid off the stool. “Awesome,” he said. “Aerith will like that.”

“Oh yeah, I know.”  _ Something tells me...she won’t be the only one.  _

With a half-second’s glance to Vincent’s back, he nodded to her before turning on a heel and heading out the door.  _ You’ve always been hesitant about saying goodbye to me,  _ she thought as she watched him leave.  _ Half the time you don’t say anything at all, other times it’s just a “see you”.  _ She chuckled to herself and bit her lip.  _ You’re an odd duck, Cloud.  _

_ Or...an odd chocobo, as Zack’s taken to calling you… _

A rumble from the side of the bar drew her attention. “Oh, yup,” she said absently, making her way over to Vincent’s spot and whisking his empty mug away from him, only a trace of coffee left in it. “Want something? Or just your usual? It’s a little early to start drinking…”

He sighed heavy enough to heave his shoulders, then glanced up to Tifa. “He’s a good kid,” he mumbled. “Too...good to be in SOLDIER…”

She spun around to the sink so she didn’t have to face him, her brow furrowed as she rinsed the mug.  _ I know it, I know it.  _ “Y-yeah, but...he’s been gunning for it ever since we were in school. Always looked up to those elites, like Sephiroth. I don’t think anyone could’ve changed his mind. God knows we tried.”

Tifa twisted the faucet off with a creak, and when she turned back to Vincent, he was gripping the bar counter with his gold hand, a familiar indent in the wood.  _ Oh, great. Something I said set him off.  _ She tucked her hair behind her ears on both sides and took a deep breath.  _ Not going to push it. Just...wait ‘til Barret comes.  _ “On...second thought,” he said, voice a deep croak. “I’ll take...my usual.” 

“Okay.” She reached under the bar and let her hands go on auto-pilot, mixing the drink by memory.  _ Well, this sure is a start to the day. I hope there’s a decent finish if I head over to Aerith’s tonight… _

* * *

 

When Cloud came back to base, five minutes to spare into the 2nd-class break room, he was greeted by a group of other 2nds huddled in a circle. “Yo, Strife,” one of them said, and beckoned him over with his hand. 

_ Huh?  _ He wandered over and was instantly mushed between a couple others, completing the circle. “We’re trying to figure something out,” the SOLDIER said. “You hang out with the 1sts, right?”

“‘Course he does, he’s with 1st-class Fair all the time,” another added. “Hell, he’s never even on base at night anymore!” 

Anxiety spiked through his hands and feet, and he struggled to push out a casual sounding laugh. “Y-yeah, I guess so--”

“Well, we’re trying to figure something out,” the first one replied. “You know Rhapsodos, right?” 

“Uh…”  _ I should know their last names more, but around their rehearsals and whenever I see them, they stay pretty casual.  _ Cloud stared at the floor to mitigate the feeling of the several pairs of eyes on him.  _ I know Angeal  _ Hewley,  _ because he does a lot of our training-- _

“Oh, come on, you know him. The fuckin’ stoner.” 

Cloud snorted.  _ Genesis. Of course.  _ “Right.”  _ Thank God this isn’t about me or Zack... _

He ducked his head, prompting the rest of the group to join him, including Cloud. A hush fell over the group, until the first SOLDIER spoke again, in a hushed tone. “Does he wear lipstick?”

Cloud squinted, dumbfounded with his mouth open. “Wh...what?” 

“They’re just...so  _ dark,”  _ said another 2nd. “I’ve seen cigarettes around the SOLDIER smoking area with stains around the filter.”

Conversation began to bubble up, even without Cloud’s input. “There are women who work here, too.” “Yeah, but not any in SOLIDER. Are there?” “He’s a weird enough guy, smoking dope on base--” “Dude, 1sts get away with so much shit! It’s incredible…”  “So, do you know, Strife?”

“Uh,” he piped up. “I...don’t? Don’t really pay much attention…”  _ Why do you guys care, anyway? Why are you even staring at his lips? Even I’m not that gay… _

_ (that’s because you were distracted by a different 1st-class…) _

As the company continued to bicker, a knock on the door frame jerked them up. “Gentlemen?” A Turk in sunglasses and a shaved head that gleamed in the fluorescent light peered through. “Hey, what are you guys doing?”

The circle dissolved with alarming speed, all of the 2nd-classes standing up straight and saluting nearly in unison.  _ “Sir!”  _

A raised eyebrow could be seen even beneath his sunglasses. “A 1st hasn’t come by with your assignments?” he asked, taking a clipboard out from his suit. A piece of masking tape with “RUDE” scrawled in permanent marker was taped to the back of it. “I have it right here, so listen up…”

Cloud forced himself to breathe evenly, shoulders aching from holding them so straight and steady.  _ This is my first time on patrol with the others,  _ he thought, tuning out Rude’s voice just enough to dwell in his own mind.  _ I wonder where they’ll put me. Maybe around the 3rd-class barracks? I wasn’t really friends with many people in my company, but there were a couple I’d like to see again. Or, maybe they just got dispatched… _

“Strife.”

His head jerked up. “Sir!”

“Basement.” 

_ Basement? That’s...all I get?  _ “Y...yes, sir.” 

Rude caught his eye by lowering the clipboard. “You’re the one who got shot right to 2nd from standard, aren’t you?” he asked. “So, it’s your first time?”

Cloud swallowed, almost a gulp. “Y-yes, sir.”

He snorted. “Wouldn’t worry about it. Nothing too exciting going on down there...anymore.” It was an afterthought, but even still, it made Cloud’s heart rate spike. “Just page someone if you see anything suspicious.”

“R-right.”  _ Suspicious? Suspicious like what? And I’m the only one going down there, looks like. God damn it, why me?  _

Rude continued down the list, and with the group thinning, Cloud bit the inside of his cheek and headed out behind him, willing his feet toward the elevator.  _ The basement’s where most of the science labs are, right? Who thought it was a good idea to send  _ me  _ down there? Alone?  _ He snuck in the elevator just before it closed, with a crowd of miscellaneous faculty, and clasped his hands in front of him.  _ I wish I could have someone else with me, or even Zack… _

_ No, no. I have to be...strong in my own right. I can’t rely on people all the time. I have to hold my own. I can do this.  _

The elevator descended to the ground floor, and Cloud got out with the rest of the faculty, rounding the corner past the front desk to a door hidden away in the far corner. As he opened it and descended the darkened staircase, he pulled his pager from his belt, gleaming with the plastic covering still on the LCD screen.  _ We just got these the other day. It came pre-programmed with a bunch of numbers, including all of the 1sts.  _ He scrolled through with the dial on the side, and blocky print flashed on the screen, with a number printed below.  _ Cetra, Fair, Hewley, Rhapsodos…  _ He cycled back until he came back to Zack’s name, a smirk on his face.  _ Just...in case.  _

_ (“Cloud…” His voice close in his ear, bare chest pressed right against him as he ran his fingertips over his back. He swallowed hard, a click in his throat barely masking desire. “Nn…”) _

He nearly ran into the basement door, distracted by his own thoughts, and thrust it open with a creak.  _ Can’t get distracted,  _ he thought, the hum of a boiler the most prominent sound in the hall. The light was dim, sanded cement clicking beneath his boots, his sword tapping against the back of his leg with every step.  _ I’ve been here before, even if it wasn’t for long, but it seems so much more...menacing being here alone.  _

_ (“S-so, it’s date!”)  _

Cloud smirked to himself as he slipped around the corner, past darkened lab rooms with caged windows.  _ We didn’t get our date as soon as we might’ve wanted, but we got it, didn’t we?  _ As he reached the end of the hall, he stopped in his tracks and glanced around.  _ The hell, there’s no one down here. What’s the point of even patrolling?  _ He sighed to himself, downcast, until another door caught his eye, with “B1” spray-painted on it.  _ Huh? _

He took measured steps toward it, taking note of the magnetic strip reader on the side.  _ Was I supposed to keep going further down? I didn’t know there was more than one basement floor.  _ Fishing through his pockets, he withdrew his ID card, flipped it between his fingers on his gloves, then swiped it through. A small red light on the reader turned green, and there was a click of a lock inside the handle.  _ And I’m authorized.  _

Cloud glanced around again, silence filling his ears, fingertips hesitating over the bar door handle in front of him.  _ Do I keep going? Maybe there are more people downstairs...hard as it is to believe.  _ The lock clicked again, jumping him, and he hastily swiped his ID card once again.  _ Okay. I’ll just do it. I’ll just go down, if someone asks me what’s wrong… _

He used his whole body to push the door open and jogged down the stairs--they were a clear separate set from the ones he came down from, as this appeared to be the “top”.  _ If someone asks me what I’m doing down there, they can just...I don’t know, correct me or something. Sorry, I’m just a stupid 2nd who doesn’t know what he’s doing, I’ll go back up.  _ He chewed the inside of his cheek as he walked further down, set after set of stairs.  _ This is…long flight for this building. But, there’s the door.  _

The caged door at the bottom also held an ID card reader, and once again, Cloud was allowed access with the swipe of his card.  _ I’m surprised I get clearance. Then maybe I am supposed to be down here… _

The rumble of the boiler was more prominent on the second basement floor, a churning hum echoing through the hollow cement walls. The halls were even darker, lit with caged bulbs above his head, and the air felt more humid, sticky in the back of his uniform. A rat skittered by his feet and disappeared in a hole in the wall.  _ Most of Shinra is so pristine,  _ Cloud thought, fists clenched in his gloves.  _ This is...totally different. Creepy… _

Footsteps and voices echoed at the far end of the hall, and Cloud instinctively backed against the wall. “Damn it, not again…” “It can’t go far. Just page up and see if some 3rds want to suit up and clean up the lab.” “But what about the subject?” “I’ll be surprised if it can make to the stairwell.”

Cloud held his breath as two figures in labcoats rushed down a cross section of the hallway, unaware of his presence.  _ A lab subject…?  _ He gripped the pager on his belt, fussing with the dial as he creeped down the corridor.  _ That could mean anything. Anything at all. Fuck.  _ He struggled to steady his breathing,

_ (“It’s okay. You’re okay, Cloud.”) _

to keep his hands from shuddering

_ (“Take it easy. I’m right here.”) _

inside his gloves.  _ I’m all right, I’m all right. I’m SOLDIER, damn it. So what if some kind of lab...thing got out? I have a sword, I’m strong, I can handle it. I can… _

As he got to the crossed hallway, a wet splash under his boot interrupted his pace.  _ I can...handle it.  _ He looked down and lifted his shoe, making a small print on the floor.  _ Dark. That’s blood. That’s definitely blood.  _ His nose wrinkled, and a wave of blue flashed in his eyes.  _ Fuck, I can almost...smell it. Urgh, I’m gonna...be sick… _

He staggered against the wall and followed the blood trail down the hall. Streaks and smears dotted the floor, and as soon as he could stand without his head spinning, he followed them down and around the corner. Though the walls were as dark and dingy as the rest of the hall, Cloud could still make out hand prints in blood.  _ Oh God, there was a person down here. What the fuck happened…? _

_ The subject… _

He swallowed hard and picked up his pace, following the trail like a dog on the hunt, down the corridor and down another, smaller hallway, until he reached an open door at a dead end. His mouth felt dry, hands trembling, but he still looked around and composed himself just enough to speak. “H...hello?” he called, feeble voice barely cutting through the churning of the boiler. “Anyone...here?”

To his horror, there was a reply. But, it was indistinguishable as words. A hollow moan, growling and wet, that shook him down to his very core.  _ Jesus Christ.  _ The door beckoned him, too dark for him to clearly see inside, but his legs carried him to it, one step at a time. Sure enough, the blood trail led right into it, shadows obscuring whatever lurked inside the tiny lab room. Cloud could hear the labored breathing, rattling and shaky, wheezing with every breath.  _ Fuck, fuck, fuck,  _ he cursed in his head, holding his breath.  _ Th-this is the thing, this is it, whatever...whatever happened, it’s right here, it’s-- _

Cloud reached inside the door, and snapped on the light.

The flickering fluorescent was dim and took a second to heat up, but its harsh, white glow illuminated the subject perfectly. It was very clear that this “lab subject” was a person at one point, dressed in a SOLDIER uniform even, but it was now impossible to tell the rank, given that the entire tunic was soaked in blood. Its arms were mangled and clawed, veiny with the beginnings of scales lining the top of them, a dark reddish purple. The SOLDIER’s face was disfigured and painted red, one over bright cyan eye standing out amidst the sheet of maroon. It was propped against the wall, and Cloud’s eye was instantly drawn to the extremity bulging from behind its back--it was meant to be a wing, given the shape, perhaps likened to a bat’s, but it was crooked and malformed, twitching and dripping with flesh and blood. And with every breath it took, a groan of pain emerged. 

“Oh, my God,” Cloud breathed, color drained from his face. “A-ah...aaaah…” 

He fumbled in his belt, clicking the pager, trying to find Zack’s name even as his vision blurred. He held it to his trembling lips. “Zack...Zack, c-come down to th-th-the basement...s-s-second floor...there’s...damn it, there’s s-s-something d-down...down h-here…” 

The pager clattered to the floor as he staggered backwards, heart hammering in his chest. “Wh...wha…” he whimpered.  _ What happened to you? What the hell did they do to you? Oh God, oh God, oh God-- _

_ (that could’ve been you) _

His stomach churned, especially as the SOLDIER wheezed a rattling cough, shaking its entire body. Cloud got a better look at its feet--they looked more like wolf’s feet, arched with paws and claws, only covered with a mix of scales and dark, reddish fur. It inhaled deeply, blood dribbling from what was left of its lips. “K...khhhhh...hhhh…”

Cloud hugged his arms.  _ What do I do? I’m supposed to be the one on patrol, but I can’t...I can’t...what do I do? What the fuck do I even do about this, the lab people are gone already, this man is dying, he’s dying, fuck, fuck… _

The rattling of a door down the hall shook him to yelp, and he struggled to stand up straight. “H- _ hey!”  _ he called. Now, his voice carried, shrill as it was. “Wh-who’s there?  _ Zack--!”  _

Boots pounded down the hall, but the figure that whisked around the corner was not Zack, but Sephiroth, looking taller than Cloud remembered, with his silver hair swinging behind him. More anxiety spiked through his spine, and he fiercely tried to blink away tears at the edge of his eyes. “Cloud?” Sephiroth said, brow furrowed. “What happened? You weren't assigned here...”

_ Sephiroth? But, why?  _ Cloud gaped up at him as his electric green-blue eyes bore down on him, impatience wafting from his thinning lips. “You called me instead of Zack. What’s the problem? Tell me.” 

“I...a-ah...aah…” Words continued to evade him, and Cloud feebly pointed inside the lab room, shrinking against the wall. _Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have come down, I shouldn't have, stupid Cloud, now there's this thing here and I-I..._

Sephiroth glared at him, then flicked his bangs and took a look for himself. Although his face did not shift, his shoulders flinched just enough to be noticed. “God…” he muttered. 

The SOLDIER in the room tried to speak again, clawed hand quivering at its side. “Khh...kill...mmmme…” it moaned, shuddering all over. Its visible eye was beginning to glow a sickly green. 

“Who did this to you?” Sephiroth demanded, voice sharp. “Never mind that, I know who it was, damn it…” He turned in profile to Cloud as he reached back for his sword holstered on his back. “Stand back.”

“Wh...what?” Cloud whimpered. 

Before he could try to speak again, Sephiroth shoved him off to the side, out of sight to the inside of the lab. With a glare, he whipped his sword around, its clearance almost swiping Cloud beneath the nose. Sephiroth took a deep breath, sword held in front of him, splitting his face in two, then stepped inside.

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged his arms, shaking, shaking.

He heard Sephiroth mutter something, and then a squelching sound. A hissed scream. Then, silence. 

When he reemerged from the lab, Sephiroth’s long, slender sword was dripping with dark blood. He inhaled deep enough to swell his chest, giving a minute look to Cloud before reaching to his belt with his right hand. Pager in hand, he held it to his mouth. “Fair. Cloud needs you in the 2nd floor basement. Come down as quickly as you can.” He let out his held breath slow as he clipped it back into his belt. 

_ He just...he just...Sephiroth just killed that man.  _ Cloud felt dizzy with anxiety and adrenaline, trying to straighten himself against the wall, despite his limbs feeling like toothpicks and cotton.  _ Without any hesitation. I could barely move. I can still...still barely...ugh… _

_ “2nd-class Strife,”  _ Sephiroth snapped. 

“S-sir!” Cloud’s reaction was instant and abrupt, enough to make him feel sick to his stomach once again as his shoulders jerked back, spine straightened to a fine line. 

However, his tone softened. “Did you know him?” he asked. “Did you know the SOLDIER in there?” 

He shook his head.

“This is not an uncommon sight,” he continued, pulling a bandana out from his back pocket, black as night. He used it to clean the end of his sword. “I am sure...this doesn’t surprise you, after your ordeal.”

Cloud said nothing.  _ Yeah...you’re right, in a way. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see something like  _ this.  _ Zack mentioned...monsters before, but I…they create them. Shinra creates them. I could be one of them.  _

_ I… _

“Tell me something, Cloud,” Sephiroth muttered, sheathing his sword. “Do you regret joining SOLDIER? Do you regret making this journey?” He paused, although it seemed more for effect. “Not many live to tell the tale. And this is why. We are mere pawns to them, we are their playthings, until we prove to them that they overstepped their bounds. They play God, to create Gods...tethered to their flimsy wishes and desires, or are put down because of it.

“We are all...monsters, in the end.” 

Cloud stared wide eyed at Sephiroth as he sighed, and pinched the nerve between his eyes. “Fuck. I’ve been listening to Genesis too much,” he said. “But I can’t help but feel there is...some truth to his words. We are--”

Another slam, followed by heavier, clumsier footsteps. “Here he comes,” Sephiroth said as Zack spun around the corner.

“Cloud!” he called, bolting down the hall and immediately grabbing him by the shoulders and mashing him into his chest in a semblance of a hug. “What happened? I came as fast as I could…”

“In record time,” Sephiroth remarked. "Did you break the door while you were at it?"  


"No, it was busted when I got down here, Jesus." Zack let Cloud go so he could breathe, but kept an arm around him as he peered in the room. “Holy  _ shit,  _ what the fuck happened here?” he exclaimed. “Christ, all this...th-this blood…” 

“I assume it was someone in the labs that tried to escape,” Sephiroth said dryly, eyes slits into the room. “He was already dying. I just gave him his final wish.” 

“Cripes,” Zack breathed, stroking the back of Cloud’s neck. “Did he do anything to you, Cloud?”

Cloud shook his head slowly, trying to melt into the warmth of Zack’s side, trying,  _ trying.  _ Even still, cold sweat still cast a sheen over his forehead, over the back of his neck beneath his turtleneck.  _ I...want to go home. I can still smell that blood, and it smells like it’s rotting… _

_ Get me out of here… _

“I will report this in your stead,” Sephiroth said, looking directly at Cloud. “It will be taken care of.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Zack grunted. “They’ll clean this up, tell us to shut up about it. For Christ’s sake, using SOLDIER like this? Guy looks like a Franken-monster…”

“I know.” 

“'I know'? That’s all you can fucking say?” Zack gripped Cloud closer to him as he took a step toward Sephiroth, blood splashing beneath his boot. “I’m so fucking _tired_ of being told to keep quiet, when people are  _ dying  _ here! People with homes and families, who came around SOLDIER for honor--”

“Do you want to be next?” Sephiroth snapped, towering over both of them. “I thought Angeal briefed you on this.”

Cloud shrank further into Zack, but the latter didn’t back down. “Yeah, but--! I can’t...I can’t…”

“You want to be a _hero,”_ he finished for him, lip curled up, but without humor. “Of course you do. I could stop you from trying, but I won’t. But, I want to think about what you have to lose, if that’s the path you decide to choose.” 

Sephiroth looked directly at Cloud as he said this, and let it linger long enough for Zack to notice as well. “Don’t do anything  _ stupid, _ Fair. For more than just your own sake.” He turned on his heel, back facing them, silver hair down to the middle of his back. “Do I make myself clear?”

Zack huffed through his nose, kneading his hand through the back of Cloud’s hair. There was a long pause between them, causing Sephiroth to tap his foot. “I  _ said--”  _

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you,” Zack replied. “I’ve got it. Whatever.” 

“Good.” Sephiroth ran a thumb underneath his suspender, up through his shoulder pad before walking off. When he spoke again, his tone had become gentle. “Take the rest of the day off. And take him with you.”

As soon as Sephiroth’s form disappeared around the corner, Zack pulled Cloud back into his chest and leaned against the wall, stroking his back and head. “I hate this place sometimes,” he muttered into his head. “Guess I don’t have much of a choice, if I wanna protect you and my flower girl…”

“Z-Zack…” Although he could feel himself relaxing, arms around Zack’s waist, Cloud’s core began to tense and shake.  _ I know you’ll be here for me, I know, I know. I hate that I can’t stand on my own, not yet, but… _

Cloud clutched the fabric of Zack’s uniform, twisting it in his hands.  _ Could anyone really deal with...this? He’s tense too.  _ “First seeing Hojo, now this,” Zack sighed. “When’s it ever going to stop? I didn’t know about...much of any of this when I was 2nd…”

Cloud nodded, and inhaled deeply. Unfortunately, the scent from Zack’s uniform was masked by the smell in the abandoned lab room, and it made him weave.  __ “C-can we...go?” he asked. “The smell’s...making me sick…”

“Smell?” Zack cocked his head and cradled Cloud’s cheek in his hand. He sniffed the air. “What smell?”

Blue edged the rim of Cloud’s vision, and he tried to focus on Zack’s face--his deep blue eyes, the crook in his nose, the mole under his eye. But, even then, it was difficult as his eyes were blurred by something else.  _ It’s the mako...making me smell that… _

_ Mako that nearly killed me... _

_ Damn it… _

_ Sephiroth’s right...we are just _

_ monsters. _

Cloud’s breath hitched, and he sobbed into Zack’s chest.

* * *

 

As soon as she saw Cloud’s face in the doorway of Aerith and Zack’s apartment, Tifa’s heart sank. “Hey,” she greeted. “What happened?”

“Hm?” he asked with a sniffle. His face was blotchy, dark circles under his eyes more prominent than they were earlier. No longer did he have the confident gait that she saw earlier at the bar-- _ he looks like he’s barely holding himself up,  _ she thought. 

He shuffled out of the way to let her inside, but as soon as he shut the door behind him, Tifa hugged him around his waist. “Bad day?” she asked, arms in a gentle hold.

“Ah…” Cloud’s chest rose against the side of her face, and stuttered as he let his deep breath out. “You could say that…”

“Tifa…!” Aerith’s voice lilted from the kitchen. While Tifa was prepared to let Cloud go in favor of her girlfriend, Aerith simply hugged her from behind, creating a sandwich between her and Cloud. 

Still, Tifa withdrew, leaning back into Aerith as she studied Cloud’s face further. He tried to soften his face, to smile at her, but it was tired and strained.  _ I guess it was early when I saw him, but he looks...haunted.  _ “Did you have dinner already?” Aerith asked, kissing her cheek. “We were just about to cook…”

Zack leaned out from the kitchen, waving with the spatula. “What’s up?” he said. “I’m making up for the other day…”

Tifa snorted, but kept her eyes up on Cloud. “Really…”  _ What’s wrong? What happened?  _

He bit his lip, then shook his head. “I just...I had patrol, like I said, and…” He sighed and rolled his shoulders back, then meandered around them toward the couch. “Just saw...i-it’s nothing…”

“Cloud…” Tifa followed him, and Aerith followed her, lacing a hand in with her own. Cloud plopped on the couch, hugging his arms and looking pointedly at the coffee table.  _ Whatever it was...it scared him. This is more than just anxiety.  _ She rolled her fingers against the top of Aerith’s hand, then glanced toward her. “Hey…”

_ (“Here you go, hon,” Cloud’s mother said, placing a steaming mug in front of him and rubbing his shoulder. “Drink that, and you’ll feel better.” _

_ Tifa watched as he nodded, refusing to look at anything other than the tea in front of him, and brought it to his lips with shaking hands…) _

“Hm~?” A worry wrinkle was present in Aerith’s forehead, but it cleared as soon as Tifa turned her eyes on her, and she kissed her nose. 

Tifa giggled in spite of herself.  _ You’re cute, but…  _ “Do you have honey?” she asked. “And...lemon juice, or something like that?”

“I think so,” she replied. “Why?”

“I want to...make that tea,” Tifa said, checking back down to Cloud. “You know, like your mom used to make...when you were upset?”

Cloud’s eyes widened, bringing out the blue in them, then he chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, that,” he murmured, scratching his arm. “Don’t think...you’ll be able to.”

“Why not?” Aerith said, cocking her head.  _ “Babe!  _ Do we have honey and lemon?” 

“Uhh…” Clattering rang through the kitchen as Zack apparently rifled through the cupboards. “Yeah, we have some honey. But, lemon? Why?”

“Check the fridge!” 

“No, that’s not it…” Cloud said, pink in his cheeks evening out his complexion. “It’s just...that’s not all that was in it.” 

Tifa tugged at Aerith’s hand while she went over to the couch, but she didn’t follow her, allowing Tifa to sit with Cloud on her own. “What do you mean? That’s what she--”

He shook his head. “She used to put brandy in it,” he confided. He pinched his fingers together. “About that much. Why do you think it was a ‘calm down tea’?” 

Her jaw dropped, a trickle of laughter falling out of her mouth. “O-oh!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t...I never even noticed…!” 

“I did, just one of the last times she made it for me. You weren’t around.” He snickered himself, soft and quiet. “No wonder it made me feel better. I never tasted the alcohol…”

In front of them, Aerith put her hands on her hips. “Well,” she said. “We definitely don’t have brandy, but I can see if we have any liquor. Are you still feeling shaky?”

“I-it’s not so bad, really,” Cloud insisted, fidgeting. “I feel better...just being here--”

Three succinct whacks from Zack’s spatula cut the room, before he whirled out, snaking behind the couch and nesting his chin on the top of Cloud’s head, arms draped over his chest. “Do you want to take tomorrow off, too?” he asked, kissing his head.  _ He’s so affectionate,  _ Tifa thought, twisting her hands in her lap.  _ He’s so much.  _ “I don’t think anyone’s going to blame you if you do.” 

Cloud craned his head back. “It’s okay. I’ll just...stick around rehab. Maybe I’ll...ask Lucrecia about it.”

“About what?” Tifa tapped his thigh, jerking him back over to her.  _ Please, please. I know you have your boyfriend, but you don’t have to…hide stuff from me. You don’t have to pretend that you’re okay when I  _ know  _ that you’re not. I can see it written all over your face.  _ “C’mon, Cloud…”

_ I know you, your habits, how you are. I’ve known you for so long… _

“Sunflower, is dinner done?” Aerith asked. She had snuck behind Zack and lifted his arms up off Cloud’s shoulders. “You’d better not be letting it burn.”

She dragged him backwards, and he reluctantly shuffled with her. “It’s fine, I just wanna--”

“You can cuddle and hug your boyfriend later, hm?” Aerith remarked, winking at Tifa. “First, food. Then, Cloud.”

“But he’s--”

“You big whiner,” she teased, squeezing his sides before they disappeared into the kitchen. “I want some quality time with Tifa, too~.” 

Tifa shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Jeez…” she sighed.  _ Aerith is a lot to handle too. Her and Zack both have the same vibe about them.  _ She met Cloud’s eyes, and the two of them shared a quiet smile.  _ Guess that’s why we like them so much, isn’t it? _

“A-Anyway,” Tifa said, scooting a hair closer to him.  _ Now, will you tell me? _

He nodded, doing the same, sitting so that their shoulders were brushing. “All right,” he muttered. “So, I was assigned to the basement…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sure was a chapter! I feel like any universe where Sephiroth hasn't completely gone off the deep end requires a subtle "Cloud redemption" section. Seph's prickly still, but he helps out where it counts. Shinra is still nasty in this universe--I've been slowly straying from my "modern" setting, but it's a hybrid setting overall. I like putting a little bit of horror into my works, huhu. Also stoking the fires for the last puzzle piece of the poly--!
> 
> My web has me doing something else, more Cloud focused things, but after this, I really feel we should have a soft Aerti chapter next to break things up. So, that's what we'll do! Stay tuned!


	44. Reminiscing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The suckers lose themselves in the games they learn to play,_   
>  _Children love to sing, but then their voices slowly fade away._   
>  _People always take a step away from what is true,_   
>  _That’s why I like you around…_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [“I Want You”, Third Eye Blind, _Third Eye Blind_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKWMnfO1RU)

On the couch, Aerith craned her head back to a pacing Zack. “Hey, pouty,” she said.

His hunched shoulders gave him the appearance of being shorter than he actually was. “Huh?” he replied. “What, I’m not pouting…!”

“You’re totally pouting,” she retorted. In her lap, Tifa was comfortably nestled, and she kissed the top of her head. “And you’re totally ruining our vibe.”

Zack circled around the couch, twisting his backwards hat to the side with a bewildered expression. “What? Dude, I’m the vibe _master.”_ His dark blue eyes flicked between her and Tifa, and as soon as they rested on the latter, he pointed wildly. “Hey! Don’t you roll your eyes at me, girl!”

Aerith snorted as she felt her shoulders heave against her. “You fake it pretty well, but you can’t fool me,” she said. “What’s wrong?” _I have a feeling of what’s wrong,_ she thought, biting the inside of her cheek so she wouldn’t smirk too obviously at her boyfriend. _It’s nothing serious, but he probably misses Cloud._

Zack sighed and took his hat off to fluff the top of his hair, only to mash it back down. “Aw, it’s nothing, babe,” he confessed. “Cloud just has to stay on base today, and I’m a little bummed…”

 _Nailed it._ “Uh-huh.”

He puffed out his cheeks and paced in front of the TV--it only took him two strides to cross the living room, constraining his movement. “Just...God, it’s been awhile since we’ve had a weekend without him,” Zack continued. “I got used to having him around…”

“You miss him~,” Aerith teased. _Everyday, I’m reminded how much of an overgrown puppy he is. Look at that pout! I’d kiss him if he came closer._ Tifa readjusted herself in her arms, quiet still. _He’s not going to get any better moping around here. So, hmm…_ “What if...you went out for a ride?”

His face brightened, entire body perking up. “Hey, that’s not a bad idea,” he replied. He spun in a circle, then rushed around toward the bedroom. “Wherever the hell I left my keys…”

“Oh! You could take my bike out,” Aerith called.

“Hell no! You think I’m going to ride that thing? Christ, I’ll crush it.”

“You didn’t when we were both on it, you won’t when you’re alone.”

Zack jingled his keys as he flew out of the bedroom, tossing them behind his back and catching them with his other hand. “Don’t bet on it,” he said. He whirled around the couch, kneeling right and front of Aerith and Tifa, and planted a loud kiss on Aerith’s lips. “I’ll be back later, babe.”

“Sounds good,” Aerith replied with a grin. “Go blow off some steam.”

He chuckled as he backed out, nearly skipping as he went, and saluted in Tifa’s direction. “Later!”

“Bye, Zack,” Tifa mumbled.

When the door shut, she sighed heavily against her chest, rolling over to rest her face in it. “Your boyfriend wears me out,” Tifa sighed.

“Aw,” Aerith soothed, leaning over to pepper the top of her head with kisses. _He wears me out too, but in a...much different way. A more satisfying one._ She bit her lip. “I’m sorry, sweet pea.”

“Nothing I can do,” she huffed. “Just have to...get used to it.”

 _She is_ so _unimpressed with him,_ she thought, chuckling to herself. _It’s almost funny. And he’s pretty unaware of it, as far as I know._ Aerith patted Tifa’s shoulders, coaxing her up. “Here, stop thinking about Zack. He’s _my_ boyfriend. Unless you want to date him too?”

Tifa’s shocked and offended face was priceless, brown eyes huge, mouth open wide before she spoke. “What? _No!”_

Aerith cackled as she snaked her fingers up behind her head, tucked beneath her hair. “I’m kidding! Oh, my God. Here, come kiss me.”

She didn’t bother waiting for an answer, pushing Tifa’s head into her face. The kiss was clumsily started, lips not quite aligning, but settled into a soft, easy rhythm. _She’s so easy, so easy to melt into,_ Aerith thought, scratching the back of her head. _God, I’m so gay…_

“Mmn…” Tifa fidgeted on her, breaking the kiss and shaking her head. “That kinda tickles…”

“Does it?” She slipped her fingers back to lace them around her back, drumming them against her shirt. _Zack likes it. I’d say so, but I don’t want to see her puff up again. Different strokes for different folks, huh?_ “Want me to do something else?”

“I-I dunno,” Tifa replied. She swept her bangs out of her face, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did so. Aerith was drawn to the blue of her nails, just long enough to round out the shape of her fingers, glossy and clean. “S-sorry, I’m still...ah. Still new.”

“It’s fine, sweetie,” she said. “Tell you what, though, why don’t you do that to me?”

Aerith pulled her scrunchie out of her hair and slipped it around her wrist, shaking her head as she did so. Her bushy, tawny hair flowed around her shoulders, and she took note of how attentively Tifa was watching her. _She likes my hair down, I bet._ “Okay,” Tifa replied.

Slowly, she reached her hands behind her neck, diving them back into her hair, then began to scratch the back of her head. “Mm, that is nice,” Aerith murmured, leaning forward into it. Her eyes flickered closed as she brushed her lips against Tifa’s cheek. _Mmm…_

“Aerith?” Tifa asked, a mutter that made her shiver.

“Mmmyes?”

“Are you...purring?”

The moment was lost as Aerith jerked back, laughing deep in her chest. The motion made Tifa’s nails snag in her hair, and she yelped. “Ow, ow! Oh, God--”

“Shit! Are you okay?” Tifa wriggled her hands out from behind her neck and hugged her own waist, sitting up on her lap. Her face bloomed a brilliant shade of red, auburn eyes cast down and away. “I-I’m sorry, it sounded like…”

Aerith, on the other hand, was still giggling. “Oh, I’m fine! You’re so cute, it’s okay!” _You don’t have to be so uptight, baby._ She smoothed back her own hair and tugged her t-shirt down, as it was riding up her stomach. “I was enjoying myself.”

“Y-yeah, I could tell,” Tifa replied. She finally brought one of her hands away from her body, and it rested on Aerith’s stomach. It was tentative, but relaxed as soon as Aerith reached for hers, lacing their fingers together.

She relished in the quiet, small smile she gave her--right down to the bite in her lip. _Ah…_ “Love you,” Aerith said with a wink.

“M-mm…” This made her flush more, fidgeting on her lap. “I...ah, you too…”

Aerith cocked her head. _This is her first relationship, let alone her first girlfriend. I was surprised when she told me that--she’s so pretty, I thought maybe someone would’ve been with her. Not even Cloud._ “No rush,” she assured.

“B-but...I do,” she insisted, then huffed. “God, _sorry,_ I just--”

“Nope!” Aerith put a finger on her lips, hushing her effectively. “No apologizing for being so cute!”

Tifa pouted, but with a second’s hesitation, she kissed the pad of her finger. “F-fine.”

She sighed and sank back into her, this time fully burying her head in her small chest. “How’s the view?” Aerith teased, patting her head.

“Stop…” she groaned, although her back shook with laughter. Aerith took notice of the way her tanktop cut against her back, bra straps visible--white on black on the cream of her skin. She spotted a mole right in the center of her back. _Spotted, almost like he is._ She bit her lip and traced small circles between her shoulder blades. _My lovers are different, but in some ways…_

“Hey, Aerith?” Tifa’s voice was still muffled in her chest, but she lifted her head just enough to be heard.

“What’s up?”

“When did you figure out that you liked girls?”

 _Ah, the typical question. It always comes up sooner or later, doesn’t it?_ “Let me see…” Aerith started, leaning back against the creaking couch cushion. “I know it was after my mom left that I really figured it out. I didn’t think...too much about it before then. There were a couple girls I knew growing up that I was really close to...I probably loved them.”

She shrugged, then stared up at the ceiling. “I was 15 when I kissed a girl for the first time. We were hanging out afterschool--it was right on the steps of the high school, remember where I showed you? Where we ran into those asshole kids?”

Tifa snickered. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Right there…” She inhaled deep through her nose, then let it out slow, twirling a lock of hair near her face. It curled and bounced as soon as she let it go. “She called me brave. I just…I just did what felt good to me. She was pretty, I wanted to kiss her--we were close enough, so I did. I didn’t realize what it meant ‘til later…

“You know, kids calling me a dyke in the halls, among a lot…lot of other things. Like, c’mon, I already was living in a crate…and after her mom found out that I kissed her, she wouldn’t let me stay the night. It sucked for a while.” Her hand flinched in Tifa’s, and she responded by rubbing her thumb on the inside of her palm. _Damn, damn,_ she thought, taking even breaths. _I’ve told Zack the story before, but only in so much detail…_ “I just…I tried so hard not to listen, I dated around, guys and girls, because both made me happy...and Mom told me not to compromise when it came to things I loved…”

_(“I have to go out, sweetie,” she said, kissing her head, smelling of strong perfume. “There are leftovers in the fridge.”_

_A horn sounded outside, along with a rough, deep voice. “Hurry up! You comin’ or what, lady?”_

_“Mom,” Aerith asked, small voice cracking. “I don’t like those men coming here…”_

_“This’ll be the last time,” she assured, adjusting her jacket. She cupped her face in her hands, and she could feel the rings on her fingers cold against her cheeks. “I love you, Aerith. When I come back, this’ll be all over.”)_

Aerith squeezed her eyes shut. _I’ll be back when it’s all over, she said...but she didn’t come back. And then the Turks came…_

_(Crouched in a blanket, she held her breath until a man with long hair tied back in a suit discovered her. “Aerith?” he asked, in a hushed whisper…)_

“Hey…”

Tifa’s voice cut through her memories as she sat up, scanning her face. “It’s okay,” she said quietly, kissing her cheek. “I didn’t...didn’t mean to push you…”

“Push me?” Aerith chuckled, despite her voice cracking, despite a stray tear dropping from one eye. “No, no, I was the one who pushed _me.” That’s not even including all the poly stuff, too._ “Sometimes, I just...forget what things were like before. I think…”

She trailed off, but Tifa waited patiently, still rubbing her thumb in steady circles on her palm. _We’ve come this far, haven’t we?_ “Sometimes…” Aerith sighed. “I want to forget.”

Tifa’s response was simple. “That’s fair,” she said. “I probably would, too. I want to forget all the crude things that were said to me when I was doing tours around Nibelheim in a skimpy little cowgirl outfit.”

“You probably looked awfully cute,” Aerith commented, before she could stop herself.

“I was _fourteen,”_ she clarified. “And old men gawking are _not cute._ My boss telling me to hike up my skirt because we’d get better crowds was _not_ fucking cute.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Aerith groaned.  _Not cute at all._ “Well, Barret’s your boss now, and he’s not a nasty pervert.”

Tifa snorted. “He’s more like my dad than anything. He doesn’t let me pay for groceries or anything besides rent anymore. I actually have money now.”

Aerith clicked her tongue and winked. “See? Got you hooked up nice, didn’t I? I told you I know everyone.”

She felt her chest relax as Tifa offered her another shy smile, resituating herself in her lap once again. _I feel better already. I didn’t expect to dive into all that today, but…it’s so easy to share with you. Overshare, maybe._

_But, that’s enough of that, for right now. Zack’s taken off, after all, so…_

Aerith’s lips curled into a smile, and she stroked beneath Tifa’s chin. “C’mere, baby,” she purred, nuzzling first close to her lips, then spoke right into her ear. “I wasn’t done kissing you yet…”

She relished in Tifa’s surprised gasp.

* * *

 

 _Damn, I’ve just about covered all the cruising I can do around here,_ Zack thought as he took the underpass down beneath the plate. _Don’t want to go too far. I was thinking about picking up Cloud on the way through, but it’s still early if I want to steal him away. And I don’t know if Tifa’s staying the night._

He puffed his cheeks as he rounded the corner, steering with one hand as he readjusted his hat so it was snug on his head. _It’s getting to be quite the crowded house down at our little hole in the ground,_ he thought with a grin. _I should really...start putting some of my paycheck away to save up for a bigger place. Or, at least a bigger bed._

As he passed the church, he shifted down and coasted past, gawking up at the hole in the plate where the sun streamed in. “Damn, they never fixed that,” he muttered to himself with a chuckle. _Wonder if any other 2nds have fallen in? Nah, I think Angeal said it was gated off, after my little tumble--_

_Hey, speaking of which…?_

His eyes flicked back down to the road, and he caught a glimpse of a figure in the dark--black hair, broad shoulders, a Shinra patch on the sleeve of his jacket. _Company jacket, black._ He geared into neutral as he passed him and did a U-turn in the street to circle back around. “Angeal? Yo, _Angeal!”_ he called, pulling over to the side.

Angeal whirled at his name, startled, but he relaxed as he recognized Zack’s face. “Hey, what’s going on?” he asked, stuffing his hands inside of his jacket pockets. He gestured to his motorcycle, even as his hands were tucked away. “Out for a ride?”

“Yeah, man!” Zack replied. “Funny seeing you around these parts.” _He’s got a place above the plate, and there’s plenty to do up there. What’s he doing in the slums?_

“Oh, I'm just doing a little...sight-seeing,” Angeal said, looking up and around with a smirk.

“Get real, dude,” Zack retorted. He killed the engine on his bike and crossed his arms with pursed lips. “These are the fucking slums, there ain’t shit to see down here.”

Angeal barked out a laugh and shook his head. “You got me,” he replied, pacing closer. “Nah, I was just...reminiscing, I guess.” He looked back behind him--the old church, with peeling paint and faded stained glass windows, loomed over them like a spectre. “You know, there were rumors going around that Shinra was going to crush this place to build a weapons storage base, but they never did…”

“Really? Shit.”

Angeal blinked and nodded, his gaze distant. “Back in the day, when Gen and I first came here for SOLDIER…I think it was right after he made 3rd. I told you that he got in before me, right?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Bastard,” he said with a snicker. “Anyway, he went out to ‘celebrate’ that night. When he wasn’t around the next morning, I went looking for him. I barely knew the city at the time. Christ, I was younger than you were when you joined.”

“Jesus,” Zack whistled. “What’d you do, go asking ‘anyone seen a 3rd class stoner--I mean, SOLDIER ‘round here?’”

Angeal burst into laughter, with enough force to make him cough and pound at his chest. “Damn! Yeah, that’s about right, isn’t it? Fuck…” He hacked again and cleared his throat. “Anyway, I found him somewhere around here…maybe a little closer to Sector 3. In an alley. He was still standing, thank God, but that’s _all_ he had going for him.”

 _Fuck,_ Zack thought as he watched Angeal pull a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. _That must’ve been another reason he stuck around after I got done my boosters._ Angeal’s wrist flinched toward Zack, then he withdrew, pulling out a cigarette for himself and lodging it between his lips. “I had been walking around all morning, and I was beat...and this place was where I dragged him. Figured it’d be safe enough--it reminded me of the churches back home, back in Banora. It was empty, so I sat him on one of the pews and waited for him to come back to the real world.”

“How long did it take?”

“Not that long. Not like Cloud.” He sighed as he lit his cigarette, smoke erupting in front of his face. “No, this was a product of his own God damn overindulgence. He woke up and he didn’t even know where he was, or how he got there. Boy, was I _pissed.”_

“Yeah, I don’t blame you. Genesis is…a wild card.”

“That’s a nice way to put it,” Angeal said. He took another drag from his cigarette, staring back at the church. “I ought to give that nice woman who runs it something to fix the place up.”

“Elmyra, yeah.”

Angeal cocked his head. “You know her?”

“Yeah. Well, not really, but...” Zack backtracked, sitting back on his bike seat. “Aerith does some volunteer work here--she used to live there, so I’ve met her a few times…”

His eyes widened, flicking down to the street. “That’s right. I almost forgot…” He trailed off, then chuckled. “How could I--she was all you ever talked about on base for a while.”

“Yeah, well…” Zack laughed and slapped his thighs. “She’s one of a kind, y’know.”

_(“Fair, you’re late,” Angeal said as Zack bounded into the 2nd-class lounge, last in the lineup of deep purple uniforms. It wasn’t easy to stay hidden when he towered over most of the others at six feet tall. “What’s your excuse this time?”_

_“Sorry…” he huffed, wiping his brow. “S-sir, I was just visiting Aerith on my break.”_

_He raised an eyebrow, then closed his eyes. “Right. Your new girlfriend.”_

_“She’s the greatest, I’m telling you what!” Zack exclaimed, to groans from some of the other 2nds. “I love her_ so _much…”_

 _“Well, I hope you_ love _taking a hundred laps before your shift,” Angeal retorted dryly…)_

Angeal smirked, flicking ash off his cigarette. “Surprised you’re out on your own. Thought maybe her or Cloud would be with you.”

“Ah, well, Aerith’s over with Tifa, thought I’d leave the girls alone.” _More like they nearly kicked me out. What am I going to do, watch them make out? Wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea, but…_ “And Cloud’s out on base at least until 5, so…”

“How’s it working out, him staying at your place? I heard you wanted to keep him there once he's done rehab.”

“H-huh? Oh yeah, yeah, it’s fine.” An odd wave of anxiety prickled at the back of Zack’s neck. “Little crowded, y’know, but it’s all right. I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it once...once he’s all in the clear. I think he's done...this week? I think?" His speech kept getting quicker the more he spoke. "And if not, we can try looking for another place--”

Angeal raised an eyebrow. “Zack.”

His heart pounded in his chest. “What?”

“I know about you and Cloud.”

“Oh.” _Well. That settles that._ “Really?”

He snorted, flicking his cigarette onto the ground and crushing it beneath his foot. “You’re easy to read, pup. At least for me.”

 _Christ, he hasn’t called me that since I was a 3rd._ “Aw, c’mon, man…”

“It’s nothing worth bringing up to anyone. You just do you.” He sighed through his teeth. “I have to deal with Genesis-Sephiroth carnival, remember. Nothing phases me anymore.”

Zack covered his mouth as he snickered. _That sure is a shitshow._ The light fading through the plate was beginning to fade to a deeper blue, reminiscent of the oncoming sunset. “Hey, do you want me to give you a ride up to your place? I’m still killing some time.”

Angeal held his hand out. “No, thanks. I want to stretch my legs.” He coughed into his sleeve, then shook out his arms. “Should get heading back, anyway. I want to hang out with Gen before he gets stoned for the night.”

“You mean he’s not high all the time?” Zack commented, turning the key on his motorcycle once again. With a flick of his wrist on the gas, it came to life immediately, even with a small choke.

“Not as bad as he used to be,” Angeal replied, scratching beneath his hair and giving a single wave with his other. “Take it easy, I’ll see you.”

“Yeah, you too, man!” _He looks a little tired. I think he’s been taking up a lot of training sessions for 2nds and 3rds since there’s been a lull in our action._ “Don’t wear yourself out!”

Angeal only laughed, while Zack made a u-turn back on the street, spinning his tires and kicking up smoke on the worn pavement. He peeled off down the street, wind nearly blazing his hat off his head, and he tucked his body into the bike while buildings blurred past him. _I ought to cover more of his patrol days, give him a break every once in awhile,_ he thought, gearing down to turn the corner. _Sucks that they’re mostly at night, and that’ll fuck with your sleeping schedule...plus, less time to spend with my babes._ He rolled his shoulders as he settled into a cruising pace. _Nah, it’s all right. I’ll live._

_Speaking of babes, wonder what her and Tifa have been up to…_

* * *

 

Tifa ran her fingers underneath Aerith’s shirt, up along her waist to her bra line. _Oh God oh God,_ she thought as she felt goosebumps prickle beneath her fingertips. Her mouth was preoccupied with hers, kissing in the same deep, slow motion, but she struggled to keep it steady. _I’ve never touched anyone like this, oh my God…she’s soft though…_

In the meantime, Aerith released them from the kiss and dove down onto her neck, lining kisses from behind her ear all the way to her collarbone. “Mmn…” Tifa sighed, eyes squeezed shut with an arched back. Aerith hands began to wander as well, tugging her tanktop up to her bust, rubbing her hands over her stomach. _Ah…_

Tifa was so engrossed in the sensation, that she didn’t hear the door open, and then shut. What was completely unignorable was Zack’s loud exclamation. _“Ladies!”_ he greeted.

Her eyes flashed open, head whipping over the back of the couch to spot Zack with his arms open and a huge grin on his face. “Oh God, you’re back already?!” Tifa squawked, jerking her hands from under Aerith’s shirt as fast as she could. “I-it’s only...it hasn’t been--”

“You girls having fun?” he continued without missing a beat. He slapped the back of the couch as he made his way around--Tifa was acutely aware of how wide his eyes were, as well as the fact that they wouldn’t leave them, causing him to bump his shin into the coffee table. “Need anything? Extra pair of hands?”

Aerith giggled against her neck, but Tifa furrowed her brow and pointed away. “No! We’re good, thanks!” she snapped. “Go away!”

Zack laughed, although he did continue backing toward the bedroom. “I can give you some pointers,” he said, pulling his hat off to run his hand back through his hair. It appeared to snag toward the back. “Ow--like, Aerith really likes it when you rub her thighs--”

“That’s just _great!”_ Tifa burst out, heat rising to her face. “Please, Zack…”

Aerith peered up from the back of couch, reluctant to take her face away from Tifa’s neck. “We’ll play later, baby.” Out of the corner of her eye, Tifa spotted her batting her eyelashes. _Oh, for Christ’s sake, don’t encourage him--!_ “Or, you can dig in the shoebox to keep you occupied~.”

Zack ran his hand over his mouth, dragging it down over his chin. “Nah, I’ll wait. Er, you guys want the bedroom, though?”

“We’re fine,” Aerith replied.

 _“Zack,”_ Tifa groaned up at the ceiling.

“Okay, okay! I’m gone.” He saluted to them and whirled around. “I’ll even put headphones on.”

“Oh, my _God,”_ Tifa sighed, resting her forehead on Aerith’s. As soon as the door shut, she whispered into her hair. “He’s such a kid, holy shit.”

“He’s fun, I promise,” Aerith said into her neck, giving it a couple kisses. “He’s cute, and he’s pretty good in bed…”

“Ugh.” _I don’t care about that. I guess he’s all right, if her and Cloud like him so much…_

Aerith found Tifa’s wrist in her lap, and coaxed it to her own thighs. “You _could_ try that little trick that he said,” she murmured, green eyes bright. “I promise it works.”

Tifa’s mouth suddenly felt dry. “O-oh?”

She swallowed hard, then with a second’s hesitation, traced a line up the inside of her thigh, right to the edge of her pajama shorts. Aerith shivered in response, and she rolled her head back along her shoulders. “Mm…” she sighed.

 _Jesus,_ Tifa thought breathlessly to herself. She did it again, this time with more purpose, creeping closer. _You’re beautiful…_

Just as Tifa was about to plant a kiss on her exposed neck, the bedroom door clattered open. “Oh, come _on,”_ Tifa grumbled.

“Sorry, sorry!” Zack apologized, rushing to the radio in the corner and popping out the tape. “I forgot I left this tape in here…”

“Let us have our girl time,” Aerith said in a dazed voice, eyes barely open.

Thankfully, Zack didn’t linger, immediately disappearing once again. Aerith shook her head with a chuckle, turning her heavy lidded gaze back onto Tifa. “Now, where were we?”

Tifa nodded, resuming her trajectory back to Aerith’s neck, and she let out a gleeful shudder upon the connection of her lips against the tender skin of her neck. _Right here,_ she thought as she kissed her, stroking her thigh. _Right here..._

* * *

 

 _No apology, 'cause my urge is genuine,_  
_And the mystery of your rhythm is so feminine._  
_Here I am, and I want to take a hit of your scent,_  
_'Cause it bit so deep into my soul..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last! Went a few different directions with this one--I'll have to edit ["Case File #021091"](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/148451833191/case-file-021091) to line up more with this chapter, mostly about Aerith's mom. It's implied that she was a sex worker, at least for a little while. Angeal's little story about Genesis was referenced in ["On Call"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7488210) as a brief flashback. 
> 
> Aerith and Tifa are getting comfy with each other, and that's always good. Zack, will you stop interrupting them? I promise that you'll get your chance once Tifa warms up to you just a _little_ bit more. Aerith, on the other hand, doesn't mind too much. 
> 
> Cloud wasn't around this chapter, but we'll be hanging around him next chapter on his last day or so of rehab! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!


	45. Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a brief scene of domestic abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

Cloud dashed up the last flight of stairs that led him to the floor of the 2nd-class locker room--the elevator was packed, dropping people off at every single floor, so for the last few flights he resigned himself to the stairwell.  _ I don’t feel tired at all,  _ he mused to himself,  _ that’s what SOLDIER does for you. SOLDIER and mako. _ He grimaced to himself.

Clutching a bouquet of flowers against his chest as he rounded the final corner, Cloud stumbled in front of his locker at the end of the row. Pink carnations and violet pansies dangled out from the cellophane wrapping, along with a card carefully tucked in the middle. With one hand, he spun the combination lock.  _ One, twist it all the way round once, then thirty-one, then forty-seven,  _ he chanted in his mind before pulling the lever up. With a clack, it stuttered open, but not before a white envelope fluttered to the ground as he did so.  _ Huh?  _

He rested the flowers in the top shelf of his locker before bending over to pick it up. Spinning it in his fingers, “Cloud” was written on the center of it in black pen, letters tall and scrunched together.  _ I don’t recognize the handwriting.  _ He dropped it on the bench behind him while he stripped his shirt over his head.  _ It’s not Zack’s, he writes his in all capitals, tall and spiky. Kind of like him.  _ He snickered as he yanked the pieces of his uniform out of his locker, keeping the trousers in his hands as he jumped into them.  _ But...who would be leaving me notes like this?  _

Cloud hastily tucked his deep purple tunic inside his pants before he slipped the straps of his suspender belt over his shoulders.  _ Only one way to find out.  _ Quickly stopping to adjust his earring, he grabbed the envelope again, then slid his finger under the flap of the envelope. It tore open in a messy line, nearly ripping the paper in half, but he managed to pull out the single piece of paper inside. It was folded in quarters, and within it was a mostly white feather, with brown stripes and a brown tip, tied to a thin, leather cord.  _ A feather. Like...Zack has. Like the rest of the 1st-classes.  _ Cloud held it between his fingers while he read the note:

_ “Even if not in rank, I believe it’s fitting that you become one of us. _ __   
_ Wings represent freedom for those who have none.  _ _   
_ __ Surely now you will understand the meaning of that.

_ -Sephiroth.” _

He turned the feather over in his hand, lips slightly parted.  _ Sephiroth gave me a gift. I can’t let anything happen to this,  _ ever. _ Sephiroth Cetra, renowned war hero and the most elite 1st-class Shinra has ever seen, thinks that I’m worthy enough to be part of his _

_ (“Tell me something...do you regret joining SOLDIER?”) _

_...little club.  _ Cloud inhaled deeply, folding the note back up and setting it in the top shelf of his locker. Before he pulled his gloves on, he held his hand out to notice it shake, just barely.  _ Wings represent freedom...for those who have none.  _ He bit his lip.  _ More than one person has said that…if we tried to leave, someone would probably come after us. And kill us. Sephiroth took out that...that person, that experiment, as if he’d done something similar countless times. I mean, he’s seen war, but he’s also…seen so much else.  _

“Strife!” A 2nd-class rushed past the lockers. “Roll call’s in five, 1st-class Hewley’s gonna grill you if you’re late!” 

“Yeah, I know!” Cloud replied. He didn’t even bother to look up, switching the feather from hand to hand as he put on his gloves.  _ I wonder…if the others had to go through the same sort of thing that I did. They didn’t...get turned into _

_ (monsters) _

_ experiments, but…  _ As he stretched his glove over his right hand, he noticed a small loop on the wrist.  _ Five minutes.  _ He quickly untied the leather cord and threaded it through the loop, then wrapped it around his wrist like a bracelet and tied it off.  _ There. I’ll have to...thank him when I see him. If I can. Maybe on the way to rehab later today. I’ve got to come back here to give these to Dr. Crescent anyway-- _

He shook his head, blond spikes tossing.  _ Shit, I have to go--! _

He snatched his shoulder pads and sword and kicked his locker shut, clumsily holstering the sword on his back.  _ What were we even doing today? More combat practice?  _ The shoulderpads clattered against his thigh as he dashed down the hallway, around the next corner, and finally into the 2nd-class common room, where he ducked immediately to the back.  _ Made it, made it.  _ He sighed in relief as he strapped his shoulder pads on, the feather dangling off his right wrist.  _ Guess since I’m stuck here...I have my own feather. My own wings.  _

“All right, boys, looks like we’re all here, right?” 

Cloud’s head jerked up immediately.  _ That’s not Angeal. That’s-- _

Zack Fair, decked out in his usual 1st-class uniform, feather hanging right at his chest, surveyed the group of 2nds with a clipboard in one hand. Cloud found it difficult to hide his smile, and Zack caught him immediately, giving him a wink. “I’m giving Angeal a break from you rascals today,” he explained, slapping the clipboard against his thigh. “Let’s go on out to the training grounds, see what you guys got!” 

The group erupted into claps and small cheers while they filtered out of the breakroom. Zack gave a high five to a couple of them as they passed, but ultimately strode against the grain of traffic to reach Cloud. “2nd-class Strife, walk with me,” Zack said, a hand on his back.

“Y-yes, sir.”  _ It is... _ so _ weird to address him like that. He’s put his tongue in my mouth.  _ He bit the inside of his cheek hard.  _ Don’t think about that now, Cloud, for Christ’s sake.  _ He leaned against his side, just as Zack’s hand trickled down to his waist. 

Soon, they were at the very back of the group, and Zack snuck a kiss against his temple. “How’s it going?” he asked, quieter than before.

“All right,” Cloud replied, then held up his wrist. “Did you know about this?” 

The feather dangled in front of his face, and Zack gawked at it, grabbing Cloud’s arm by the wrist and bicep to steady it. “Hey, hey!” he exclaimed. “You got one too!”

“Y-yeah, the note said it was from Sephiroth--”

_ “Oh,  _ so  _ that’s  _ why he was asking me where your locker was!” Zack chuckled and ruffled his hair. “I’ll be damned. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him give anything to anyone…”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too.” Cloud kept close as they entered the stairwell, jogging down a few flights to a side door that exited above the plate. _I ought to frame it instead of wear it...  
_

“That’s pretty cool, though,” Zack remarked, then hesitated before opening the door. His eyes flicked down, his expression souring. “Actually, I don’t know about that…”

Cloud nodded.  _ Yeah, considering the prerequisite for getting one of these feathers is seeing or going through horrible things at the hands of this place. And now that we’re here, we can only leave on  _ their  _ terms. Whatever that could mean… _

Zack sighed, shook his head at the ceiling, then bent down and held Cloud close to him. “You should’ve never had to go through that, you hear me?” he murmured in his ear. Cloud felt the strain in his voice, and it made his heart sink. “None of it…”

Cloud’s fingers trickled to Zack’s waist, brushing at the fabric of his black, 1st-class uniform. “Hey…”  _ No, this isn’t what I thought SOLDIER would be. But we’re…we’re here together. All of us. You, me, Sephiroth and the other 1sts, Aerith, and Tifa, too. _

_ I’d rather be here with all of you, then “safe” and far away.  _

He mulled this over several times in his mind, letting it ease the tension in his shoulders, making sure the words sounded correct. But, by the time he took a breath to say it, Zack broke away from him, running a hand over his neck and back. “We’ll be all right, yeah?” he assured with a small smile. “Yeah...let’s get going.”

Zack shoved open the door, hot breeze hitting them in the face like a wave. “Say, I’m covering Angeal’s night patrol too,” Zack said, lacing his hands behind his head. “So it’s up to you whether you want to stay at the house or not.”

Cloud nodded. “I’ll think about it.”  _ Another night with Aerith wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe we could...we could _

_ (dress me up again, put me in makeup)  _

_ …do more organizing.  _ He stared down at his boots as they walked on the open plain of the 2nd-class training grounds. 

“Oy, get warmed up! Laps, laps, take ten!” Zack hollered to the idle SOLDIERs gathered in the middle of the field. 

_ Then again, Aerith might want to invite Tifa over.  _ Cloud smirked to himself.  _ That wouldn’t be so bad, either. We’ll see.  _

Zack stretched his arms up high, then clapped Cloud on the back hard enough to push him ahead of him. “Go on, join up with the rest of ‘em. Unless you want me to give you _ more  _ laps.”

“No, thanks,” Cloud chuckled, then steadied his gaze. “Hey, Zack?”

He tilted his head, deep blue eyes wide. “Hm?”

“We’ll be okay.”

His words were simple, tone steady and just laced barely with his Nibelheim accent, but Cloud felt a blanket of confidence wash over him. His posture straightened, and he curled a finger up to stroke the feather on his glove.  _ Yeah. I believe that.  _

Zack’s soft grin in reply was more than enough for him in response. 

* * *

 

Fresh out of the showers and back into his street clothes, Cloud held the bouquet of flowers close to his chest in the elevator back down to the rehab center.  _ I worked with an intern most of the day at rehab, so hopefully she’s still around,  _ he thought.  _ I never see her leave HQ, and she doesn’t talk about her home life much...it’s like she lives here instead.  _

A walking cane bumped the bouquet, pushing it just above his nose. “Got a hot date, 2nd-class?” the owner asked.

Cloud jerked over--a Turk with red hair tied back in a ponytail, goggles perched on his head, and a cheeky grin.  _ That’s...Reno? He was around during my SOLDIER exam. I guess he’s a veteran around here.  _ “N-no, sir,” he replied, swallowing hard. “These are for Dr. Lu--Dr. Crescent in the science department…”

_ “Oh,  _ that’s how it is, huh?” Reno chuckled and swung his cane around. “That’s right, you’re Cloud Strife, the kid Fair took under his wing. I’ve heard  _ all _ about you.” He snickered and leaned back against the back wall. “Dr. C will appreciate it. She works harder than even our boss does, and that’s saying a  _ lot.”  _

“Mm.”  _ Zack wasn’t exaggerating,  _ Cloud thought with a small nod.  _ They  _ do  _ know about everything that goes on in this place.  _ The elevator pinged at his floor, and he rushed out, clearing his throat as a parting gesture. 

His feet traced the path to the rehabilitation center like clockwork, and he approached the receptionist without hesitation. “Excuse me,” he said. “Is Dr. Crescent here?”

“Should be,” the receptionist replied. “Probably in her office.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” 

He took the right fork around the desk, leading to a long hallway lined with offices.  _ I’m kind of sad to be getting done rehab. It’s good that I’m stable, and I haven’t had any bad incidents in the last week or so. But, she said she wants to put me to once a month now, so I’m pretty much…done. And it means that I’ll have to do the paperwork to move out of the barracks, too. I’ll need to have Zack help me with that one.   _ His eyes scanned the plates beside the doors.  _ Let’s see, hers is toward the end of the hall… _

“What?” A nasally voice echoing down the hall stopped Cloud dead in his tracks. “You’re telling me you’ve had him with you this  _ whole time?”  _

Cloud swallowed hard, making his throat click.  _ That’s Dr. Hojo.  _ The voices were coming from the open office door at the very end of the hall, and he crept slowly toward it, walking on his toes so he wouldn’t make any noise. 

A tired woman’s voice replied, at a much lower volume. “Yes. Yes, I have.”

_ And Lucrecia.  _ Cloud gripped the flowers tight in his hand.  _ He’s her boss, but judging by what I’ve heard around the base, he’s also her husband. I can’t imagine why…  _ “And you didn’t tell me? Tch…” As he snuck closer, Cloud could see the shadow of his silhouette, reflected by the harsh fluorescent light, reflecting on the white tile. “I wanted another chance at him--”

“Well, you can’t,” Lucrecia replied. “The President said so, and besides, he’s--”

_ They’re talking about me.  _ Cloud’s hand began to shake, and he adjusted his hold on the flowers with both hands, hoping the rattling of the cellophane wouldn’t draw attention.  _ He wanted to experiment...on me. I need to get out of here... _

“Since  _ when  _ has the President’s orders ever interfered with my work?” Hojo sneered. “He should have never given his son the company, he doesn’t understand my vision…”

“Your  _ vision?”  _ Lucrecia’s voice began to rise, and now Cloud could get a better look inside the office. Her arms were crossed, mouth open wide in disbelief. “Your vision to use lives for your own experimentation?”

“It’s more meaningful that way,” Hojo said simply, lacing his hands behind his back. “I thought that man would be useful in some HIV experimentation. If he survived all that mako, then maybe--”

“As if you haven’t been slipping strains of it into the 2nds! I see it  _ all,  _ Simon, I curate the bloodwork. It’s just an excuse for you.”

“They’re SOLDIER, they’ve been created to handle it.”

“But they _can’t!_ There’s still no cure, and you’re too busy creating  _ monsters--” _

“Oh, don’t call them  _ that.” _ Hojo’s condescending tone made Cloud’s blood boil, especially as he ran his thumb over Lucrecia’s face.  _ Did she flinch?  _ Cloud observed. “They’re on their way to becoming perfect beings.”

“As if you haven’t been doing this for years,” she retorted. “Even  _ before  _ Shinra died, you were playing games like this. And you  _ still  _ haven’t come up with anything that hasn’t been utterly  _ destructive--”  _

Hojo’s brow furrowed, and he grit his teeth. “Stop.” 

She shook her head wildly, withdrawing from his hand. “Destructive or absolutely  _ miserable!  _ You’re creating  _ death  _ is what you’re doing! What you  _ did!  _ To countless faculty, to SOLDIER, for God’s sake, even to--”

Lucrecia didn’t get to finish, for Hojo strode forward and smacked her hard in the face. The force of it was strong enough to whip her neck to the side, a red mark already visible.  _ Jesus Christ,  _ Cloud exclaimed in his mind, a hand over his mouth.  _ What a terrible man…  _ He glanced behind him, only to an empty hallway.  _ I passed her office, I should...get out of here. That’s what I said before...  _ Still, with shiver of anxiety bubbling in his stomach, his feet stayed glued to the floor. 

“Don’t you  _ dare  _ talk back to me,” Hojo muttered. “My methods are  _ my own.  _ I will create  _ what  _ I want, on  _ my  _ own terms.” He grabbed her wrist and yanked her closer, syllables hissing even as she tried to bend her back away from him. “I have been here for thirty years, I know how to bend people to my will. I plan on taking mako to its full potential, whether--”

“--Whether anyone likes it or not,” Lucrecia finished for him under her breath. 

This time, Cloud couldn’t watch as the sound of another hit reverberated in the otherwise silent hall. “What the  _ fuck  _ did I just say?” he cursed. 

“Nngh...don’t talk back…”

The whimper in her tone was palpable, and finally, Cloud found it in him to move, rushing spinning on his heel and darting down the hall. As he ran, he could hear Hojo’s grating tone follow him. “That’s right. I’m sorry. Take some ice…”  _ Fuck, fuck, fuck,  _ Cloud thought, fear and anger mixing a cocktail in his chest.  _ You’re not sorry, you’re not sorry at all. He’s more of a monster than anything I’ve seen here. I’ve got to tell someone… _

He reached the front desk before he even realized it, out of breath as if he’d run several miles.  _ But who do I...even tell? He’s the head of the science department, and he’s let so much other gruesome things go under the radar, with nothing… _

_ He’s still here even with though he’s taken so many lives, and almost my own… _

“Sir?” the receptionist asked. “Was she not in her office?”

Cloud jumped, feeling a cold sweat on the back of his neck. “N-no,” he said, resting the flowers on the counter. “I, ah...I couldn’t...find her. But I heard something down the hall. Someone…” He took a deep breath.  _ It’s something, it’s something, even though I’m a coward and couldn’t face him myself.  _ “S-someone should see to it.”

The receptionist cocked her head, eyebrow raised in non-judgemental curiosity. “Sure thing,” she replied, taking the flowers. “I’ll make sure these get to her.”

“Thanks.” He nodded, then stumbled over his own feet as he turned back down the hall.  _ Someone...someone’ll take care of it, even if I can’t. I’m just-- _

_ (“There you are,” Hojo says, a needle in his hand. “If you come quietly, this won’t hurt a bit--”) _

Cloud weaved, his stomach churning, and he swallowed a lump in his throat.  _ Damn it, damn it.  _ He punched the call button on the elevator, then hugged his arms waiting for it to come.  _ I’ve got to walk this off. Or something else.  _ He inhaled deep through his nose, but it still shuddered.  _ I’ll...I’ll stop at Tifa’s. That should help… _

* * *

 

Barret leaned against the counter, wiping down a glass as he looked to Tifa. “If you want to take more nights off, you can,” he said. “It’ll just come out of your pay, that’s all.”

Tifa sighed, bangles clanging on the edge of the bar as she spun her back to it. “You know something,” she remarked. “Considering you’re essentially letting me live in-house, and you pay for food, it’s not that big of a deal. I’ve been saving most of it…”

“That’s good, then,” he grunted. “Get yourself something nice sometime, why don’t you…”

Tifa smirked.  _ That’s an awful roundabout way to say that you’re taking care of me,  _ she thought. She spun back around and caught Marlene’s eye, sitting right in front of her with a glass of juice, and winked.  _ I can’t complain.  _ At the end of the bar, Vincent sat in his usual seat, quietly privy to the conversation.  _ Not even a little bit... _

Barret cleared his throat. “Look who it is,” he said, wandering to the opposite side of the bar, then raised his voice. “Cloud, how are you, my friend?”

_ He called him by the right name for once,  _ Tifa marveled, but her amusement was cut short when she saw the downcast look on Cloud’s face.  _ Oh, no. What happened now?  _ “All right,” he muttered, taking a stool beside Marlene, and two seats down from Vincent. “Could I...get a beer, Ti?”

“Sure,” Tifa replied in a hushed voice, swallowing an endearment in her throat.  _ I almost called him “hon”.  _ She occupied herself by grabbing a mug from the freezer beneath the counter, and filling it from the tap. 

“Hi!” Marlene’s voice chirped behind her, just as Tifa turned back with the full mug.

Despite the anxiety stored in his shoulders  _ (too hunched over, twitching because they’re too tense,  _ Tifa mused), Cloud smiled at her, cyan blue eyes softening. “Hey there,” he greeted. 

Marlene spun on the stool for a second. “Can I sit with you?” she asked finally, voice dropping.

Cloud chuckled, and he patted his knee. “C’mon up.” 

She giggled and sprung onto Cloud’s lap, climbing all over him in order to get comfortable. “Oy, easy there…” he grunted, wrapping one arm around her waist to keep her steady. As soon as he noticed his beer on the table, he nodded to Tifa in thanks before taking a deep sip. 

Tifa tilted her head and played with her bangles behind her back.  _ I still...want to know why you came in looking so haunted, Cloud. This is the second time in a week, and every time, it makes me wish you never joined in the first place. That’s how I’ve always felt, though, hasn’t it?  _ “How was work?” she asked finally. 

“Okay,” he muttered. His voice had dipped, and she found herself leaning on the counter in order to hear him. “Zack did training with us today, guess he was filling in for Angeal…”

“Ah.” Eyes flicking across the bar, Tifa spotted Vincent draining the last drops of his drink, but before he could set the glass down, Barret was ready with another one, full to the brim.  _ Well, that’s all set.  _ She returned to Cloud. “Did…anything happen? You look a little stressed.”

He sighed and readjusted Marlene on his knee. She had rested her head on the crook of his shoulder with a far-away gaze. “You could say that,” he said, clearing his throat. “I, ah…” 

Cloud met her eyes, and they held each other’s gaze for a palpable amount of time.  _ What did you see today?  _ she thought, hand resting on the counter.  _ Was it another monster? Did someone hurt you? I know, I know you can handle yourself, God knows you’ve gone through enough. But sometimes…I want to step in and just-- _

“Hello~!” Aerith’s voice lilted through the bar, braid bouncing on her back, and she immediately hopped into the seat Marlene previously occupied. “Barret, Vincent.” The latter only grunted in response, along with lifting his gold, clawed hand off the bar. She chuckled and turned to Marlene, tilting her head to try and meet her eyes. “Hey, cutie pie.”

“Hi,” Marlene mumbled, nuzzling into Cloud’s shoulder.

“Jeez, you put her right to sleep,” Aerith chuckled. “Isn’t that cute?”

His face bloomed pink as he shook his head, staring down at the counter.  _ It is, she’s right,  _ Tifa thought biting her lip. Aerith’s hand snaked across the counter to clasp hers, fingers tapping on the top, and she returned it by lacing her fingers with hers.  _ But, ah… _

Aerith glanced between the two of them, feeling the silence in the air. “Sorry, I just kind of barged in,” she said. Beneath curly strands of hair, Tifa spotted pink, rose earrings on her ears. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No--” Tifa started.

Cloud lifted two fingers up from the counter to stop her. “I was just telling Ti about something that happened today.” He sighed, idly stroking Marlene’s side as he gathered his thoughts. “I…you know, Aerith, how I got those flowers this morning?”

“Oh, yeah!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t make you late, did I? I wanted to make a good arrangement.”

“No, no,” he said. “That wasn’t it...I just...when I went to go give them to her…I ran into Hojo--”

“Hojo?” Tifa asked.

“Hojo?” Aerith repeated.

A growl erupted from the end of the bar.  _ “Hojo,” _ Vincent muttered. 

Cloud jolted with a start, now that he had the bar regular’s attention. “Y-yeah...ah…”

“That’s the nasty science guy, right?” Aerith coaxed. “The one Zack punched? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

“Y-yeah, that’s him,” Cloud continued, voice evening out. “B-but he…I was just…I eavesdropped on them arguing, and he…” He winced. “He fuckin’... _ hit  _ her. He was pissed that he didn’t get to...to do anything  _ more  _ to me, that he could do wh-whatever he wanted, and then when she talked back to him, he just...h-hit her in the face.” 

His fist clenched on the bar. Even though Marlene was dozing, the rest of the group was still, waiting in electrified quiet. Tifa reached out with her free hand to Cloud, but Aerith got there first, rubbing his shoulder, and she hesitated. “D-damn it,” Cloud hissed. “I-I couldn’t even  _ do  _ anything, I was too...too God damn scared--”

“Did you tell anyone?” Aerith asked quietly. “Anyone there?”

“I-I mentioned something to the receptionist, but…” He huffed and squeezed his eyes shut. “What good is that going to do…”

“Cloud…” Tifa murmured, and under Aerith’s gaze, she finally rested her open palm on Cloud’s closed fist. “That guy did horrible things to you, I…don’t blame you for not wanting to stay--”

His hand quivered under hers. “But Lucrecia did so much for m--”

Suddenly, the barstool beside them clattered over to the floor, and a shadow loomed over them. Vincent stood oddly tall before the group, staring down Cloud in particular. “Did you…” he rumbled. “Did you say...Lucrecia?”

Cloud’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he met Vincent’s reddish glare, and his voice became small. “Y-y...yes,” he managed, nodding. “Lucrecia...Crescent.” 

Even Tifa could see Vincent’s pupils dilate. “And Hojo…” He continued to mutter under his breath, indecipherable to them, before abruptly turning away and heading out of the bar. His trench-coat fluttered behind him, and Tifa spotted his hand reach inside his coat before he slammed the door behind him.  _ What… _

The group stared at the door in silence--Marlene only yawned after the door slammed. “Should…” Aerith uttered. “Should we...follow him?”

“I think that’s a  _ bad  _ idea,” Barret replied strolling around the bar toward them, not taking his eyes off the door. “Who knows what he’s off to do...weird shit sets him off.”

_ You can say that again,  _ Tifa thought.  _ Vincent...where the hell are you off to? I hope he doesn’t disappear for a week again, coming back looking more haunted than he already does.  _

Cloud’s hand had loosened beneath hers, and she idly stroked the top of his knuckles. The hold was brief, however, as Barret tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to withdraw. “I’ll take her,” he muttered, holding his arms out. “She shouldn’t be napping this late, but can’t be helped.”

“Sure,” Cloud replied, hoisting Marlene off his lap and into Barret’s arms. “S-sorry…”

Barret only shook his head, before he headed into the side stairwell and made his way up. Cloud let out a long sigh and took another long drink of his beer, draining it nearly to halfway. “God…” he huffed. “I hope she gets those flowers…”

“She will,” Aerith reassured, rubbing his back. “Fuck Hojo…”

Cloud snorted and nodded. “Yeah, no kidding.” His eyes flicked up to Tifa, and she watched the side of his lip curl. “I was doing all right, ‘til  _ that  _ happened.”

“Well, you can come back and relax at our place,” Aerith reassured. She winked at Tifa. “And maybe you can come too?”

“Ah…”  _ If Vincent is going to be gone tonight, it might be tough to get out. And Zack’s probably going to be at their place too, it’s going to be...really crowded.  _ “Well, I don’t know…”

“Aw, c’mon, baby,” Aerith whined, much to Cloud’s quiet amusement. “Zack’s going to be gone  _ all night,  _ and I’m going to be  _ so lonely…” _

“Oh, my God!” Tifa exclaimed, laughing as Aerith pulled their linked hands up in an attempt to to feign fainting with one against her forehead. It dragged her torso almost completely across the bar, and she had to yank her back down in order to stay steady. “You…!” 

Aerith, on the other hand, was giggling. “I’m kidding! Cloud’s going to be here, so you don’t have to…”

Cloud cleared his throat. “Um, actually…” he muttered, twisting his mouth. “I was...going to ask if you wanted to come over, anyway.” Cyan blue met her auburn brown, if only for an instant. “Y’know, it’d be…nice.” 

_ Like old times, huh?  _ she thought.  _ When I’d run away to your house after Dad and I fought, or you’d follow me home after a rough day at school. Whether your anxiety got too bad for you to make it through your last class, or bullies cornered you at your locker, when fighting back only got you a bloody nose and more fear in your chest.  _

_ Like old times… _

Tifa returned to focus, and caught Aerith’s bright green eyes as she winked at her.  _ And then again, not quite.  _ She felt her face warm. “Oh, all right,” she said. “But it’s only because  _ you’re  _ giving me that look.”

Aerith blew her a kiss. “Works like a charm~!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all you Hojo haters out there, I think you can guess what's coming soon-- _justice_.
> 
> Despite all that happens here, this is kind of a transition chapter, wrapping up a couple things--Cloud is done rehab, so now he'll be permanently living with Aerith and Zack soon. Cloud has his own strength, but his anxiety still stands in a lot of situations. His loved ones can see it pretty easily though--he'll learn this as time goes on. Aerith could get either her boyfriend or girlfriend to do anything if she says it the right way. 
> 
> Next time, we'll spend a night with Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa!


	46. Close Quarters

Aerith and Zack’s apartment had a distinct smell to it, different than the waning alcohol of the bar, or the yellowing nicotine and lilac air freshener that Tifa remembered from Cloud’s house growing up. It was musky, like an old leather jacket, but with an overlay of something much lighter--floral and green without distinction. It was subtle overall, and it reminded Tifa of Aerith, so it was comfortable to walk into.

Especially with her hand clasped in her own. 

“Hey, we actually have food!” Aerith exclaimed, tossing her purse on the coffee table. “Um, shit, we have...uh, a lot of things in the freezer, some chicken, maybe?”

Cloud shrugged off his 2nd-class company jacket and hung it on the closet door before heading into the kitchen. “I can check,” he said. 

“Cloud, hon, you don’t have to,” Aerith insisted. As Tifa set her own oversized purse (big enough for a change of clothes) on the floor by the closet, she felt Aerith’s arms snake around her waist, hugging her from behind.  _ Ah.  _ Tifa rolled her neck back into the crook of Aerith’s shoulder.

“‘S’alright,” Cloud replied, bending down to look into the refrigerator. “If I’m going to be living here, I should start pulling my weight around here, huh?”

“I  _ guess,”  _ Aerith said with a giggle, then whirled Tifa around in her arms. “You want anything, baby? Something to drink?”

“N-no, I’m all set for now,” she stammered, hands fumbling before they rested on her hips. 

“What about a kiss~?” Aerith asked coyly, sneaking one on her cheek.

Before Tifa could properly respond or react, Aerith’s lips were already on her own, and she responded with a few of her own, laced with her giggles.  _ She’s so sweet, so cute, so full of energy. My head’s already buzzing…!  _

“I could make Hamburger Helper?” Cloud called from the kitchen. “That’s...er, easy enough…”

Tifa’s eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice, and she flicked her gaze over. He had the box of the mix, complete with the characteristic hand mascot on the front, held out in one hand. As soon as their eyes met, his flickered to the floor, then to the side, a brush of pink on the tops of his ears.  _ He doesn’t want to stare while we’re kissing,  _ Tifa thought. _ He probably thinks it’s rude, knowing him.  _

“Sure, that’ll be good!” Aerith replied for both of them, mushing her cheek against Tifa’s. “I didn’t know we had any hamburg down…” 

“Uh-huh,” he said with a nod. “You guys...ah, just relax, and...I’ll take care of this.”

“You sure?” Aerith asked. 

He smirked and nodded again. “It’s cool.” With that, he disappeared back into the kitchen, taking the sound of pots clattering with him. 

Tifa smiled to herself.  _ That’s just like him.  _ “Cloud’s a sweetie,” Aerith whispered in her ear, making her jump.

“Ah--! Y-yeah,” she replied, while Aerith guided them to the couch, plopping both of them in the middle. “He’s always been like that…”

“Like what?” Aerith immediately cuddled against her side, leaning hard enough against her to force her to lay into the corner of the couch.

“Like, helpful around the kitchen,” Tifa elaborated. “He was always in with his mom, even when I was over…she had to shoo him out, telling him ‘go be with your company’--”

Aerith laughed. “That’s cute, oh my God! I always thought he was in there just because he wanted to flirt with Zack.”

Cloud peered out of the door frame with a measuring cup in his hand. “I can hear you guys, you know,” he said, a smirk on his lips and an eyebrow raised. 

Aerith stuck her tongue out as she peered over the couch. “Yeah, we know!” she teased. “Tifa, do you have any embarrassing stories about Cloud we can tease him with?”

“What?” Tifa exclaimed, right before Aerith squeezed her middle.  _ “Ack,  _ don’t tickle me--!” 

“You guys grew up together, you  _ must  _ have some juicy deets!” 

Tifa glanced back over the couch, and he had a hand over his face, meeting her eye only temporarily before retreating to the kitchen. “I don’t know about  _ juicy,”  _ Tifa mused, easing herself back on the couch. “Our childhood wasn’t  _ that  _ remarkable.” 

_ (Shoved against a chain link fence, Cloud spat out blood off to the side. “You shouldn’t pick fights you can’t win,” the kid said, pushing him hard enough to jostle his head against the metal. “Pussy…”  _

_ The group of kids surrounding them jeered, then left in a group. A breeze blew by, kicking up dust as Tifa ran over to his side. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked.  _

_ When she reached out to touch him, he flinched away, rubbing his shoulder as if burned, although she didn’t make contact. “Fine,” he mumbled, sniffling, before finally looking up at her. His expression turned from bitter defeat to shock--crystal blue eyes wide enough to let a couple tears fall. “Huh? You’re…” _

_ “I, um...I didn’t see anything,” she replied. “My house is just down the road, if you’re hurt, I can…” _

_ “Tifa,” he interrupted. “F-from school…and the mountain…” _

_ She studied him a little closer, then stood up a little straighter as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “And you’re...Cloud. I remember now…”) _

She ran her tongue over her teeth.  _ How old were we then? It was right…right before we were in high school. So, fourteen, maybe? It had been years since I registered him, when he came to get me on the mountain, after Mom died. But...he didn’t forget about me.  _

“Hmm? C’mon, that’s what  _ everybody  _ says,” Aerith pushed, perching her chin on Tifa’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, but…”  _ We started having classes together right that following school year. I remember always thinking how a guy like him kept getting into fights-- _

Her train of thought was interrupted by the phone ringing. Aerith jostled the couch by the force of her jumping up. “I’ve got it!” she called, racing over. “It’s probably Zack.” She hauled it off the wall and mashed the receiver against her face. “Hello~! …Oh, hi, there!”

Tifa tilted her head.  _ That can’t be Zack.  _ She mouthed _“who is it”_ to her, and she responded in turn. 

_“Zack’s mom.”_ she mouthed. Tifa nodded once.  _ Oh.  _

Aerith spun around and continued talking, walking in place. “No, he’s not here. …Yeah, he took a night shift tonight. …Two weeks? Oh, my _God,_ I’ll make him call you tomorrow. …No, no, he just  _ forgets,  _ you know how he is. …Yeah, a big puppy.” She giggled and shook her head. “Everything okay over there? …Good. …Yeah, we should! It’d be nice to visit again. We’ll probably bring some friends when we come up!”

Here, Aerith winked at Tifa. “Oh, just a couple people! …No, actually, it’s a new friend of his that just made SOLDIER. …Mmhm. And a friend of mine, too. …It’ll be good!” She peered into the kitchen just as Cloud emerged. “Hey, we’re just about ready to eat dinner, so-- …Yeah, I’ll tell him you called. …Love you, too! Bye-bye.” 

As she hung up the phone, Cloud took a seat on the opposite side of the couch from Tifa. “Dinner’s not quite ready yet,” he said.

“I know,” she replied. “I didn’t want to drag on, though.”

“So that was Zack’s mom?” Tifa asked, for her own clarification.

“Yup, that’s Mama Fair,” she said. She flopped back on the couch and leaned against Tifa’s side. “Someday, he’ll remember to call his mother, God…”

“I should call my mom, too,” Cloud remarked, fluffing the back of his spiky hair. “I usually call her right before I come over here on the weekends…”

Tifa only nodded.  _ I stopped calling Dad a while ago. After I dropped off the truck… _

_ (“Hey, where are you going this early?” her father asked behind coffee and a newspaper. “Going to a sleepover, or something?”  _

_ She took a deep breath. “I’m going back to Midgar.” _

_ The newspaper flapped down. “What for?”  _

_ “I got a job, and a place to stay.” Despite the anxiety churning in her stomach, she kept her shoulders back, jaw tight, and breathing even.  _

_ He frowned at her. “What about what you’ve got here? Your boss is going to be pissed.” _

_ “I haven’t gotten a shift in two weeks. I already told him last night.” _

_ “So, you did all this without telling me?” _

_ “Dad, I’m an  _ adult!  _ I don’t have to--” _

_ “You’re gonna run away to be with that queer wannabe? You’ll just get eaten up by that city, your place is here--” _

_ Anger bubbled up in her chest before she could contain it. “No, it’s  _ not!  _ It’s not! Shut up!”) _

“Tifa?” 

She shook her head as Aerith’s voice brought her back to the present. “S-sorry, I was just…thinking,” she replied, grabbing at a strand of her own hair and tucking it behind her ear. “Did you say something?”

She studied her for a split second, taking the hand she had used to fix her hair to entwine with her own fingers. Aerith bit her lip, then continued. “I was just saying, I mentioned to her about all of us going up to Gongaga to visit.”

“Oh! That’d be...cool,” she replied.

Cloud chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I said,” he commented, rolling his shoulders back. However, his hands were clasped firmly in his lap. “I mean, we wouldn’t...uh, would we…”

“No, she doesn’t have to know we’re dating,” Aerith said, waving her free hand. “Maybe someday. We’ll play it cool. Hopefully Zack will too. I can see it now…” She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “God, when he took me to meet his folks, he could barely contain himself. He was beaming so bright his face ached the next day, and I  _ know  _ he’s going to do the same to you…”

Cloud shrank in his seat, pink flooding his cheeks. “You think so…”

“God, he loves you right to death, I’m sure he will.” she said. Aerith curled her legs beneath her, shifting in her seat. 

Cloud smiled to himself at this, staring down at the coffee table.  _ Yeah, he sure does,  _ Tifa thought, smirking to herself as well.  _ Every time I see the two of you get together, you look like you might melt.  _

“We’ll have to figure out a good time to go,” Aerith continued. “And how to get there. Fall is a good time, everything’s all orange and red and gorgeous…”

“Yeah, it’s the same back home for us, too,” Tifa said. 

“Last time, Zack borrowed a company vehicle. Something tells me he had some help from Angeal, but now that he’s 1st, it shouldn’t be a problem…” Aerith tapped a finger against her lips. “It’s a matter of him getting the time off. And both of you, too.”

“Shouldn’t be...too bad,” Cloud said. “There are still a lot of 2nds around base, two big companies. Some of them older, too.” He sighed and looked off. “I think some people just stop there and don’t bother to take the route to 1st.”

Aerith nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty rough for a lot of guys. I know Zack…” She paused to bite her lip. “There would be nights when he came to visit me, and then later when we moved in together, where he’d just collapse on the couch here and fall dead asleep. He’d just stay awake enough to give me a kiss…”

“Jesus,” Cloud muttered. He scratched the side of his arm and shook his head. “Looks like I’ve got…a long road ahead of me…”

“You don’t have to--” Tifa blurted, leaning over. “Y-you don’t have to go all the way to 1st, y-y’know.”  _ Especially after you almost  _ died  _ getting into SOLDIER.  _

A gentle furrow crossed Cloud’s brow, one Tifa recognized instantly. “I know,” he said. “I still want to.” 

Tifa only nodded.  _ Yeah, and that look says you won’t change your mind, too. I saw it every time I badgered you about leaving Nibelheim.  _

There was a pause between the three of them, then Cloud glanced up and reached out to tap Tifa on the knee. “Hey, speaking of which, my mom asked me last time I called her...if we’d be coming up soon.” 

“Really?” Tifa said. “That’s right, you haven’t been home since you left…it’s been a couple months now, right?”

He nodded, then fidgeted with his hands in his lap. “I mean, I was going to just take the bus that goes out that way…or just ask Zack…but, if you guys--”

“Oh, I’d love to!” Aerith interrupted, bouncing in her seat. “I’d love to come visit!”

_ You jumped right on that one,  _ Tifa thought with amusement. She took a deep breath and ran a thumb under her bangles on her free hand.  _ Me, on the other hand…  _ “There’s not much out there,” she mumbled. “It’s in the middle of nowhere--”

“But I bet it’s pretty! I love going to the mountains,” Aerith sighed. “Seeing nature is a treat when you’ve been living underneath a plate all your God damn life.”

“Oh, yeah…” 

Cloud leaned forward, question in his cyan blue eyes. “Would you be okay, though?”

_ He knows all about how my dad is. He knows that if we went, I’m not going to want to go over there.  _ Nonetheless, she nodded slowly. “I mean...we can just stay at your mom’s,” she sighed.

“Or if it’s nice, we could go camping on the mountain,” Cloud suggested, then glanced at Aerith. “Does Zack like camping? I think he mentioned it once or twice to me…”

“Mm, he’s cool with it,” Aerith said. “He likes making up ghost stories that don’t make any sense. You know…” She made a fist and put it under her chin. “With the flashlight and all.”

Cloud snorted. “Sounds about right.”

“God, we’ll have to go past that old mansion at the edge of town, though,” Tifa interjected. “Shinra Manor…”

_ “Shinra  _ Manor?” Aerith asked. “In  _ Nibelheim?”  _

“It was owned by the Shinra family, it’s been there since the beginning of the century,” Cloud said, squinting to think. “I think it used to be an underground bootlegging operation in the 20’s. Once Shinra Electric became a military facility in Midgar, they left it to the town. It was supposed to become subsidized housing, but…no one did anything to it. So, it just sat there at the west face of the mountain…”

“Holy shit,” Aerith awed. 

_ I didn’t know you knew that much,  _ Tifa thought, wide-eyed herself. Cloud shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. “I know most of this from researching here. Put it together from the old folk tales the guys in town said…” He caught Tifa’s gaze. “The big rumor around is that the place is haunted.”

“Haunted?” Aerith’s lip curled up. “Sounds like something to keep teenagers from vandalizing the place.” 

“Yeah, well…” Cloud hesitated.

“Oh, it’s  _ not  _ haunted, Cloud,” Tifa insisted. “It’s just  _ creepy.”  _

“Remember, though? When that group of seniors tried to get in? They said they saw some kind of monster in the basement--”

Tifa’s hand wormed out of Aerith’s to cross her arms as she leaned forward. “Yeah, they also said it was eight feet tall and looked like a behemoth. Get real, they were just trying to scare us!”

Cloud sucked in a hissing breath through his teeth. “I-I dunno…”

“Well,  _ we  _ don’t have to be a Scooby-Doo gang and investigate it,” Aerith remarked. “So long as you  _ don’t _ mention it to Zack.”

“Oh,  _ God,”  _ Cloud exclaimed with a snort. “Yeah, he would…he would do that.”

Tifa rolled her eyes.  _ Of course.  _ “Get us all in trouble…”

“He’s a troublemaker. But, not a bad one,” Aerith said with a giggle. “But, yeah! We should totally do that! We can make a big vacation out of it--go see Zack’s folks and Cloud’s! Do it for the fall, so all the big-wigs in Shinra will stop being on  _ their  _ vacations, and--”

A beep sounded from the kitchen. “Oh, that’s food,” Cloud grunted, easing himself off the couch. He walked around the back of it, trailing his hand on the back, grazing the top of Tifa’s head in the process. “We can do that though.” 

_ I guess...if we’re all together, it won’t be so bad,  _ Tifa mused as Aerith cuddled against her once again.  _ At least the Gongaga trip will be stress-free. For Nibelheim, it’ll just be a matter of avoiding Dad, and laying low so gossip doesn’t spread. Not that I think he’ll come looking-- _

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Aerith’s chin in her chest. “H-hey,” she said. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Aerith replied innocently. “You’re just a nice pillow, that’s all. You’re all soft…” 

Tifa scrunched her face and hid it on top of her head while Aerith giggled.  _ But, it’ll be all of us. And that’s good.  _

* * *

 

Later in the evening, Cloud yawned and stretched as he walked out of the bathroom in his pajamas. “It’s getting late,” he muttered. “Guessing I’ve got the couch, tonight?” 

Aerith tucked her knees to her chest in her pink, silk slip. Tifa, in her oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts, marveled at her.  _ I could never wear a little thing like that,  _ she mused, taking note of the lack of bra.  _ It does cover her all up, and doesn’t even bat an eye with Cloud being around. I’d be bursting out all over, and Dad would call me a whore… _

She bit the inside of her cheek.  _ Ugh, that’s enough of that. I’ve thought about him more tonight than he deserves.  _

“Well…” Aerith said, rocking on her bottom to slip herself off the couch. “You don’t  _ have  _ to…”

Tifa got up as well, making her way to the bathroom, and when she tapped Cloud for him to move out the way, he jumped. “E-er...b-but I don’t want to get in your way, that bed ain’t very big…”

“You didn’t say that when Zack suggested it before.”

“W-well, that was...that was  _ Zack…”  _

Tifa chuckled as she ran the faucet to wash her face.  _ Seems like Aerith always wants to pull us all together, somehow. She really is all about this…open relationship thing? This polyamory thing?  _ Dark swirls decorated the warm water dripping down, and stained the towel she wiped her face on. When she whirled back to the mirror, mascara trails lined just below her eyes. “Ugh,” she grunted to herself, and dabbed them away.  _ I won’t be surprised if I walk in on her and Cloud… _

“Ey, hey--!  _ Oof--” _

“Tiiifaaa~!”

_ Oh, boy.  _ She shook her head as she dashed out of the bathroom. “What?” she called, wandering through the living room. 

“In here!” Aerith called from the bedroom. 

The door was open, and both Cloud and Aerith were lying on the bed, the former’s head mashed in a pillow, spikes matted down. “Come join us!” Aerith brayed, patting the tiny space between them. “There’s room!”

Tifa scrunched her face and shook her head. “I…don’t think so,” she replied dubiously. 

“Welp, then you get…” Aerith slipped off the bed and grabbed Tifa by the waist. “...the same treatment that he did!  _ Hup!”  _

_ “Ack!”  _ In one fell swoop, she hauled Tifa around, spinning her once before hurling her onto the middle of the bed with a groaning creak of the springs. Tifa squirmed with Aerith’s arm underneath her, rolling into Cloud to free her. “What the hell!”

Aerith was laughing. “See! Told you!” 

“No!” Tifa exclaimed. She wasn’t sure if Cloud’s hands were actually ghosting her shoulders, or if she was just imagining it. “Someone’s going to fall off.”

“You party pooper,” Aerith said with her tongue out. She gathered her arms up to her chest and scooted as close to Tifa as she could, tucked just below her chin. “We just have to get cozy, that’s all.”

“I mean, a-all right…” she said with a sigh.

“Ti,” Cloud muttered, much closer than she anticipated. “I-if it’s weird, I really can go--”

Tifa craned her neck back to him.  _ He’s trying not to spoon me on purpose,  _ she observed. His bony hips were right on the very edge of the mattress, and there was a hair’s width between their bodies, only the fabric of his pajamas touching her. “No, it’s okay,” she answered. “I-it’s not a big deal.”

His lip twitched in the semblance of a smile, before he allowed himself more space on the bed  _ Ah, Cloud.  _ Tifa rested her neck in a more natural position and adjusted it against the pillow.  _ I mean, it’s not like...we haven’t done something like this before.  _

_ (winter’s morning light streaming through the window behind them, finding herself dozing in his lap. “Ti?”)  _

_ But, we were just kids then.  _

_ (“Ah, I’m...sorry.” _

_ “It’s okay.” That soft smile, faint but distinct. “I think...Mom’s making pancakes.”) _

_ Things are different… _

Tifa brought herself out of her memories, out of soft focus, and turned her eyes down to Aerith. She was barely hiding a grin behind the combination of her chest and her own hands. “What?” Tifa asked. 

“Nothing, nothing~,” she replied in a sing-song voice. “You’re cute.”

“A-ah.” Tifa’s nose wrinkled.  _ Aerith--!  _ “You are too. W-way cuter.” 

“Nuh-uh! That’s impossible,” she retorted, kissing her cheek. “You’re the cutest here.” 

“N-no!” Tifa began to squirm, only provoking Aerith to wriggle her own fingers into the rolls of her waist, tickling her in the process.  _ “Ack,  _ no no  _ no!”  _

“Listen to that! You’re  _ so  _ cute!” Aerith squealed, kicking her feet. “C’mere, baby--!”

Their giggles shattered the otherwise quiet of the room, and now Tifa began to squirm and kick in a vain attempt to get away. Gasping for breath, she felt Cloud clinging to her waist more desperately. “Guys, I’m gonna fall…!” he exclaimed, a chuckle in his voice as well.

“See--!” Tifa burst between fits of giggles, making it come out like a squeak. “I  _ told  _ you--”

“Shh! It’s fine!” Aerith repeated. “We can squee--hey,  _ hey!  _ No fair!” 

While she spoke, Tifa capitalized on the opportunity to sneak her hands into the crook of her neck, grazing the skin gently. Instantly, Aerith crushed her fingers in the side of her face, and she withdrew, trying to scoot off the side of the bed.  _ Got you!  _ she thought with a wild grin, giving her a few cheek kisses of her own before Aerith managed to escape. Tifa tugged at her slip, but she was quickly swatted away. “You sneak!” she exclaimed, flipping her ponytail back and pointing. “Stay there, I’m going to shut the lights off!”

Tifa’s laughter faded as the lights clicked off--first, from the living room, then the bathroom, and finally the bedroom itself, swathed in darkness. “Okay, okay,” Aerith said, still giggling as she snuggled back into bed. “No more tickling, I promise.”

“Thank God,” Tifa replied.

“Good,” Cloud added behind her. 

Suddenly, even though she couldn’t see her, Tifa felt Aerith sit up. “Oh, we didn’t get to you--”

_ “No,”  _ Cloud protested firmly, shrinking into Tifa’s back.

“We know how ticklish  _ you  _ are,” she said deviously. “Oh, I guess we can  _ wait,  _ I  _ guess…”  _

“I’ve got work in the morning,” Cloud muttered. Tifa felt his words right at the nape of her neck, barely masked by her hair. 

“Don’t we all,” Aerith sighed, “although I think you’re up the earliest of all of us, Cloud.”

“Morning role call is at 7.” 

“Sounds about right…”

_ I need to be back in case Barret gets a delivery, or needs to run errands. So, around 9:30 or so.  _ After the exertion of laughing and being tickled, Tifa felt herself sinking into the springy mattress. The warmth between the two on either side of her lulled her into a light doze.  _ Hopefully...I’ll wake up in time. If Cloud gets up, it’ll stir me...he’s so close, anyway… _

“Do you work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, at the church. Delivery day, and all. It’s my job to keep it all organized…”

“Aw, that sucks. It’s for the AIDS shelter, right? So...medicine?”

“Yeah…”

Conversation faded in and out around her, Cloud and Aerith’s voices growing more and more hushed. Tifa’s legs tangled around Aerith’s, while her back was warmed by Cloud’s torso and hips, snug against her.  _ This is...nice,  _ she thought idly.  _ I thought it would be crowded, but… _

_...it’s a nice fit.  _

Aerith kissed Tifa’s forehead gently. “Good night, sweetie,” she murmured, before rolling over and tucking herself into her lap.

“Mm…” Even in her sleepy haze, Tifa looped an arm around her waist.  _ Aerith… _

She felt Cloud adjust behind her, head close to her ear, but in the end, he just settled back into his place, his own arm at her hip.  _ You can say “good night”,  _ she thought.  _ It’s okay… _

_ (so close though) _

_ It doesn’t matter… _

_ It’s fine… _

_ Cloud… _

_ (you love both of them, don’t you?) _

Tifa sighed deep before her breathing settled into a steadier rhythm.  _ Maybe. Maybe I… _

_...maybe I do.  _

* * *

 

At 4 AM, Zack carefully unlocked the apartment as quietly as he could, as not to disturb the dark and the quiet.  _ Long fuckin’ night,  _ he thought to himself. He twisted the handle so it would latch without noise, then stripped his backpack off his shoulders. He rubbed his eyes before instinctively going to the couch. “Hey…” he whispered.

Except, there was no one there.  _ Huh?  _ More awake, he tiptoed around it and poked the bedroom door open.  _ Did Cloud stay on base anyway? I mean, we’ve still got to get that paperwork done to get him discharged from there, so…  _ He let his eyes adjust to the dark as he leaned in the doorway.  _ I can’t imagine Cloud and Aerith sleeping together without me, but… _

_...ah.  _

On the bed, Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith were squeezed together, all sleeping peacefully in each other’s arms.  _ Well, would you look at that,  _ he thought with a smirk.  _ Don’t they all look cozy. Pretty nice little family we’re building up over here… _

_ They both really like Tifa then, huh? She’s cool, she’s tough. That’s good. Good for them...  _

Slowly unbuttoning his overshirt, he huffed to himself.  _ Shame I can’t squeeze in there. I’d put myself right on the other side of Cloud. Probably. Or Aerith?  _ He turned on a heel and tossed his shirt on the back of the couch.  _ Either way, looks like the couch is mine, tonight... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aerith and Cloud are pretty sweet on Tifa…
> 
> Lot of setting up going on in this chapter for things later on. We will take the road trip to Nibelheim and Gongaga in the future! But not quite yet. Zack and Aerith only have a full bed, and it's a miracle that they keep packing that thing full. Hamburger Helper is an easy go to meal--unlike Zelos of Jumper, Cloud does not almost fuck it up. 
> 
> Hm, that's about all I've got for notes right now. Next chapter will be a quickie transitional one with Zack! Mostly because I didn't think it would fit in this one, and I didn't want to drag it out. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!


	47. Morning Traffic

_(I’m back at my parent’s house, eating breakfast. The TV’s on, the news. Mom’s cooking, and I’m scarfing it down faster than she can dish it out. That’s pretty normal, but…_

_Cloud walks in. “Hey, you ready to go?” he asks. Right, we have to get ready to go to school. He’s wearing his SOLDIER uniform though. But he’s wearing a backpack? I don’t think about it too much, I just follow him out…_

_We walk, we talk. It’s something about Aerith. We’re walking through the desert…_

_It’s so hot…_

_“Zack, c’mon.” It’s Angeal. He’s on my other side._

_“Let’s go!” Aerith, this time, although I can’t see her._

_“Zack.” “C’mon.” “Let’s get going.” “We’re going to be late.”_

_Voices, voices all around me. I see glimpses of faces that I can’t quite make out, but I feel surrounded and warm. My friends are with me, the sky is huge and bright, bright blue without a cloud in it…_

_But I feel something on my face…)_

Lips against Zack’s forehead stirred him, and he weakly reached up. “Mmn…” he whined.

A chuckle that could only belong to Cloud floated through his ears. “Shh,” he hushed gently. “I’m takin’ off. Go back to sleep.”

He continued to paw at his chest. “Mm, but I don’t wanna…” he mumbled, shifting. “I don’t wanna go to school…”

Cloud giggled again, and Zack grinned in his drowsy state. “You don’t have to. Angeal paged me, said if you’re going to come in, you don’t have to be there until 3.”

Zack yawned and rolled over, kicking his legs over the couch arm. “Mmmkay. I’m gonna...gonna sleep. I love...love you, baby…”

If Cloud said anything else, Zack was asleep before he heard it. But, he managed to catch a smile through half-lidded eyes before he passed out.

* * *

 

“...have everything…?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay, honey.” A smack of kissing lips. “I’ll stop by later tonight.”

“Sure.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

The door clicked shut, and Zack drifted off once again.

* * *

 

He finally came to when he felt a significant weight on his chest. _What…?_ Zack shifted and stretched, and when he rested his hands down, they landed on warm hips. Instinctively, he reached lower for the butt that was connected to them. “Mm…”

“Good morning, sweetie,” Aerith cooed, kissing him on the nose. “Watch those hands.”

“Don’t wanna.” For emphasis, he squeezed her ass, and she wriggled in his grip. At last, he managed to open his eyes, finding Aerith an inch away from his face, with an amused grin. _My sweetheart,_ he thought, running a hand back through her bangs and cupping her face. “What time is it?”

“Quarter ‘til 1,” she replied. “I’m going to be taking off in a little bit.”

“Flower shop or church?”

“Church.”

“Okay.” He stretched his legs underneath her, then grunted. “Man, I’m stiff. I can’t believe y’all delegated me to the couch. Ouch.”

“Sorry, babe,” she said, ruffling his already messy jet black hair. “That bed’s a tight squeeze for four. No tall puppies allowed.” She cocked her head. “Hey, you sleep here with Cloud sometimes. You don’t get a stiff neck then?”

“Er...not _all_ the time.” He sat up a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, then coaxed Aerith to scoot up with him. _Usually, I don’t notice it because I’m with him._ “Must’ve just slept wrong.”

“Aw, poor baby.” She pouted, jutting her lower lip out, and it took what little energy Zack had in him to resist kissing it.

“I bet _you_ slept like a baby,” Zack remarked. “You three looked pretty cozy in there.”

Aerith chuckled in the back of her throat. “Mm, it was nice. Tifa’s warm and soft…”

 _There she goes._ He kissed the tops of Aerith’s pink cheeks--one side, then the other. “I’ve gotta say, it’s still cramped,” she continued, frowning. “We _need_ a bigger bed if we’re going to keep doing this.”

“We need a bigger _place,”_ Zack clarified. “It really isn’t big enough for three, let alone four, if Tifa starts hanging around more. I’m tempted to ask the landlady if she has anything open in the building…”

“Hon, she’s charging us out the _window_ just for this place. A _basement_ unit. Do you really think we’re going to get a better deal here?”

Zack sighed. “Eh, it was worth a shot…”

Aerith rolled over in his lap and stretched her arms up around his neck. “It would be so nice if we could move out of the slums,” she said, fingers playing at the back of his neck. “But it’s just _so_ expensive…”

“I dunno if I’ve ever looked too seriously,” Zack replied. “If it’s within my monthly paycheck, we can swing it. With Cloud living with us, there’s a little more money to go around. 2nd-class paycheck still isn’t bad, _and_ I got that pay bump too.”

“True. But, I bet down payment is like…first month, last month, _plus_ a security deposit, which is _another_ month’s rent--”

“Yeah, it’s gonna hurt at first.” He kissed the top of her head. _I hate the sound in your voice when we talk about money. You sound so tired--I know you’ve been worrying about it your whole life. I never wanted that for you…_ “We’ll see how it goes. If you don’t mind a little travel, that development just outside the city’s starting to shape up…”

“Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that. What’s it called?”

“Edge. Should be ready for Shinra faculty next spring at the earliest.” Zack lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “And as 1st-class, I get first dibs.”

“Ooo _oooh.”_ She squirmed in his lap. “That sounds _nice.”_

“Sure does.” _There’s your spunk._ “We’ll start aiming towards that, then?”

“Mmhm.”

Aerith began braiding small sections of Zack’s hair, although all of them quickly unraveled as soon as her fingers left them. “Do you think we should wait to look for a bed before or after we get a bigger apartment?”

“Hmm…” Zack pondered. “Jeez, I dunno if we’ll be able to fit a bigger bed down here. Remember when we got this one? We had to keep dragging it--”

“Oh, that’s right. Damn.” She abandoned Zack’s hair and rolled over. Zack winced as her elbows dug into his sides and stomach, especially when she used his chest as a perch to rest her chin on both palms. “That’s a shame. It’d be nice for all of us to sleep together…”

Zack raised an eyebrow, as well as the corner of his lip. “You planning something, sweetie~?”

Their eyes met for a second as she read his intentions on his face before she swatted him light across the face. “No, _God,_ not like that,” she scoffed. “Not _yet_ anyway.”

Zack suddenly burst into a cackle, kicking one leg. “Hah! I wasn’t wrong!”

“Hey! Tifa’s got to warm up to you first!” she cried, poking his nose. “Once she stops rolling her eyes at you all the time, _then_ we _might_ be able to make your dreams come true.”

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. _Banging two girls at once. That’d be wicked._ He yawned long and loud, brushing the thought out of his mind. _Someday…_

“Hey, speaking of Tifa--” Aerith started.

“What, she’s the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen, and you love her so much?” Zack finished for her, earning him a jab to his middle. _“Ey,_ what?!”

“You little shit,” she cursed, still kissing him on the mouth briefly. “No, I was actually thinking...about her and Cloud.”

“Oh?”

“I think there’s something between them…”

“Yeah, I know.” Zack smirked. “Weren’t you teasing me about that earlier on, though? That whole ‘Cloud Strife is gay’ thing?”

Aerith laughed and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know it. But, now that you two are together, and we’ve put it out there about being poly…they might complete the little circle we’ve got going on.”

“Oooh.” _Love circle. Funny way to put it._ “Better than a love triangle, huh?”

“A million times better.” She beamed, and he became caught up in it too, matching the brightness of her smile. “I _know_ Tifa likes Cloud, they do that thing...you know?”

“Where they like...they talk without saying anything, yeah.”

“It’s cute,” Aerith said. “Plus, I feel like Cloud holds back a little around her. Like…he doesn’t want to intrude on us? I dunno. I think they’d be relaxed and happier if they just talked about their feelings.”

“Cloud’s a shy dude, I think it might take a bit.” _He had to write a confession letter to me...and even then, after he got better, it took him a while to give it to me._

“Tifa’s the same way.” Aerith puffed out her cheeks. “Someday. I _wanna_ play matchmaker and push it, but...I shouldn’t. Someday. Soon.”

Zack stroked back her hair. _Yeah, I get the thing about Cloud holding back. Sometimes when we’re chilling out, he’ll talk about her, then he’ll reel a story back in, and it never feels like he finished it. Like it is with Aerith, I don’t mind if he’s got someone else…_

_As long as he’s happy, and he’s got a place for me…_

_God._

He lifted Aerith’s chin and brought her face close to his. “I love you, baby,” he murmured, before planting a long, slow kiss on her lips. _I love them both…_

She smiled halfway through before she broke it. “Love you too, sunflower,” she replied, ruffling the top of his hair. Her eyes flicked back behind him. “Oh, shit. Now I _really_ need to get going.”

“Aww,” Zack lamented. “You can’t stay with me all day?”

“No, I wish.” She scooted up off his chest and jumped off the couch, smoothing her dress out. _“Are_ you going in?”

Zack rubbed his eyes. “Not sure. I’ll be running off fumes and mako if I do--”

On the coffee table, Zack’s pager started beeping wildly, and he felt adrenaline in his chest as he fumbled to shut it off. “Well, I might not have a choice,” he sighed. “Let’s see.”

He clicked the side, then held it out in one palm, speaker facing up, while the message played:

 _“Zack. This is Sephiroth. I understand that Angeal gave you the option to come in later or not at all, but you_ need _to come to rehearsal at 5. We are finalizing the setlist. No exceptions. Call me back to confirm.”_

“Oh boy,” Aerith said. “Looks like your evening’s all planned out.”

Zack rolled his eyes. “No shit.” _I thought we had already finalized it? Unless we’re doing just a run through...he’s been on edge trying to plan for this gig. If he’d just fucking relax…_ He lifted the pager to his mouth. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” He tossed it back on the couch while Aerith wandered to the kitchen. “Dude, Angeal does these graveyard shifts _all the time,_ I don’t know how he makes it…”

“He’s tough,” she called back.

“Hey, I’m tough!” he retorted. “I do a hundred squats every morning, I’m as tough as they come!”

“And you’ve got an ass that shows it.”

Zack grinned to himself. “You’re damn right.”

The pager beeped again, and he swiped for it immediately. _“Good. Thank you. I suggest you have your ID ready when you arrive at HQ. I am not sure of the circumstances, but they happen to be checking everyone today. Including me. Tch...”_

The message cut off without another word. _Huh,_ Zack thought. He rose and went to clip the pager to his belt, but realized that he wasn’t wearing any pants to clip it onto. _Kinda strange. Oh well, sometimes they ramp security up for no reason for something weird in the labs. I’m tired of worrying about the behind the scenes shit in that place._ Wandering around the couch, he grabbed his shirt and flopped it over his shoulder. _Could go and sleep some more on the bed if I wanted to, I’ve got a few hours…_

“Okay, I’m leaving,” Aerith said, emerging from the kitchen with purse slung over her shoulder. “If you’re hungry, there’s leftovers in the fridge. Cloud made Hamburger Helper.”

“Mm’kay,” Zack replied. He slipped a hand on her waist and kissed her head. “I’ll see you later tonight, pretty flower girl.”

“Sounds good, hotshot.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Ooh, you’re scruffy. You need a shave.”

“What? This is only a day old…” He rubbed his face with the side of his palm. _Whoops, that is sandpaper._ “Oh, all right…”

“You know, I’m glad you never _really_ followed Angeal in his footsteps,” Aerith remarked on her way to the door. “A goatee would look awful on you.”

Zack chuckled. “I’m telling you, all I get is the freshman beard and a weird 70’s ‘stache. All my hair’s on my head.” He fluffed the back of his black mane to demonstrate. “Okay, I’ll be smooth tonight. Love you!”

She blew him a kiss. “Love you, too!” She spun around in a full circle, then pointed at him. “Oh, shit! I almost forgot, I picked the song I wanted.”

Zack cocked his head. “Song?”

“You know! Genesis gave me that tape?”

“Oh, yeah!” _A song for her to sing with us. I_ still _don’t know how that’s going to play out. Sephiroth seems...reluctant at best._ “Just a heads up, I would pick _two._ A backup. You’ve seen how Seph is...”

“Oh. Okay then…” She tapped her finger against her lips. “Tell them…’Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ is my first choice, and ‘Magic Man’ second.”

“That’s the...Stevie song?” Zack snickered. “Of course you’d pick that one.”

Aerith beamed. “Why wouldn’t I?” She winked and waved. “Later!”

With a twirl of her dress around her knees, braid bouncing between her shoulders, Aerith slipped out the door, leaving the apartment empty for Zack. _God, she’s cute,_ he marveled to himself, a dopey smile spread across his face. _Anyway…_

He meandered to the kitchen and glanced at the clock on the microwave. _Let’s see, I’ve got a few hours. I could sleep some more if I really wanted to. Or, I could just chug some coffee and push through, hope that my sleep schedule gets rerouted tonight._ He opened the refrigerator, stomach growling. _Well, looks like I’ll treat myself to Cloud’s cooking…_

As he pulled the container out of the refrigerator, he started humming to himself. _“Mmm la da da la da da da...this charming man…”_ It was quickly interrupted by a yawn. “Come on, Zack. Gotta be ready for practice.” _Who knows what those guys will throw at me tonight..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1/12/16: A very minor edit to what song Aerith should sing.
> 
> That was quick! A shorter chapter, but actually...it didn't turn out _that_ much shorter. Pretty much a debriefing with Zack and Aerith. And cute cuddles. Always good! I realized that I hadn't mentioned Zack's squatting habit yet, so here it is. 
> 
> Next chapter, we catch up with the 1sts at rehearsal, and maybe a little adventure afterwards. After all, I wonder _why_ they're checking IDs at Shinra HQ today...? Stay tuned!


	48. The Death of a Scientist

In the rehearsal room, guitar feedback screeched from the amp, while Sephiroth bent over to pick up the sheet of messily scrawled on paper. “All right,” he grunted, clearing his throat. “That should be...should be fine.”

Zack wandered behind him. _Should be,_ he thought, wiping his brow with the back of his sleeve. _Jesus, I thought your voice was going to give out. If we’re gigging at the end of the week, shouldn’t you be saving it?_ He shook his head as he read the list from around his shoulder:

 _“Come As You Are - S_   
_You - S_   
_Iris - S_   
_Mr. Jones - Z_   
_Zack’s song (title?) - Z_   
_Plush - S_   
_Good Grief - S_   
_YYZ_   
_(jam in Am)_ _  
_ Hello - S”

Sephiroth sighed through his teeth. “I _still_ don’t think this is enough, even with those instrumentals…”

Angeal’s drumsticks clattered on the snare behind both of them. “I think it’ll be fine, especially for our _first_ gig,” he said. “Plus, we’re going to jam on ‘Come As You Are’ too, right? If you want to extend the solos on Zack’s song, or on ‘YYZ’ too, we can.”

Sephiroth’s brow furrowed. _He’s not convinced,_ Zack thought. Nonetheless, Angeal met his eyes with a roll back of his shoulders. “We’ll just play it by ear, y’know.” he said.

He squinted. “Play it? By ear?” he repeated incredulously, slapping at the setlist. “This is _my_ debut, it has to be _perfect.”_

At the bass amp, Genesis snorted and shook his head, but it was Angeal who regarded his comment. “Well, it’s not going to be, I can tell you that much. You just make the best of it.”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable.”

Zack scanned the front of the rehearsal and caught Cloud’s eye. His mouth was already covered, so Zack took the opportunity to make a frown, roll his eyes, and mouth nonsense in a parody of Sephiroth. His eyes squinted, shoulders shaking in silent laughter. _Cute._ Luckily, Zack managed to feign ignorance when Sephiroth whirled back to him, squinting. “Tch,” he clicked. “Do we plan on recording this performance?”

“Uh, I dunno,” Zack replied, running his hand back up his guitar. “Up to you.” _That's always the better response._

“We can,” Angeal added. “In fact, maybe we should. I’m sure Gen can get us some equipment. Right?”

It took Genesis a second to respond. “Huh? Yeah, sure,” he replied, lazily fingering his muted bass.

“Doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just something better than a mono tape recorder, y’know?”

While Angeal spoke, Sephiroth took off his guitar, then took measured steps toward Genesis with a furrowed brow. _“You’ve_ been awfully quiet today,” he stated.

Genesis raised an eyebrow, then bit his lip and looked off, barely restraining a giggle. Sephiroth crossed his arms. “Fuck’s sake,” he mumbled.

Angeal stood up from his kit, attention also drawn. He studied Genesis for all of ten seconds, then sighed himself. “That’s because he’s _baked.”_

Zack watched as Genesis giggled further, then squatted down to his bass case, fishing out a plastic bag. “Hell yeah,” he chuckled, weaving a little as he stood back up. _Is that...a brownie?_ Zack thought, cocking his head. _I thought I couldn’t smell any weed on him, but he’s…definitely been…”chill” all rehearsal._ Genesis waved the bag, particularly at Sephiroth. “Want some?”

“No,” he grunted.

“You sure?” Genesis persisted. “I’ll sell it to Kadaj.”

_“Don’t.”_

Next, he held it out to Zack. “What about you? You want some?”

“No, thanks,” he replied, taking off his own guitar and waving his hand. “I’m good.”

“Don’t even _think_ about offering that to me, jackass,” Angeal huffed.

“Wasn’t dreaming of it,” Genesis sneered, sticking his tongue out at him, then getting lost in a giggle fit again. Zack and Sephiroth exchanged a look of exasperation that expressed the same sentiment: _I wish he would’ve stayed quiet._

Cloud, on the other hand, watching the spectacle unfold, was still mildly amused, and a perfect target for his offerings. “Here, Cloud…” Genesis said. He stretched his arm back, as if winding up to throw a fastball in very, _very_ slow motion, but ended up lobbing the plastic bag with the brownie in the air. It landed just short of Cloud’s feet. “You take that...you take it home with you. That’s an...that’s an order, 2nd-class…”

“What the hell’s gotten into you?” Sephiroth hissed.

He cornered Genesis at his amp, and the latter held his hands in his face limply. “See, you don’t...you’re just not high with me, that’s why…”

Cloud picked up the bag at his feet and turned it over in his hands, shaking his head. “It’s okay, dude, just take it,” Zack sighed, walking over to him and patting his shoulder. “We’ll get rid of it later…”

His lip curled with amusement. “Is this really a pot brownie?” he asked.

Zack snorted and shook his head. _You haven’t spent enough time around Genesis, and that’s probably a good thing._ “If it’s from Gen, then _yeah._ It is.” _Now I know what Angeal meant before…_

Scuffling from behind them drew Zack’s attention--Sephiroth was desperately trying to get a jab at Genesis, who was somehow avoiding his every move. “Come on guys, cut it out,” Angeal said, separating the two of them, each with one arm. “Let’s call it a night…”

 _“Whaaat?”_ Genesis whined, straightening himself up. “Dude, I’m not...I’m not _done_ yet. Today’s a very... _very_ special day, you know.” With renewed energy, he ripped his bass off his body, messing up his hair in the process, and stuffed it inside his case.

“The hell are you talking about?” Angeal asked. “We’re not even close to April 20th.”

He paused, then scowled. “Hey, fuck you,” Genesis retorted. “I’m going out to celebrate, which one of you fucks are coming with me?”

“Not me, if that’s how you put it,” Sephiroth huffed, jacket already on. “I’m going to my mother’s. Good night.”

“Yo, hey, _wait!”_ Zack called, nearly kicking over a chair as Sephiroth clipped by them. “Before you go, Aerith picked out her song.”

He paused in confusion, then rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me at the top of rehearsal?”

Zack tugged his bangs back in exasperation. “I forgot! And I’m going to forget again if I don’t--”

“Well, then tell me.” Sephiroth’s leather jacket stretched and scrunched audibly as he crossed his arms, and he flicked his bangs away with a jerk of his head.

“U-uh…” _Here we go._ “The Stevie song. ‘Stop Dragging My--’”

“No,” Sephiroth interrupted flatly.

Zack sighed, shoulders drooping. _Yeah, that’s what I expected. Try two._ “Oookay, the Heart one. 'Magic Man'.”

 _“Ooooh, barracuda~...”_ Genesis sang behind them. He was in the process of getting up, but was forced to fall back to his knees while he snickered to himself, face red from exertion.

"Wrong one," Angeal said.

"Whaaaat? Oh, oh, wait…no, I got it…" He crawled on his knees over to Sephiroth and clung to his legs. _"'Come on home girl,' he said with a smile. 'You don't have to love me yet, let's get high a while…'"_

Sephiroth’s blue-green eyes flicked down with disgust before he shook him off. Even though Genesis continued to snicker beneath him, he paid him no further attention. “That’s fine. We will start rehearsing it after this gig. That means you should practice too.” He sighed deeply, giving a look to each person in the room, before nodding. “Okay. Good night.”

Genesis watched and waited until Sephiroth was almost out the door before shouting after him. _“Good night, angel of darkness!”_

He whipped around so fast, Zack swore he could feel a breeze. “Don’t fucking call me that!” he snapped, and slammed the door behind him.

In his wake, Genesis only laughed, using the bass amp to help himself up. “Whatever. Whatever!” He coughed and leaned back, making a show of pushing his bangs out of his face. “What do you say, Ange? Are you game?”

Angeal shook his head. “Nope,” he said. “I’m not watching you get sloshed on a Wednesday night. Where are you even going?”

“Thought I’d stop by 7th Heaven,” Genesis replied. “Make sure we’re all set for the gig. See, I’m not completely useless.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What about you two? Zack? Cloud?” Genesis gestured toward them. “C’mon, you’ve got connections there. I bet you guys will be _thrilled..._ fuckin’... _thrilled_ to hear the good news.”

“Well, why don’t you just...tell us?” Zack suggested. _This is like pulling teeth, Jesus. What the hell happened?_

“No, no, you’ve gotta... _see it_ for yourselves.” He winked over at Cloud, and he jerked back in his seat. “Surprised you haven’t heard it already…”

“Um, I was...I wanted to go see Ti anyway,” Cloud mumbled, fingers trickling down Zack’s arm. “I mean, we can stop by…”

“Yeah, I guess we can, but…” Zack glanced between him and Genesis, who was having trouble putting on his red leather jacket. _I’d rather not have Gen as company when he’s this fucking blazed. Especially if Angeal isn’t helping out…_

“Zack.” Angeal’s voice was close to his ear as he patted his back. “I’ll buy you lunch tomorrow if you make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble.”

“Oh, so I’m babysitting?” Zack quipped quietly. “Fuck. Fine, fine…”

Angeal chuckled, but it was laced with a tired knowing. “I know, sorry. Hey, at least you won’t be alone.”

His eyes flicked behind him and caught Cloud’s just as Zack turned. Cloud blinked and quickly looked down into his lap. _Yeah, that’s true,_ he thought with a smirk. _Wonder how many times he’s heard he’s a “silver lining”. Or any other amount of shitty cloud puns…_

“Come _on,”_ Genesis whined, walking in a spinning, half-drunken gait toward the door. “My high’s starting to wear off…”

“Damn, what a shame,” Zack sighed, taking note of Angeal barely hiding a grin at the corner of his eye. _Whatever, I’ll live._

Cloud stood up beside him and bumped his hip, 2nd-class jacket loose on his shoulders. As Zack shouldered his guitar, he winked at him and wiggled his hand out for him. _Yeah, it’ll be fine,_ he thought as Cloud took it. “Night, Angeal!” he called back.

* * *

 

For a weeknight, 7th Heaven was buzzing--the bar was nearly full, save for two seats near the left side of the bar. Cloud was reluctantly pushed into the one right beside Vincent, while Genesis took the other. Immediately, Genesis leaned over and grabbed Tifa’s attention before she could even greet them. “I want a shot of the hardest thing you’ve got,” he said with a grin, then sat up and shouted. “And something for everyone in the bar!”

A few cheers erupted from this, and Tifa glanced at Cloud, flabbergasted. “Uh,” she stammered. “S-sure…”

Genesis fished out his wallet and pulled out a Shinra branded credit card, twirling it between his fingers. He slapped it on the counter and slid it over. “Just put it on my tab, I’ll pick that up at the end of the night,” he said.

“O...kay,” she said, then backed up and rushed to the other end of the bar. _“Barret!_ This, er, this guy gave me a card…”

Cloud sank into the bar, shrinking into his seat as his eyes followed her, even though the conversation was lost in the white noise of the atmosphere. Behind him, Zack had his hands on his shoulders, rubbing in small circles. He leaned into his chest and tilted his head up. “You sure you don’t want to sit?” he asked.

“Nah, I’m good,” Zack replied.

 _Damn,_ Cloud thought. _I really...didn’t want to sit next to Vincent._ He swallowed and fidgeted under the bar. _But, if I ask Genesis to switch with me, that’ll only draw attention to it..._

Genesis was sitting on his knees, hands clasped on the cheap, dark wood. “I _could’ve_ said that I’m not just ‘some guy’,” he remarked. “But, that’s an awful Sephiroth-like thing to do. So, I won’t.”

“Jesus,” Zack muttered into Cloud’s hair.

Genesis leaned over, then cocked his head. “Hey, it’s you, old man!” he exclaimed, reaching over Cloud’s shoulder and poking Vincent.

Although Vincent’s response was expected--a grunt, a brush of his shoulder, his overall demeanor was much different than Cloud had ever seen him. Instead of hunched over the bar, he was sitting back in his seat, shoulders straight with his drink already in his hand. _Weird,_ Cloud thought to himself. _He almost looks...content._

Tifa returned shortly with a clear shot garnished with a lemon. “There you go,” she said. “So, you want me to put everyone’s next drink on your tab…?”

“Mmhm,” Genesis replied, taking the shot all in one go. He winced just barely, then took the lemon off and sucked it dry.

While he was temporarily preoccupied, Tifa addressed the other two SOLDIER. “So, what’s up?” she asked.

“Just got off rehearsal,” Zack said, still massaging Cloud’s shoulders. “This guy says today’s worth celebrating, although he won’t fucking tell us what it’s all about…”

Genesis spit out the lemon, pointing wildly at the TV mounted above the bar. “Mm!” he sputtered, making Cloud shrink further into Zack. “Turn on the TV, it’ll be on the news.”

Tifa hesitated. “Er…” Her eyes fell on Vincent as she adjusted her bra straps beneath her tanktop. “Well, we usually...don’t…”

To hers and Cloud’s surprise, he nodded. “Go ahead,” he muttered.

“Um, all right…” She widened her eyes at Cloud before standing on her toes and hitting the power button. The TV came on with a flurry of static, the image stabilizing in a wavy, oversaturated technicolor. “This should be it…”

“Turn it up! _Hey!”_ Genesis stood on his stool and shouted at the bar again. “Everybody shut up!”

“Sit down!” Barret commanded, from the other end of the bar. “I don’t care if you’re SOLDIER or what…”

Genesis sighed through his nose, but his and everyone’s attention was drawn when the newscaster’s voice carried over the tinny speakers:

_“In headline news, Simon Hojo, head of the science department at Shinra Military Headquarters, was found dead in his office early this morning. Police suspect that it was a murder, given the gruesome bullet wounds--18 in total. No evidence as to who the culprit may be, but the headquarters is under tight security while the investigation continues...”_

Cloud gaped at the TV. _He’s...dead. Someone killed him._ Eyes wide, a strange mix of anxiety and relief itched at the back of his neck, making him both ease back into Zack’s chest and knot his hands together tighter on the bar. He glanced back over to Tifa, just as surprised as he was, and they shared a glance. _I can’t believe it..._

“Holy shit,” Zack muttered, draping his arms fully over Cloud’s shoulders. “Hojo’s dead…”

“Damn fucking right,” Genesis said with a wicked grin. “I would’ve killed the bastard myself, if I had a chance, good fucking riddance.”

“You _didn’t,_ did you?” Zack asked, ducking his head low.

Genesis snickered and shook his head. “I was doing... _other_ things last night,” he replied, then tapped the bar. “Hey, could I get another one of those?”

Tifa blinked. _“Another_ one?”

He clicked his tongue and waved his hand. “Never mind, I’ll go ask the owner. That’s him over on the other end, right?” As Tifa nodded, he scooted himself off the stool. “I’m going to make sure we’re set for Friday. So Seph doesn’t have a fucking aneurysm worrying about it…”

With that, he took off to the opposite end of the bar, engaging Barret immediately. Cloud wasn’t able to watch for long, as Zack sided up beside him, arm around his waist. “So, there,” he remarked. “I can’t say I’m too broken up about it.”

“Neither...am I,” Cloud muttered, shaking his head. _Now I don’t have to worry about getting cornered wherever I go. Zack, too. Lucrecia. All of them, all of us…_

_Maybe, if I’m lucky...I won’t see anymore monsters._

_(“...we’re all monsters, in the end.”)_

Cloud tried to so shake the thought, one that kept creeping back, as he pulled at the skin over his knuckles. _Not...that can’t be true. I don’t want to believe it._

_(then why did the smell of blood--)_

_No. No._ He took a deep breath, then let it out as slow as he could, trying not to draw Zack’s attention. _Enough of that. Hojo’s dead, so…it’s fine. Things have to get better…right?_

“Vincent?” Tifa asked, leaning over the bar. “Are you...all right?”

He lifted his head up, and on his face was a strange grin, odd on his usually sour face. “All right?” he repeated slowly, then chuckled. It was a laugh that rumbled low in his chest and sent a shiver down Cloud’s spine. He then finished his drink in one swing, satisfaction on his pallid features all the while. “Haven’t felt better.”

Cloud, Tifa, and Zack stared in silence as he slid his glass across the table, crossing his arms smug smirk. _I don’t know if this is better...or worse,_ Cloud thought. _He still gives me the willies, but...shit, I don’t know._

As if he sensed Cloud’s tenseness, Zack chuckled and tightened his hold around his waist. “Well, that sure is some good news,” he said, kissing his head. “Y’know, when Gen brought us down here, I didn’t know _what_ the hell we were expecting…”

“He was the one who brought a flask to the gala, right?” Tifa asked, eyeing him down the bar, still in a conversation with Barret. “Judging by how he downed that shot…Barret called it a ‘SOLDIER Special’, that it’s supposed to knock most normal people down on their feet…”

Zack laughed. “Yeah, he gave me this scar, too.” He pointed to the side of his face, the “X” mark fading, but visible. “He’s a fuckin’ wild card, I’ll tell you what.”

Tifa only gave him a nod, then scooted closer, ducking to meet Cloud’s downcast eyes. “Hey. You o--” She was briefly interrupted by a bray of hollers from behind and the clinking of glasses, but quickly resumed. “Are you okay?”

“Hm? Mm…yeah,” he replied. “Just…”

She studied him for a moment. “Relieved?”

“I...guess.” _Yeah, that’s it but…part of me…wonders if the damage has already been done._

“Hell, _I’m_ relieved,” Zack interjected, kissing his hair, then snaking his hand up to ruffle it. “Now I know for _sure_ that I won’t have to worry about you getting hurt again…”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by Genesis lurching himself onto the bar, between Vincent and Cloud. “Theeeere we go.” he grunted, brushing his bangs out of his face, then squinted at Cloud. “What the hell, you haven’t gotten a drink yet?”

“N-no,” he mumbled in reply, edging away from him. “I don’t...don’t really want anything--”

“Oh, _Jesus.”_ Genesis slammed the bar with his fist, making him jump. “I thought you out of _all_ people would want to drink to that bastard finally being six feet under…”

Vincent elbowed him back away from the bar, gently. “I will,” he said, with a nod to Tifa. She cocked her head and went to work right away--Cloud took in the fluidity of her motion in grabbing what she needed. _She’s gotten a lot better, she doesn’t even have to think about it..._

Genesis cackled, still trying to edge his way into the counter, this time more on Vincent’s end. _“That’s_ the spirit!”

“Don’t touch me,” Vincent sighed. As he leaned over the bar to keep Genesis out, his trenchcoat swung back, and Cloud spotted a hefty gun nestled in his belt. _God,_ he thought, anxiety staking right into his heart, _does that thing have..._ three _barrels on it? I’ve never seen anything like it._

“This is _wild,”_ Zack said into Cloud’s ear, startling him again. “I don’t know which is more tolerable, high-Genesis or tipsy-Genesis…”

Cloud only chuckled and shook his head. _Either way, I kind of wish I were out of here._ The noise of the bar washed around him, and it took effort for him to block it out to hear his own thoughts. _I didn’t realize it would be so busy._

Above him, he could dully hear Zack’s conversation as Genesis traveled to the other side of him. “So, what do you think’s going to happen now? He was head of the department, right?”

“They’ll get someone to replace him. Maybe that Crescent lady, if we’re lucky.”

“Yeah, no shit. Damn, what’d the news say? _Eighteen_ bullets? Whoever got to him had more beef than any of us…”

Genesis laughed, but it lacked humor. “I wouldn’t say that so fast. I bet you...bet you half the people in this bar had a run in with that motherfucker, in one way or another.”

“You can say that again.” Barret wandered over to their side of the bar, clearly privy to their conversation already. “I heard the news before the TV was on, that’s all that the Shinra rats have been talking about tonight.”

“Fuck, that asshole was there for…thirty years? I want to say?” Genesis said. “ _Way_ before Angeal and I…he was Shinra-senior’s right hand man before he croaked. That’s another reason why he had so much clout…” He scowled at the floor, the shook his head. “Hit me again.”

Barret raised an eyebrow. “I think you’ve had enough. That’s enough to make a 1st-class wince.”

His lip curled as he yanked his dog tags out from his shirt, the black metal glinting in the dim bar light. “Who the fuck do you think I am?” he spat. “You’ve got my fuckin’ card--”

“Really, Gen,” Zack suggested, reaching his long arm over to pull him back from the bar. “I get it, you’re celebrating, but Angeal’s gonna be pissed if you’re staggering home--”

 _“Fuck_ what Angeal said,” he growled. He shoved Zack away, but crossed his arms and said nothing more, just a furrow in his brow as he glared to the side.

Barret shook his head and chuckled darkly. “There are always assholes like him,” he muttered, barely loud enough for Cloud and Zack to hear. Tifa passed another drink over to Vincent, then rushed down to other end of the bar, long brown hair swirling behind her. “Can’t get enough, can he?”

Zack leaned on the bar and ran a hand back through his hair. “I just don’t want to be dragging him out by his feet, y’know?” He sighed as he leaned his head on his hand. “My buddy said to keep an eye on him…”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, Fair,” Barret said. “You want anything? It’s on him, after all.”

He looked down at Cloud, then shrugged. “Nah, I’m good.”

Tifa returned to them, breathless and almost running straight into Barret. “Holy shit,” she huffed. “I didn’t realize it would be this busy…”

He caught her with one large hand and steadied it on her shoulder. “It ain’t Friday night busy, but close. You want a break?”

“No, no,” Tifa insisted, waving her hand. “I’ll just--it’s too crowded, I can’t--”

He crossed his arms and sighed. “Hon, relax. I know your friends are here…”

Tifa hugged her arms and frowned, looking mostly at Cloud. “Y-yeah…”

As he focused on Zack’s arm around him and Tifa’s eyes, the fog Cloud had sunken into drifted. “Do you wanna come over tonight, Ti?” he asked.

“Ah…” She hugged her arms. “I mean, kinda, but...you see how it is--”

Vincent’s voice rumbled low among the noise. “You should go,” he said. “Enjoy...yourself.”

 _This is the most I’ve ever heard him talk,_ Cloud mused, and the look on Tifa’s face seemed to convey the same. Barret, on the other hand, snickered. “See, even Vinny’s telling you to take a break!” he commented, voice booming. “We’ll be fine here, don’t worry.”

Tifa sighed long and heavy enough to move her shoulders. “Okay, I guess,” she replied, with a small smile. Cloud caught it, and returned it as soon as she met his eye. “Want to meet me around back? I want a smoke.”

“Sure,” Cloud said automatically.

Zack, on the other hand, wasn’t so quick to move. “Yeah, but we’ve gotta--” He looked around the bar--first to the side, then around behind him. “Shit, where did Gen go?”

Tifa did her own survey, as did Cloud. Sure enough, the flash of red leather was nowhere to be seen among the throng of people in the bar. “He didn’t leave, did he? We still have his card…”

Barret rolled his eyes. “Fucking rich bastard,” he muttered. “I’ll ring up his tab, and you can take it.”

“All right,” Zack said. He yanked his pager out of his belt and cycled through the contacts, then held it to his mouth. “Angeal, it’s Zack. Genesis snuck out while we weren’t looking, so keep an eye out for him. I’m heading in for the night.”

“Must be nice to be able to get a hold of anyone whenever you want, wherever you want,” Tifa remarked as he put his pager away. “I mean, not _everyone,_ but...y’know.”

“Yeah, it is,” Zack replied. “Y’know, I hear they’re trying to do that with portable phones in the tech department. Er, cellular phones?”

“Yeah, but they cost a fortune. It’s still way cheaper to hunt down a payphone around here.”

“Maybe someday…”

Barret slid Genesis’ card back across the bar over to Zack. “Went through,” he said. “Limit on that thing must be through the roof if it charged _that_ without a fuss.”

“Guess maybe.” He pocketed the card and kissed Cloud quick on the head. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“Shouldn’t...you call him too?” Cloud asked as he slid off the barstool. He couldn’t help but notice Barret’s dark eyes studying them, but didn’t keep contact for long. _I don’t know what he knows…I guess if Zack feels like it’s okay, then sure, but…_

“Eh,” Zack shrugged. “I’ve got the feeling he wouldn’t even bother checking. But, Angeal will.” With an arm around Cloud’s shoulder, he waved to Barret, as well as Vincent to a lesser degree. “Good seeing you, take care.”

“Night,” Barret said.

They made their way around the bar to Tifa, who had her brown leather draped around her shoulders without her arms in them. Barret whispered something in her ear, and she replied with a mumbled affirmative before jerking her head back to the door behind the counter. “Let’s go,” she said.

Tifa led the way, with Cloud sneaking in front of Zack down the narrow corridor, hands laced together. “I can’t stay the night,” Tifa told him. Head in profile, a cigarette was already dangling out of her mouth. “Barret wants my help to clean and close.”

“That’s okay,” Cloud replied. The dubious fresh air from beneath the plate, laced with asphalt and metal, was a welcome change from the sweat and alcohol tinged scent of the bar, and he found himself breathing deep. “At least you get a little break.”

“I know it.” Automatically, she flicked her lighter and lit the cigarette, sucking in and blowing smoke out almost in one motion. Cloud squeezed Zack’s hand in his. _Fuck. There’s the craving again…_

They walked threefold down the quiet streets, a car passing beside them on the sidewalk only on occasion. Cloud was squished in the middle, breathing in the smoke from Tifa’s cigarette, even as she blew it away from him. _Just...one hit won’t hurt._ “Can I tell you guys something?” she said.

“Go for it,” Zack said.

“I think…” Her eyes went wide as she shook her head. “God, I think Vincent killed Hojo.”

“Really?” Zack exclaimed. “I thought that geezer never moved from his stool.”

“Yeah, well…” She stared up at the plate. “Like, he always has gil, and always a little extra. He told me once that he killed people for a living. I think he’s some kind of mercenary, or assassin...he’s got this big gun, triple barreled…”

“Holy shit,” he marveled. “That’s wicked. I dunno, though…”

“Like, me neither, but…” She glanced over to Cloud. “He seemed… _pleased_ tonight.”

He nodded. _Yeah, not to mention he ran right off the other night after I talked about the thing between Hojo and Lucrecia._ He bit his lip. _I’ve never seen him like that before, either. Satisfied. God damn._

They shared a lingering look before Tifa took another drag from her cigarette. _God, just one. Just one taste._ “H-hey, Ti?” he asked, quickly and quietly. “C-could I…”

“Hm?” The cigarette was held between her fingers, and his gaze was drawn to it. “Cloud, you shouldn’t…”

“Just one, please…” His voice cracked as he pleaded, and shame fell on him like a blanket. _Ugh, she’s right, I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t...last time I nearly passed out because mako kicked in. But it’s been a few weeks, it should be...I should be okay. Damn it, damn it, I’m still_

_fucking weak._

She sighed. “Just _one,”_ she muttered, handing it over.

He plucked it from between her fingers. “Sorry. Thanks.” He took a quick hit from the cigarette, smoke filling his lungs, but found himself coughing instead of the relief in the back of his head. _“Shit--!”_

“Ey, take it easy,” Zack said, taking the cigarette away from him and rubbing his back. “Had to have another, huh?”

His stomach plummeted. “I-I said I was sorry…”

“I guess it means that...you’re getting over it?” Tifa suggested, staying close to him as they slowed to a crawl. “Still, you shouldn’t--”

“I _know_ I shouldn’t--!” Cloud snapped, then held his head. “I-I just...I really, _really_ wanted one for a second…” The nicotine left a tang in his mouth that kept him running his tongue over his teeth. _Fucked up, fucked up, fucked up again…_

“Hey…” Zack bent down to look him in the eye, dark blue eyes steady like a deep, calm lake. “Relax. You’re okay, babe. Here.”

He stood up tall, then took a drag himself, coughing as well. Tifa glared at him. “Hey, what the fuck? I thought you didn’t smoke!” she exclaimed, reaching up to snatch the cigarette from his hand.

Zack held it at his head, well out of her reach, covering his smoky cough with the back of his arm before he flicked it to the street. “I don’t! Not anymore-- _ugh.”_ He hacked a few more times, then spit onto the street. “Shit doesn’t even do anything to me anymore--I’d need two cigs to get the effect of one…”

“Maybe I wanted more of mine?” she huffed. “Don’t just _toss it,_ Jesus…”

“Listen, if one of us is going to get in trouble with Aerith for smoking, it might as well be all of us,” he remarked.

 _“All_ of us?”

“Yeah, all of us! You mean she hasn’t complained about kissing you after you’ve had a smoke?”

“W-well, I usually just have one way before I go over--”

 _“Hah!_ See!” He jumped and pointed at her triumphantly. “You’re doing it so she don’t taste it! So, we either all get the pout, _or_ we all stop at the store to get some gum, and pretend this never happened.”

Tifa scowled and rushed over to Zack, jabbing him in the stomach. “You little--!”

 _“Oof,_ you’ve got an arm on you!” he jeered, sticking his tongue out. “Ever think about joining SOLDIER?”

As Tifa and Zack continued to bicker and skip ahead, Cloud found himself watching in amusement, hands stuffed into his jacket. _They’re...something else,_ he thought, a crooked smile written between his cheeks. _They really get into it, sometimes, don’t they? But he’s just teasing, and she’s not taking it_ that _seriously._ He watched as Tifa brayed “you little shit!” and gave him another punch in the arm while Zack continued to cackle. _They’re cute…_

_They’re both cute._

_And I don't feel so shitty anymore..._

As the church came into view, Cloud cupped his hand around his mouth. “Hey, guys!”

They both stopped abruptly, jerking their heads around to look at him. “Yeah?” “Huh?” Tifa and Zack spoke in unison, their gazes unwavering on Cloud. His heart jumped in his throat, heat in his cheeks as both of their attentions fell on him. _Ah._

In the end, Cloud allowed himself to smile. “Don’t get too far ahead,” he said.

Zack was prompted to jog back to his side, immediately taking his arm. “Sorry, bud,” he replied with a wink. “Ti was giving me a run for my money, over there--”

“Hey! You don’t get to call me that!” she retorted, sneaking her hand around Cloud’s on his other side. “It’s _Tifa,_ or nothing at all!”

“Oh yeah, and Aerith can call you ‘baby’ and make you blush--”

Tifa stomped her foot and grit her teeth. “Sh-shut _up!”_

Cloud shook his head and stared at the pavement to hide his giggle and his grin. _He doesn’t get to call her that,_ he thought. _But...I do._

* * *

 

“Yay, the gang’s all here!” Aerith greeted as soon as they entered the apartment. In shorts and a simple t-shirt, her hair was a loose, low ponytail at her back, but face bright and cheery. She sprung for Tifa first, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “You staying the night?”

“N-no, just a visit--” she replied, but was soon cut off by a full kiss to her mouth. Her hands wandered to her waist, but the kiss ended almost as soon as it started.

Aerith scrunched her face. “Mm, you taste like cigarettes,” she commented. “Go brush and I’ll kiss you more~.”

“B-but I don’t have a toothbrush here?” Tifa pointed out.

“Oh, just use mine,” Aerith replied, waving her hand. “Rinse your mouth first!”

She gave her another kiss to her cheek and a pat to her butt, then moved on to Zack, who was still shuffling off his shoes. With a pull around his neck to get him down to her level, she gave him the same kiss as she did Tifa. But, she was stopped short again, sticking her tongue out as she broke it. “Baby!” she exclaimed.

“What?” he said, unable to keep the smirk off the side of his face.

“I can taste it on you too!” she said, backing up. “You haven’t been smoking, have you?”

“I took _one_ drag. Just one!” he proclaimed, holding a finger up. “And it was out of solidarity--we’re _all_ guilty here…”

Zack bent his finger over to Cloud, already heading to the kitchen sink with his head bent down. Aerith’s mouth contorted into a small “o”, and she darted around the couch while Zack snickered. _“Cloud Strife!”_

Cloud winced as she dove to him, whirling him around by the shoulders. “No, not you too!” she exclaimed, then pulled him in for a much more chaste kiss to his lips. It was still just enough to gather the smokey scent from his breath, and left his normally pallid face burning bright red. “I thought you quit!”

“I-I d-did, but...but…” he stammered, unable to meet her eyes. He held a hand up to his mouth and turned his head away, squirming out of her grip. “I just...s-sorry…”

 _“Everyone_ needs to brush their teeth before they kiss me!” she shouted at the ceiling. “God!”

“Okay, okay!” Zack said, wandering over and pulling Cloud into his chest from behind. “But, maybe you should give a heads up before you kiss my boyfriend.”

She stuck her tongue out while Zack winked at her, perching his head on top of Cloud’s. “I-it’s fine, I just...wasn’t...expecting it…” Cloud mumbled behind his hand.

“Sorry, hon,” Aerith apologized, weaving to catch his eye. “I won’t jump you like that again. So, what got into all of you, anyway? Y’all are home late.”

“Well!" Zack exclaimed, pumping one hand in the air. “Hojo’s dead! Some bastard killed him!”

“Oh, shit!” Aerith mimicked him with both hands. “That’s...that’s great, right?”

 _“Yes,”_ Zack and Cloud said at the same time, but Zack continued talking. “Genesis dragged us out to ‘celebrate’, and man, we weren’t the only ones.”

“Sounds like that guy had a body count,” Tifa remarked, strolling out of the bathroom while wiping her face with a towel. “With everything I’ve heard…”

“So wait, he was _killed?”_ Aerith asked for clarification.

“Eighteen bullets,” Zack replied. “Someone _wanted_ him dead.”

“Oh my God,” she gasped. “Damn…”

Zack sighed heavily before drawing Aerith to him by his fingertips, holding her against his side with Cloud still at his chest. “Trust me, that’s a _good_ thing,” he muttered. “No more horror stories. We’re...safe now.”

 _Babe,_ Aerith mused to herself, hands twisting into his shirt. _You know, when I first met you, I thought that you’d...just be a little fling. A summer boyfriend, and when you’d get dispatched far away, that’d be the end of it. But, you kept coming back, you kept wanting to. You got us this little place, promising me that you could do better than a cot in a church basement. You wanted the best for me. And you haven’t gone back on that…_

_...and you’ll do just the same for him, too._

She smiled to herself. _You’re one to keep, Zack Fair._ “Yeah,” she said quietly, squeezing his stomach. “Now, you boys go brush so you don’t smell like an ashtray.”

“Aw, come _on,_ it was just _one_ drag!” Zack whined. “It’s not _that_ bad--”

She pushed herself away from the couple, biting back a smirk. “Go! Before I make you empty your pockets!” she commanded.

Zack made a face at her, but spun on one heel toward the bathroom without complaint. As they walked away (Zack slipped his hand as low as it could go on Cloud’s hips, much to Aerith’s amusement), Tifa returned to her side, leaning heavy on her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s been a night,” she muttered. “I’ve got to go back to the bar later to help clean…”

“Yeah, you mentioned it,” Aerith said. She took her by the arm and laced both of her hands together with hers. “So, we’ll relax here for a while. How’s that sound?”

She nodded with a small smile, then to Aerith’s surprise, initiated a small, soft kiss on her lips. Aerith took advantage of it, deepening it with the fresh, minty taste. _That’s a whole lot better,_ she thought to herself. _Much better..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1/12/17: A minor edit, since I changed the song Aerith will be singing…that Genesis moment was too good, so I kept playing off it instead of fully changing it.
> 
> Rejoice, for Hojo can't hurt anyone anymore! Sure, he's made his mark...but he can't fuck over anyone else. Vincent made sure of that. 
> 
> This chapter sort of got away from me...! I thought I was rushing it at first, and then it got long. That's how these things go! Genesis sure is a stoner asshole. He'll get home fine. I ended up compressing a scene that I wanted to do next chapter in with this one--some spotlight on the Cloud/Zack/Tifa trio. I've been wanting to write that Tifa/Zack interaction for a while--just them messing with each other. It's pretty good!
> 
> God, I think we're coming up to the big gig for the band! (Which means I need to start writing up the next web...) Next chapter, everyone will be getting ready at the very least. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!


	49. Soundcheck

On a Friday evening, Cloud knocked three times on the door to Zack and Aerith’s apartment. “Aerith? It’s me.”

Silence came back in reply. _There’s no light coming from the bottom of the door,_ he observed, bending down. _Shit. I don’t have my own key here, not yet anyway. I should really bug them about it._ With a sigh, he jogged back up the cement stairs and leaned against the building, hands fidgeting in his pockets. _I feel sketchy just waiting in the alley like this. I mean, Zack said that…_

_(“You can head back to our place,” Zack said, a hand on his shoulder. “The band’s gotta get our shit together, do soundcheck, all that jazz. You can meet up over there when we’re ready.”_

_“O-okay,” he replied. “You sure I can’t help?”_

_“There are four of us, I think we’ll be fine.” He bent down and kissed his forehead. “Besides, Seph’s going to be on edge the whole time, and I don’t think you want to deal with that.”)_

A car rode past the street in the alley, and Cloud found himself shrinking against the wall of the building, hoping its dingy bricks would swallow him. _Yeah, I don’t think I’d be able to take that. I was stressed enough when he was running drills on us this morning. Normally it’s Angeal, and it’s fine, but God--_

“Aah! I’m comiiiiiing~!”

Aerith’s voice warbled and echoed through the alley as she blasted in on her bike. The tires skidded on the gravel pavement, and Cloud flinched to steady her rusty steed as she jolted to a halt. “Hey, hey, careful--!” he exclaimed, one hand on the seat and the other at the handlebars until her feet touched the ground.

“Whew, thanks!” she huffed, smoothing back her bangs, sniffling. “God, I got caught up at the church…”

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She dismounted her bike and leaned it on the side of the building, then began fumbling for her keys in her satchel purse. “Yeah, just had to…send someone off today,” Aerith replied. “You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

“N-no.” _Send someone off? Right, that church…takes care of people who have AIDS and HIV. That probably means there’s a lot of people that come and go. Whether by choice, or…_ “Are you okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, I’m fine!” she chirped, skipping down the stairs. She quickly unlocked the three deadbolts and pushed open the door. “It’s okay…”

“You...you sure?”

Aerith snapped the lights on and whirled around. Her look was friendly, but tense--eyes unwavering, even with blotches of red in her cheeks. Whether they were from exhaustion or otherwise, Cloud couldn’t tell. _“Yes,”_ she said. Then, she relaxed. “We should get you keys sometime.”

He nodded slowly, shrugging off his jacket. “Mm,” he mumbled.

She continued to chatter as she shed her own denim jacket and purse, whirling around the small apartment like a leaf in the wind. “We can do that this weekend. There’s a little old locksmith over in Sector 4…we’ll get you keys to the main building, too. I know we only use the outside door here, but in case you get mail or anything, the boxes are in the lobby…”

“Sure.” Cloud eased himself on the couch and leaned over the armrest, where his duffle bag and backpack sat, tucked flush against the side. _What do you even wear to a band concert? Or a gig…_ Idly, he pawed through the open duffle bag, through piles of t-shirts and jeans. _Maybe going up to Nibelheim will be worthwhile after all, so I can grab some more of my clothes…_

Aerith bounced back into the living room and mussed his hair. “You excited for tonight?” she asked with a grin. “Zack’s going to be really showy tonight.”

Cloud jerked up and chuckled. “Yeah, I bet.” He smiled to himself. _I don’t know the set, but I bet he’s at least going to play the song that he wrote. The one he wrote for us._

“We can head over in a little bit, once you’re ready,” she said. “I know I want to freshen up. Gotta look pretty for the big performance~!”

Aerith giggled as she disappeared into the bathroom.  _Yeah...Zack's not going to be the only one._ _Tifa’s going to be there too. She’ll...probably be working the whole time. That’s too bad._ Pulling a plain, white t-shirt out of the duffle bag, he shook it out and rose, flattening it on the back of the couch. _This would be the sort of thing I’d want to go to with her._

_If Zack’s going to be on stage, and with the crowded bar...it’d be nice to have someone there to chill me out. Just in case._

He sighed as he pulled off his Shinra branded shirt, dog tags jingling on his chest. “Hey...Aerith?” he asked as he picked up the fresh shirt and held it out in front of him. “Do you think…I could borrow one of Zack’s things again for tonight?”

She giggled again, lilting high in her throat. “You’re asking me?” she replied. “I don’t think he’d mind. Thing is, they’re going to be really big on you.”

“Yeah, I know, but…” _I don’t have any_

_(could wear something else)_

_other choice. Not...not really._

“But…?” She poked out of the bathroom, mascara tube in her hand. Her hair was down, big and bushy, and only partly tamed back with her pink ribbon. _“I_ could let you borrow something.”

“Wh-what?” Cloud’s face burned pink as adrenaline seized his chest. “N-no, no I can’t--I can’t do that--”

“Hey…” Aerith capped the mascara bottle and rushed over to him. “You don’t have to wear a dress or anything like that. We can still keep that between us.” She held him by his shoulders, then patted them before drawing her arms back to her body--one finger on her lips, the other holding her elbow. “Let me think…”

She skipped into the bedroom while Cloud crossed his arms, pacing in front of the couch. “I mean, I’ll be okay in this...won’t I?” he wondered out loud. “It’s just 7th Heaven, it’s not like we’re going to one of those galas--”

“Yeah, but it’s still a special occasion, y’know?” she called back. “Speaking of which, I think we missed this past one--Zack usually forgets unless he’s specifically told, or unless I ask him about it.” She poked her head out with a bright look. “Maybe he was already thinking of you back then!”

Cloud blinked, cyan eyes wide. “Y-you…” _You think so? That Zack…already…back when I was just figuring stuff out? Before I was anything? That’s…_

_Ah..._

She winked and disappeared again. “Were you thinking of anything special?”

“Huh? Oh,” he said, tugging at the back of his neck. His forearm rubbed against his cheek, and he felt that it was much warmer than the rest of him. “J-just like...an overshirt, or something. Zack’s got a bunch of flannel, so I was--”

 _“Ohh,_ something like that. Well, here, I…” She trailed off after some rummaging. “I don’t _just_ wear dresses, y’know. They’re just easy to throw on. Ah, there!”

She burst out with a blue and baby pink plaid shirt, decked with flower buttons. “Try this one. It’s a little big on me, but I’d still be careful.” Aerith held it up in front of him, then draped it so it hung over his shoulders.

“‘Kay.” He picked it up by his fingertips, then sighed. _Not...too girly. Just girly enough, I guess._ Sliding his arms through the sleeves, he did find it snug in the shoulders, but after rolling them back, it didn’t feel too restrictive on his arms. _It’s tight, but…different than that other dress shirt I ripped through. The color’s better. It’s…I like it._

Just as he tried to button it from the bottom, Aerith returned to look him over. “Oh! That’s cute,” she remarked. “Do you like it?”

His hands fumbled over the buttons, switching his hands over. “Yeah…” he replied absently. “The buttons...are on the opposite side?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Girls shirts are like that. It’s not a big deal.” She waved her hand. “It’s fine open anyway.”

He nodded, and they exchanged a quiet look while Aerith crossed her arms, smirking. “A-are…” Cloud started, biting the inside of his cheek. “Are you _sure_ it’s okay to keep...borrowing stuff like this?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s fine.”

“But…” he hesitated. “Wh-what if...what if Zack or Tifa notices?”

She raised an eyebrow, her smile widening. “What if they do?” she said. “Zack might surprise you. Tifa might too.” Suddenly, her green eyes sparkled with a devious shine. “Have you been thinking about her lately?”

“Huh? N-not...not anymore than...ah…” Cloud floundered, staring at the floor. _Shit. I guess I have been thinking about her lately. I just…I…_

_(“Cloud.”)_

_Lately, I’ve been thinking…whether she ever left my mind at all._

Aerith grabbed his wrist. “Ooh, you’re cute!” she exclaimed. “C’mon, I’m going to put mascara on you.”

She tugged on his arm, and he let himself be dragged to the bathroom. “What? A-again?” he protested. It was weakened by the smirk on his lips, and the laughter in the very back of his voice.

“Yes!” she said, bumping his hip as they faced the mirror. “It brings out your eyes so much. Besides, don’t you want to look pretty for boyfriend?” She beamed. “And...maybe someone else?”

Cloud couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head. “Yeah...yeah.” _She’s got a point. Even if it’s in a little way, I do want to...look pretty._

_For both of them._

* * *

 

The hallway to the truck docking sector of headquarters was long and narrow, but barely wide enough for Zack to keep carrying an amp the size of his torso down along it. _This is one of those times I’m glad for the mako,_ he thought, adjusting it in his arms. _I can tell it’s heavy, but I’m barely breaking a sweat. Nice._

 _Wish we had just a_ little _more help…_

He rounded the corner to the parking lot, where Sephiroth was standing in the bed of a pickup truck, pushing back some of the drum equipment that had already been brought out. “Hey, where do you want this?” Zack asked.

Sephiroth shook his head, hand over his mouth while he pushed his bangs back behind his ear. They only fell out as soon as he bent over again. _Come on,_ Zack thought with a sigh. _“Hey!_ Seph! Where--”

“Just set it down! _Christ!”_ he snapped. His long silver hair, tied back in a braid, whipped around like a rope around his waist as he glared daggers at Zack.

“Dude, chill out!” Zack exclaimed, setting the amp right near the tailgate. He adjusted his backwards hat and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “It’s just a gig in a fucking dive bar, not a world stage--”

“It’s _still important,”_ Sephiroth growled through grit teeth. “Keep bringing shit out!”

Zack rolled his shoulders back and jogged back down the hallway, shoes echoing with each step. _Just let it go, let it go,_ he chanted in his head. _Be the bigger person, do not compete for the biggest prick award. Angeal said earlier that he’d probably be tense. It’s fine. Fucking fine, as if we all aren't high-strung for this anyway..._

Up one set of stairs and through another hallway was the rehearsal room--most of their instruments and equipment had been moved out into the hallway, lined with amps, cables, and various drum heads. There wasn’t too much left--mostly stands and some cymbals, but there was one large amp left, and Genesis was sitting on it, kicking his legs with a cigarette between his lips.

“Yo, Angeal,” he called into the open rehearsal room. He only spared a half second glance toward Zack before combing his bangs to the side with four of his fingers. “Remember when we were kids, and you could lift me up above your head and carry me around school?”

“Yes,” Angeal sighed. He emerged in the doorway with several cables looped around his shoulders and crossed his arms. “Man, are you going to do anything?”

Genesis only shrugged, then slapped the side of the amp. “I bet you could do that _plus_ this now,” he continued with a grin.

“Why?” Zack whined, gathering as many stands into his arms as he could muster. “Seriously, Seph looks like he’s about to snap. If you did _one_ trip--”

“Eh, I’ll trip later tonight,” he dismissed, but still leaned over and grabbed a cymbal stand and laid it in his lap before grinning at Angeal. “So? You gonna do it?”

Angeal exchanged a look with Zack, then rolled his eyes. “You’re an asshole,” he muttered, before rolling his shoulders back and scooping up the amp, complete with Genesis on it and nodded to Zack. “Go, go, I can’t hold this forever.”

Genesis gripped the sides of the amp and cackled, almost dropping the cigarette out of his mouth. _“Fuck,_ yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!”

Zack took off down the hall as fast as the things he was carrying would allow him, metal and stands digging into his sides and forearms. _It’s hard to tell who’s worse: Sephiroth, or Genesis. In some weird way, they end up balancing each other out, so it’s a fucking carnival no matter what._ He huffed as he descended the stairs, glancing over his shoulder. “You all right, Angeal?” he called back.

“Yeah, I’ve got it,” he replied with a wink to him, then his face twisted. “Hey, jackass, if you drop ash on my face, I’ll go ahead and drop you down these stairs.”

Genesis snickered. “You wouldn’t.” Nonetheless, he made a point to flick off his cigarette far over the stairwell, gripping the side of the amp.

They made it out to the truck, where Sephiroth was shoving the amp Zack had previously brought down into the back of the truck. As soon as he turned, fire lit in his eyes. “Why!” he exclaimed, glaring at Genesis. “Don’t you take _anything_ seriously?”

Shaking barely, Genesis clambered to his feet on top of the amp, all while Angeal eased the amp to the ground. As soon as it was down, Angeal rushed back inside. _No dude, don’t leave me here,_ Zack pleaded, trying to empty his own arms. “Sometimes,” Genesis remarked, one hand on his hip while he tossed the stand he “carried” into the back. “Now I can look down on you, like you look down on the rest of us.”

 _Yikes._ Zack imagined smoke pouring from Sephiroth’s ears as he grabbed Genesis by the shirt collar and yanked him down right in front of his face. “You _shit,”_ he hissed. “If you pre-gamed before this, I _will_ kill you, and Zack will have to play bass.” With a single, venomous glance back at Zack, he sighed and shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll do it. He won’t be able to.”

Zack’s jaw dropped. _“Hey!_ Ouch!” _Way to inspire confidence...Jesus._  

But it was Genesis’ turn to frown, and he shoved Sephiroth back with enough force to make him stumble. “Why do you think I’ve gone through a whole pack of cigs today?” he remarked, hopping off the amp and brushing off the top. “I’m staying sober for your little soiree.”

Sephiroth curled his lip, about to say something else, but the slamming of the door behind them caught his attention. Angeal was back with a small armful of microphone stands and immediately loaded them into the back. “That’s everything that was out,” he grunted. “How’s our inventory? Do we have everything?”

“Er…” Sephiroth muttered, looking over the truck bed. “It seems so. Are your instruments in the back?”

“Yup,” Genesis replied.

Zack scanned and found his case right up against the rearview window. “Check,” he said. “So, are we all piling into this thing?”

“It can only seat two,” Sephiroth said.

Angeal put his hands on his hips. “You couldn’t get anything else?”

Immediately, Sephiroth's brow creased. “This was the _only_ vehicle I could get that had a big enough bed, that wasn’t already in use--”

 _“Chill out.”_ Genesis grabbed his arm, long enough to squeeze his bicep before Sephiroth shrugged him away. He continued with a roll of his eyes. “Not a big deal. The place isn’t that far. You could walk--”

 _“I_ am _not_ walking,” Sephiroth announced, flicking his bangs around with his nose in the air.

“We _know_ that, Your Majesty,” Genesis sighed, earning him another glare.

 _“Hey,”_ Zack interrupted while Sephiroth’s fists clenched. “I brought my bike today. Someone can ride with me over. No big deal.”

“It won’t be me,” Sephiroth said. “I have to drive.”

 _Says who?_ Zack thought. He shrugged, then glanced at Genesis. “What about you, Gen?”

Genesis looked him over head to toe, then shook his head as he spit out his cigarette on the pavement. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ll go with you, Zack,” Angeal said. “As much as I’d like to make sure they don’t kill each other on the way over.”

Sephiroth sneered. “Oh, very funny.” He brought his braid around to his front and pulled out the tie--it began to unravel almost immediately, especially as he turned on a heel and flicked his hand. “Come on. I want as much time as possible for our soundcheck.”

Genesis watched until his silver hair disappeared into the truck cab, then raised his eyebrows and gave Angeal and Zack a look. “Welp. See you there,” he said.

“Yup,” Angeal replied. He put a hand at Zack’s back and turned him around, muttering. “Let’s go, man. I’m tired of hearing them.”

Zack wheezed a chuckle. “You’re not kidding,” he replied.

They strolled down the parking lot, and Angeal stared up at the ceiling of the parking garage. “Gen’s got nerve to do that while Seph’s on edge,” he remarked. “But…”

“But what?” Zack snorted.

“That’s just…how he rolls. Someone’s got to be relaxed.” He stuffed his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Back when we were growing up, I used to get really nervous before performances. Y’know, for jazz stuff. And he’d always be half baked and _smooth_ as you could be.” He cleared his throat and began speaking in a nasally, throaty tone. _“Just chill out, dude.”_

Zack barked a laugh. “Oh, my God.”

They approached Zack’s bike, and he pulled out the keys from his pocket and tossed them in the air, catching them with his other hand. “It worked, somehow,” Angeal finished, resigned. “How’re you feeling, anyway?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m cool.” He swung his leg over his bike and bounced on the seat. “Dude, I’m excited! I’m pumped to play for an audience--”

“That isn’t just Aerith and Cloud?” Angeal said.

“Yeah.” Zack smiled big as he started the engine, revving the motor loud in the closed space. “They’re my favorites, y’know, but…this is a _whole_ other level!” His foot tapped on the pavement, and butterflies fluttered in the pit of his stomach. _I’ll have to sing for a full audience, including my own song...damn. Guess I am a little nervous, but…it’ll be all right._

_After all, they’ll all be there. It’ll be cool. Yeah!_

Angeal raised his eyebrows and began to laugh before seating himself on the back of Zack’s bike. “God, Zack…” he muttered.

“What?” Zack said.

“After all this time, you’re still a puppy.”

“Oh my _God,”_ he groaned, throwing up the kickstand. “I’m never going to shake that one, am I?”

“Not if you keep living up to it.” Angeal gave him a light punch to the back before resuming his hands to the grab bars.

Zack shook his head as he flicked on the light and twisted the throttle, driving them down the slope of the parking garage and out above the plate. “Think we’ll beat ‘em down there?” Zack shouted against the wind.

“If you keep driving like that, yeah,” Angeal replied, squinting into the wind.

“Aw, sorry man, I didn’t get shades for you,” Zack said, gearing down as fast as he geared up, facing traffic on the street. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy on you. It’s a short ride down, anyway…”

They cruised through the streets, but as soon as a lane opened up to go below the plate, Zack took it with a burst of speed. He felt Angeal jerk behind him, tense on the back as they took the ramp down below. _He’s not quite as easy of a rider as Aerith or Cloud. Speaking of which, I really owe her a ride around, it’s been a little while. Especially before the weather gets cooler._

Zack made a conscious effort to keep his speed down as they rode down the streets, dark and dingy from the lack of sun. _I wonder…if we’re really going to take that trip back home, we’re going to need something more than my bike. Gotta get creative._ He twisted his mouth as he leaned back on the bike, taking note of Angeal’s knees behind him. _Maybe I could get one of those cool transport bikes with the side cars. They’re huge, and pretty comfy for long trips. Cloud and I can swap with driving...it’s just the wind. I’ll see if Aerith’s cool with that--_

“Zack.”

“What?” He craned back, one hand on the handlebars and the other on his thigh.

Angeal jerked his thumb back. “You missed the alley.”

He slapped his knee. _“Fuck!_ Every time!” He geared down, looking both ways before gliding to the far right side of the road. “Hang on, we’ll get there…”

* * *

 

Tifa was waiting on the outside of the counter instead of behind it like she usually did, bouncing on her toes beside Vincent. “When did they say they were getting here?” she asked Barret.

“One of them said an hour before,” he replied from behind the bar. “Don’t know why you’re so nervous. You’re not performing.”

“I know but…” she huffed and crossed her arms. _I’m helping them set up. I want this to go as smoothly as possible too, since I know...it’ll probably be busy. Everyone’s going to be here._

Beside her, Vincent tapped his gold hand against his glass, sighing heavily. “You okay?” she asked.

His muddy, reddish eyes flicked up to her, then he nodded. “Fine,” he muttered. “Want to see what this…band’s all about.”

Barret chuckled. “You into rock music, Vinnie?” he boomed. “That’s what those guys are going to play. Guess that Sephiroth’s a real show-off…”

Vincent nodded. “Hm.” Then, he took an extended drink from his glass--slowly, but still emptying all the liquor out of it. _Every time Sephiroth comes up, he gets like this. Though, the couple times he’s been in, it doesn’t seem like he’s recognized him. Wonder what’s up with that. He's been staying here a lot lately, but he's still a mystery. I don't even know his full name...  
_

The door whipped open, nearly sending it off its hinges, as Sephiroth walked in carrying an amp. “Where do we set up?” he asked immediately, eyes scanning the bar. He jerked his head to the right side. “Over there, I assume?”

“Yup, go ahead,” Barret said. “If you need more room, let me know.” He then winked at Tifa. “See if they need any help.”

Tifa nodded firmly, flexing her hands before speeding out to the door. She was almost hit in the face when Genesis strode through, arms full of stands. “Watch out,” he grunted, kicking at the door. “Get something to hold that open.”

 _Ugh._ “Sure.” Tifa squatted behind the door, fishing for the doorstopper--a block of wood in a triangle shape that she jammed underneath the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. _Pushy…_

“Oh, you’re helping now?” Sephiroth said.

“Shocking, I know,” Genesis retorted, dropping his pile of stands in a heap beside the amp. The clatter was soon replaced with the low rumble of a motorcycle engine. “There they are.”

Tifa hopped up from the floor, and snuck behind Sephiroth and Genesis on their way back out to the truck. Sephiroth heaved another one of the amps up, using only one arm and only gripping it with the other to steady it. “Uh...do you…” she hesitated. _That amp must weigh a ton, and yet…_ “Do you guys need any--”

“Yo, Tifa!” Zack hollered. He coasted his motorcycle right behind the truck with Angeal sitting on the back. _Wonder what kind of ride he took him on, if he’s got a death grip on the back bars,_ Tifa thought. Nonetheless, Zack had a cheery grin as he swung off the bike holding his hand out for a high five. “How’s it goin’?”

With a raised eyebrow, she returned it with a slap. “Uh, good I guess,” she replied. “You guys need any help unloading?”

“There are four of us, I wouldn’t worry too much,” Zack said, adjusting his backwards hat so it fit more snugly on his head. “Four SOLDIER, as a matter of fact!”

“Yes, so _come help,_ Fair,” Sephiroth groaned as he whisked back out of the bar. “Don’t just stand there, or we won’t do your songs.”

“Dude!” With that, Zack reached in the back with long arms and snatched two guitar cases, one under each arm. “I don’t have much to begin with!”

Sephiroth glared at him, and even Tifa could feel the heat from his electric, green-blue eyes like a live-wire. _“What_ did I tell you about calling me _‘dude’?”_ he huffed, then pointed at the guitars. “Be _careful,_ that one’s _mine.”_

“Yeah, yeah, got it.” Zack rolled his eyes, careful only to catch Tifa’s attention with it.

She followed him closely inside, trying not to draw attention from the seething Sephiroth. “How do you--” she started.

“--deal with these guys?” Zack muttered, resting both guitar cases carefully against the wall. “Miracles, really. I come to play, so that’s what I focus on. Plus, Angeal’s all right.”

With this, he waved at Angeal, who was arranging the pieces of his drum kit together, and he replied with a pair of raised eyebrows and an arm across his forehead. Genesis, who was pulling apart cables, cocked his head and glanced over. “You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a headache coming on, though,” Angeal grunted, patting his pockets. He glanced over to the bar, then saluted to Barret to grab his attention. “Could I get some water?”

Barret was already ready with a glass at the sink. “Sure thing.”

“Thanks.”

Tifa tiptoed around all the instruments and equipment, hands behind her back as she surveyed it all. _This is so much shit,_ she thought. “Is there… _anything_ I can do?”

“Unless you want to weed through these cables, nope,” Genesis replied from the back corner. “Shit, it’s a good thing we brought our own power strips. What, is this wiring from the 50’s or something?”

“U-uh…” Tifa didn’t have a reply as she continued to walk backwards, eventually bumping into the drum kit. She whirled around and continued to pace around it. _This looks the most complicated of anything. Sure, you’re just…hitting things, but don’t you have to use your feet too?_ The stool was set up already, and with no one paying attention to her (Zack and Sephiroth were still loading things in, thankfully in tense silence), she took a seat. She scanned the drum heads, the cymbals, and the pedals surrounding them while she twisted her mouth. _Like...you put one foot here...and the other here…_

She tapped her foot against the bass pedal, the low sound resonating softly in the floor. Hands in her lap, she hit the other pedal with her opposite foot, ringing the hi-hat. _I guess…it wouldn’t be so bad._ She alternated her feet between the pedals in a simple rhythm. _Something…like that?_

 _(Aerith tapped her foot in rhythm to the radio, kneeling in front of it._ “Mama says she's worried, growing up in a hurry,“ _she sang quietly._

_“Didn’t you just listen to this?” Tifa asked, standing behind her._

_“Yeah, but I’ve got to practice,” she replied. She glanced back, took her hand, and kissed it. “This is the song I’m doing for Zack’s band.”_

_“I thought you didn’t want to sing for them?”_

_“Not_ really, _but Genesis did dub me those couple tapes. And it’s only one song.” She paused the tape and bounced up, immediately draping her hands around Tifa’s shoulders. “I can survive_ one _rehearsal with those clowns. And if Sephiroth’s predictable enough, it’ll_ only _be one.”_

_Tifa snorted. “Well, let me know when that is, and I’ll…drop by.”_

_Aerith grinned and kissed her nose. “You wanna hear me sing~?”_

_Her heart leapt up, and her face tinted red. “W-well, yeah…!”)_

Her focus drifted while her feet continued their rhythm. _Only one, yeah. I’ve never sat in on one of their rehearsals, but…God, I can only imagine. Still--_

“Do you play?”

Tifa jumped and jerked up to see Angeal standing over her with a smirk. “O-oh! Shit, no, I--I was just sitting…” she floundered, immediately leaping up from the stool and almost knocking it over.

Angeal caught the stool before it fell, chuckling. “No, you’re good,” he said. “You just looked like you had a handle on the basics.”

“Huh? No way, I’ve never…” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and tugged on it. “I’ve never touched drums in my life…”

Angeal cocked her head, and she bit the inside of her cheek. _Damn, damn, I was just fucking around._ She bounced on her toes, then took a step back. “Here, I’ll just let you--”

“Would you want to learn sometime?” he asked. “I could use a sub.”

 _“What?_ Me?” Tifa exclaimed, voice clicking in the back of her throat. “Like I could...like I could compare to these guys…” She gestured behind her, where the rest of the band were plugging in their guitars. Sephiroth in particular was strumming chords of varying complexity while fiddling with the knobs on the amp.

Angeal only shrugged. “Everybody’s gotta start somewhere,” he said. “You seem like you might pick it up easily--”

“What?” Zack shouted suddenly, twanging a loud chord while turning around. “Tifa, are you gonna learn drums? _Sweet!”_

“I--!” Tifa scowled and balled her fists. “I don’t know yet! Jesus, Zack…”

With a snicker, Angeal patted her shoulder briefly. “Seriously, if you’re interested, you can get my number from Zack. I’ll teach you.” He eased himself down at the kit, drawing his sticks from his back pocket and rattling them against the rim of the snare. “You know where we rehearse, right?”

“Oh, yeah!” Zack interrupted again. “Dude, Angeal’s the best teacher at Shinra. He trains so many of the standards _and_ SOLDIER--”

“Oy, mind your own business!” Angeal called, pointing his drumstick at Zack.

His crestfallen face made Tifa roll her eyes and cross her arms. “Have you ever chucked one of those at him?” she muttered.

Angeal barked out a laugh. “No, not him, not _yet._ I’ve wasted plenty of sticks on _that_ guy over there.” He pointed at Genesis, who glanced up from tuning his bass, unaware of the conversation. Then, he cleared his throat and looked back up at Tifa. “Anyway, you let me know, okay?”

She nodded slowly. “Sure. I’ll...think about it.”

_(Aerith looking back at her, a mic in her hand with a grin…)_

Tifa brushed the thought away as she jumped back from the kit, escaping back to the far side of the bar beside Vincent. _Maybe,_ she thought. _Maybe. I’ll think about it. I’ve never…thought about doing anything like that before. But…oh, I don’t know. Would it be worth it?_

“Okay, let’s run something,” Sephiroth announced, his amp humming. “We’ve got to make sure these mics are hot…”

Zack adjusted his mic stand and glanced around them--the two guitar amps were jammed together, and while the bass amp was on the opposite side of the drum kit, it still didn’t leave much room to maneuver. “Kinda crowded, aren’t we?” he said. “And shouldn’t we have a third mic?”

“We do not need it,” Sephiroth replied. “Besides, I knew we would be short on space.”

Zack sighed, then tapped his own mic. “Hey, do we know if--” He spoke directly into it, and it screeched with feedback immediately. _“Jesus!”_ he shouted off-mic as he ducked down to the pre-amp, fussing with the volume. “Do we know if anyone’s even coming?”

“I put a bit in the company newsletter,” Sephiroth said. “Although I’m not surprised you don’t read it.”

“Nope,” Zack said. “Makes a damn good paper airplane, though.”

Genesis snorted. “Don’t let the lady who runs it hear that. Fuck, what’s her name…”

“Elena,” Angeal answered for him.

“Yeah, she’s a newer Turk.” Genesis fingered an ascending line on his bass, rumbling low through the old wood of the bar. “Anyway, there’s that, your fan club’s coming--” He spun to Sephiroth. “Then there’s your siblings--”

 _“Cousins,”_ Sephiroth corrected between clenched teeth.

“Whatever, they’ll be here. So, there’ll be someone.” Genesis flicked his bangs back with his head. “Do you need a drink or something?”

“I need _you_ to stop being a _smartass,”_ Sephiroth snapped. “Come on, we need to be ready to start right on time…”

Tifa turned on a heel and went to make her way around the bar. “They’re fun,” she commented sarcastically to Barret in front of her. “Although, I am a little surprised that no one’s here yet…”

“People will come, especially once they actually get started,” Barret said. He stood in a way that blocked her from going around him to the back counter. “There’s no cover charge here, so people will wander in when they hear it from outside.” His voice dropped to a whisper. _“If_ they’re good.”

Tifa snickered, but it was drowned out by the sharp crack of Angeal’s snare counting off the band, and they soon descended into a grungy swing. Once again, she tried to get around Barret, but she was still constantly blocked. “Uh, aren’t you going to let me in?” she asked, loud enough so he could hear her above the band.

“You go sit,” he advised. “I’ll grab your attention if you need it. Fair’s your friend, right?”

“Y-yeah.” _Yeah...I guess he is._ Her eyes flicked over to the band, where Zack was bouncing around his mic as he played. _He’s all right after all._

Barret stroked his chin and chuckled. “Well, I know you’re friends with his girl,” he said. “So, relax.”

 _Friends, right,_ she thought, biting back a smile. _We’re more than just “friends”. Way more than just that. I wonder when her and Cloud are going to be getting here anyway? Guess I’ll have to wait and see._ She nodded. “Oh, all right,” she replied.

Tifa pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she walked backwards, to the outside of the bar, and sat next to Vincent. _I guess it’s not weird that I’m more nervous to see them than I am to hear the band play._ She tugged a hair tie off her wrist with one finger and used it to keep her hair in place. She swept her bangs back and tapped her nails against her thighs in the rhythm of the warm-up the band was playing. _I’d actually rather be tending the bar to try and fend it off._

Glancing over at the door, still propped open from the band’s loading, two familiar faces poked their heads in. _Oh, they’re...here already._ Tifa’s heart skipped a beat as she waved and took a deep breath to greet them. In reply, Aerith and Cloud both beamed back at her. _They’re here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1/27/17: Another quick change since I swapped the song Aerith would be singing.
> 
> At last! Sorry for the late update! This one was a bit like putting a puzzle piece together, but it's preliminary, as the pieces are going to fit together soon. Cloud'll warm up into sharing Aerith's wardrobe a little more as time goes on, and wearing more makeup. Gotta look pretty for your crush and your boyfriend! The 1sts are a carnival, per usual. Tifa feels like drums could be nice, but she's also gay for Aerith, and sometimes being gay is the only motivation you need for things like this. Oh yes, and I haven't forgotten about her song! It's just taking some time to get there.
> 
> Next chapter, we'll pick up right where we left off and get to hear the band play! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!


	50. First Gig

“Hey, girly!” Aerith greeted, hugging Tifa from the side. She kissed her cheek and nuzzled against it. “How’s it going?”

“P-pretty good,” she replied, offering a quick kiss to her temple in reply. Cloud circled around them and took a seat beside Tifa, back to the bar. _Her face gets so pink when she’s…like that to her,_ he thought with a smirk. He reached up with a hand to rub his eyes, then thought better of it. _Right. I’m wearing mascara…it’ll smudge._

Aerith hopped into Tifa’s lap as feedback screeched from the guitars. “I’m so excited,” she giggled, tossing her bushy hair so it was out of Tifa’s face. “My baby’s going to play--! _Hey! Zack!”_

His back was to them, but he whirled around upon hearing his name, and his face turned from confusion to a bright smile. “Hey!” he said with a wave. He even offered a quick wink to Cloud, and he felt his chest swell with joy. _God._ He ran a hand over his mouth while he bit his lip. _Zack…_

“What time is it?” Sephiroth asked, gripping his microphone stand as he spoke into it. “I need time to get ready.”

“Get _ready?”_ Zack exclaimed, gaping at him. “What more do you need to _do?”_

“Oh, I bet he wants to comb his hair for the eight-millionth time,” Genesis remarked, strolling behind him and pulling some of Sephiroth’s long, silver hair back from in front of his shoulder.

Immediately, Sephiroth slapped him away. “Don’t _touch,”_ he snapped. As he whipped his head around, his bangs shifted to reveal the black feather earring on his right side. _I have a feather too,_ Cloud thought idly. _I’m a part of their...little club. I keep thinking about it…_

“Oh, good, you two are matching again,” Angeal commented, pointing his drumstick at Sephiroth and Genesis. His grin spread slowly across his strong jaw. “Guess it is a special occasion after all. Did you two plan it, or--”

Sephiroth’s sigh was groaning and heavy enough to interrupt Angeal completely. He threw his guitar off his shoulder and shoved it at Genesis, forcing him to hold it by the fretboard.  “Where’s the bathroom,” he muttered, digging in his pockets as he nearly sprinted past the bar.

Barret, behind the counter, was not phased. “Right around the corner, furthest door,” he said, arms crossed.

Genesis gingerly propped Sephiroth’s guitar on the floor, holding it like a cane as he shook his head--it revealed his own earring. “Fuckin’ diva,” he remarked. “Bet you he’s doing his makeup too…”

“He’s into that, huh?” Zack asked.

Genesis snorted. “Oh sure,” he replied. “He’ll do anything to assert himself as the best, the strongest, prettiest, most handsome…”

He trailed off with a snicker. At the same time, Cloud saw Angeal and Zack exchange a look, then Angeal piped up. “Sure, but hey Gen, don’t you like to wear--”

“So, _anyway,”_ Genesis interrupted loudly, rolling his eyes. “Uh…do we have that recorder set up yet?”

Zack barked a laugh. “Smooth, bud.”

“Fuck off!” He gave Zack a middle finger behind his back while he rummaged through their equipment.

“Oh, my God,” Aerith muttered, bouncing on Tifa’s lap. “Listen to them…”

Cloud turned back to the bar, making sure his face was completely hidden from view as he desperately bit back a smile. _Those rumors the guys in my company were true after all. Wild…guess that means that me wearing a little mascara isn’t such a big deal. We are in the city…maybe it’s not such a big deal here?_

_Or maybe it’s just--_

“Cloud,” Tifa said, tapping his arm. She had to weave around Aerith on her lap. “Want me to get you anything to drink?”

“Ah, I’m all set,” he replied with a wave of his hand. “I’m good.”

She patted Aerith’s hips to coax her off, and she left reluctantly. “I’ll get your usual,” she said with a little smile. “Ginger ale?”

 _Ti…_ “Sure.”

Cloud shifted in his seat, while Aerith nudged him and winked. He only shook his head in reply. _She really wants to push us, doesn’t she? They are dating, so they probably gossip together…and she wouldn’t do this unless she knew that Tifa liked me too._

_So...she does, then?_

_I still...I’m nervous to push it._

From the bathroom, Sephiroth whisked out, his hair freshly brushed and sleek behind him. Cloud spotted dark, razor sharp eyeliner on his eyes, along with longer lashes, and his cheekbones seemed more prominent than usual. _So he_ was _doing his makeup. Shit._

“Okay, okay,” Sephiroth muttered, then stood in front of the rest of his band. “How do I look?”

“Uh…” Zack muttered with a raised eyebrow.

Sephiroth was quick to cut him off. “Wrong answer,” he said, then pointed to Angeal.

He sighed. "You look fine, Seph," he returned.

"Ugh!" Sephiroth clenched his fists in front of him. "No! Next!"

He then pointed to Genesis, who was more than ready to receive. “You look stunning,” he replied with a smug look. “Perfect, like the Goddess sculpted you herself, from the rising sun of dawn--”

“Enough.” Sephiroth stood a little taller, but still scowled at him before flicking his hair. “A little thick. And you could stand to sound more sincere. But otherwise, correct.”

Cloud swore he could hear Angeal and Zack groan from his seat at the bar. Genesis, on the other hand, shrugged and turned back toward his amp. “Who said I wasn’t being sincere?” he remarked. He dug a thin piece of plastic out of his back pocket and flicked it over his shoulder at Sephiroth. “Have you tuned?”

Sephiroth caught it with one hand, even though Genesis’ aim was poor and too far right. “Idiot, I tuned three times before we left,” he grumbled, then looked around. “Christ, where _is_ everyone--”

Just at that very moment, commotion came from the entrance to the bar, and three teenagers came stumbling in. All of them had silver dyed hair in varying degrees--the tallest one had his spiked and close cut, the next was long and full in his face, and the last was only in his bangs--and the silver was faded to a sickly shade of green. “Hey, we’re here!” said the shortest.

Cloud looked them over closer--all of them had the same nose, same blueish green eyes and pale complexion. “Oh, those must be Sephiroth’s brothers,” Aerith muttered as they swarmed toward the band. “I know the one with long hair is…Yazoo? I think?”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes as the three surrounded him--he towered over them, even looking down at the tallest. _Right, and the tallest is Loz. Then there’s Kadaj,_ he thought. _That time they came by to rehearsal…_

“You guys haven’t started yet?” Kadaj asked, then jabbed Loz with his elbow. “Hah! I told you I’d get us here on time!”

“Fuck, you nearly killed us!” Yazoo groaned. “You ran two lights on the way over, _I_ should’ve been the one driving…”

“Honestly, how did you even get your license…” Sephiroth said, pinching a nerve between his eyes. “Just...go sit--”

“Look! Seph, we all match you now!” Kadaj interrupted, pointing at his own hair, and then to his siblings’. “We all have cool silver hair now!”

“Yours needs a wash,” Sephiroth muttered. Still, his chest swelled ever so slightly. “I’m surprised Mother let you do that.”

“Well, she lets him dye his bangs,” Yazoo pointed out. “And besides, we just did it at Loz’s place today.” They adjusted their jacket, one Cloud recognized as a Shinra issued standard-class jacket, over their shoulders and twisted at the collar. “So, she doesn’t know yet…”

“Oh, my God,” Sephiroth groaned.

“Hey, guys?” Angeal called from behind his kit. “We _are_ going to start in a sec. Why don’t you go sit down?”

Loz and Yazoo nodded, but Kadaj was not so easily deterred, hands with black painted nails reaching for Sephiroth’s guitar. “Dude, dude, lemme play something, I’ve been practicing--”

Sephiroth placed a hand on his head, and turned him around toward the bar. _“Go. Sit,”_ he growled. “And don’t cause trouble!”

The three stumbled over to the bar, just as Tifa slid Cloud his ginger ale, and they sat with an empty seat in-between them and Cloud. _They all smell like cigarettes,_ he mused as Kadaj ran his hands through his already greasy bangs. He wore a black leather jacket that was covered in patches from various punk bands. Cloud and Tifa exchanged a look-- _here we go,_ it said--before she wandered over to them. “You guys want some soda, or something?” she asked.

“No way!” Kadaj said, kneeling on the barstool. His eyes went right for her chest. “Say, you look familiar…”

“Dude!” Yazoo yanked on his collar to sit him down.

Loz tapped the bar, but avoided eye contact. “Can I get a beer?”

“Sure,” she said, drawing it out. “But…er…” She looked back at Barret, watching with crossed arms, and he nodded. “Could I see some ID?”

“Aw, come _on!”_ Kadaj slammed his hands down on the bar. “Really? We’re totally old enough!” His voice cracked as he said this. “Just give us some beer, it’s cool!”

Aerith craned her neck at the scene that was bubbling up. “Say, didn’t I see you brats over at the high school a while back?” She smirked and raised an eyebrow. “With _backpacks?”_

“No! No you didn’t!” Kadaj pointed at her wildly. “C’mon, _please?!”_

Yazoo leaned at the bar as well, twisting a lock of their hair between their fingers. “Just one drink, for us?” they pleaded.

Loz didn’t say anything, but had a similar look to his sibling, and Tifa sighed. “Listen…”

Barret approached them with an unimpressed glare. “If you _kids_ keep asking for booze, I’m gonna have to kick you out,” he said. “Got it?”

Kadaj surprised them all by slamming his fist on the bar and getting right into Barret’s face. “Hey! We’re with Sephiroth, so you’ve gotta--”

“I don’t _gotta_ do anything for you, punk!” Barret retorted, standing still and tall. Cloud could see his brow furrow, however, and even Vincent on the other end of the bar was beginning to sit a little taller. _Oh, God._

The commotion garnered Sephiroth’s attention, and he passed his guitar off to Zack this time as he rushed over. “What the hell’s going on?” he asked, heading straight to Kadaj. “You aren’t being a nuisance, are you?”

Sephiroth glared down at Kadaj, who began to shrink at the bar. “I-I was just…”

Yazoo struggled to back up their brother, but could only make clicking noises in the back of their throat. Loz sighed and ran his hand back through his hair. “Yeah,” he admitted.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes, then forced Kadaj down into his seat with one hand. “Sorry,” he muttered to Barret. “He’s...they’re my siblings, he’s my brother, so--”

“I’m your _what?!”_ Kadaj jerked his head up, eyes wide and with a shaky smile. “Di-did you just…”

Sephiroth’s lip curled. “Don’t get used to it-- _oof!”_

Kadaj hugged him tight around his middle. “I love you, bro,” he said, rubbing his greasy hair on Sephiroth’s shirt.

Aerith leaned over Cloud’s shoulder, watching the scene with amusement. “Is he... _crying?”_ she whispered into his ear.

Cloud only snorted. _He’s pretty close. I’ve only heard Sephiroth refer to his…”cousins”, not his brothers. But, these were the kids he was talking about, definitely._ He watched as Sephiroth rolled his eyes, yet patted his back before shoving him away under Barret’s amused eye. “Didn’t know you had family,” he remarked.

“Yes,” he replied, with a sigh. “This one is ten years my junior--they’re _all_ underage, so don’t give them anything.”

“Aww--” Yazoo started to whine, but was quickly cut off by a piercing glare.

“And _do not_ give them any trouble,” he continued, gesturing to both Tifa and Barret behind the counter. “I’ll make sure Mother hears of it if you do.”

“Yeah, Kadaj, you don’t wanna be _grounded_ all summer,” Yazoo teased, jabbing him in the side with their elbow.

“Hey, fuck you!” Kadaj snapped, jabbing them right back. “Just because you’ve graduated, you’re still living at home! Mom can still ground you!”

“Yeah, but _I’m_ 18\. And I’m looking for a new place, anyway--”

Sephiroth sighed and shook his head. “I can’t listen to this. We need to start,” he muttered, rushing back to the band. “Come on, let’s go…”

“Just waiting on you, bud,” Zack huffed. He handed him his guitar, while readjusting his own over his shoulder. The pale blue stood out amongst the mostly black equipment surrounding him--save for Genesis’ red bass and corresponding amp in his corner. “So, how are we doing this? Are you just--”

Ignoring him, Sephiroth spoke very close into the microphone. _“Good evening,”_ he began, deep voice booming through the speakers. As if on instinct, Genesis stepped over to the pre-amp to try and turn him down, but Sephiroth held his arm out to stop him. _“It seems we don’t have much of a crowd yet--”_

From the bar, Kadaj whistled from his seat, making Cloud wince. Sephiroth rolled his eyes. _“We’re going to get started.”_  

With that, he stepped back from the mic, then proceeded to stare at Genesis. “Well?” he said. “You’re starting.”

Genesis stared at him, then smirked. “Oh, yeah,” he said as he flicked a knob on his bass. Instead of coming up to the front of the stage, he took a step back toward Angeal, watching him as the deep rumble of the melody line echoed from his amp. Angeal kept time on the high hat, and at the proper bar, he cued in the others with a fill.

 _Zack can’t stop moving around,_ Cloud observed, sipping on his ginger ale. _He’s probably got a lot of energy still. Whether it’s still nervous or not, I dunno._ He found himself unable to focus on the other band members as he tunneled in on Zack, pacing behind Sephiroth at the mic.

“He’s so cute,” Aerith said to Cloud with a wide grin. “Isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he is,” Cloud chuckled.

“That’s our boyfriend!” she whispered excitedly. “Look at him…”

 _I know, I can’t stop,_ he thought, tilting his head while he covered his own mouth. As he did, his eyes finally wandered to the side, where Tifa was standing right across from him at the bar, already looking at him. Their gazes met, then quickly flitted away.

_Ti._

As Sephiroth started to sing, more people came wandering into the bar, filling up the remaining seats. The first group was one Cloud recognized-- _Turks. Reno has the red hair, and there’s Rude…weird to see them out of uniform. But, that one lady is--_

Aerith spotted her as well, and she waved. “Oh, hi Cissnei!” she called.

She turned on her heel and walked over between Cloud and Aerith. “Hey there,” she greeted with a small smile. Cloud could see a translucent wire running from her ear to the inside of her suit. “How are you two?”

Cissnei looked pointedly at Cloud, even as the question was posed to them both. “Okay,” Cloud said. _I don’t think I’ve met her before. Zack’s talked about her…I’ve seen her around once or twice, but it’s like she already knows me._ He rolled his shoulders and occupied himself with stirring his glass. _Turks know everything…_

“Everything’s good! You here to see them play?” Aerith piped up. “They’re on their first song…”

“That’s one of the reasons,” she said.

Tifa whisking to the bar with two mugs full of beer caught Cloud’s eye. “There you guys go,” she said, pushing them in front of Reno and Rude. “Oh, hey! Can I get you anything?”

Cissnei shook her head. “I really shouldn’t. I’m technically working--”

“Aw, c’mon!” Reno exclaimed. He reached out to try and jab her shoulder, but she moved just out of reach, and instead collided with Cloud. “Sorry, Strife--oy, Ciss, I think Elena’s starting to rub off on you, you work too hard.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Guess not, if you wanna grow up to be Tseng,” Reno retorted. “Where _is_ Elena, anyway? Thought you’d bring her as your--”

“She’s on another mission,” Cissnei interrupted, then sighed toward Tifa. “I’ll...just get me an old-fashioned.” Her eyes darted over to her colleagues. “But put it on their tab.”

Reno cackled in a bray of laughter, but Rude only sighed, digging for his wallet. “It’s fine,” he muttered. “I’m buying your drinks tonight, anyway…”

Cissnei winked at Aerith and Cloud, quiet and subtle. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be just over here.” She nodded toward Vincent’s end of the bar, and stepped back, walking around to his other side.

“Okay…!” Aerith said, then she reached across the bar to tap Tifa’s shoulder as she mixed a drink. “Hey, babe, can you make me something sweet?”

“Hm?” Large hoop earrings beat against her cheeks as she jerked her head up, and she nodded. “Sweet and alcoholic?”

“Preferably,” Aerith replied, and blew her a kiss.

_“No I don’t have a gun…”_

At their back, the band ended their first number, and Aerith was the first to start cheering and clapping. Cloud soon joined her, as did most of the rest of the bar (even he could pick out Sephiroth’s brothers whistling behind him). _Of course it was going to be loud,_ he thought, struggling to breathe easy. _Might as well just…try and settle in for the night. I’m not going to try and sneak out this time._

_This is his big show…_

* * *

 

Through the band’s next numbers, they settled into more of a consistent groove--less stiff, more fluid and natural. Through the rattling of Angeal’s consistent snare, Genesis was right up against Sephiroth’s back as the latter wailed into the microphone:

 _“Yeah, the felix of your truth will always break it,_  
_And the iris of your eyes will always shake it._  
_And the armies I, the armies I have created…_  
_They’ll always hate it, they’ll always bait you on,_ _  
_ Until I take their flags…”

He jerked back from the mic to hunch over his guitar, silver hair like a curtain over his face. _They’re not half bad,_ Tifa mused, leaning over the bar in front of Cloud. _I guess there’s_ some _reason Sephiroth acts all high and mighty all the time--he’s got some serious talent._ A bass riff ended the number, but it was mostly masked by applause roaring from the now crowded bar. Tifa joined in, but kept Cloud in her peripheral. _I thought maybe the crowd would bug him, but he seems like he’s having a good time. After all, his boyfriend’s up there playing, and he’s doing good too…_

A hand on her shoulder jerked her. “Ah!” she exclaimed.

Barret leaned down to her ear. “I thought I told you to go sit down?” he said.

“Yeah, but…” She gestured to the completely full bar, as well as the groups of people standing around on the floor of the bar. Vincent had nearly disappeared, only a shadow in the throng of people in his barstool. “Look!”

“The worst is over, everyone’s already ordered, and refills are easy,” he insisted, pushing her out. “Go and grab that seat by Carlos while it’s still open.”

Tifa glared at him. “Why do you do that?!” she barked as she backed out. “That isn’t very nice…”

He only chuckled and waved her away, redirecting his attention to getting a refill for a customer at the other end of the bar. _Swear to God,_ she thought. _At least he doesn’t do it to his face anymore. He must just like getting a reaction out of me…ugh!_

As she wandered through the throng over to Cloud and Aerith, Zack stepped up to the mic. _“Hey, everybody,”_ he said, face spreading into a grin. _“How’s everyone doing tonight? Y’all liking what we’ve got so far?”_

Some cheers erupted, including a loud “WE LOVE YOU SEPHIROTH!” from Sephiroth’s siblings at the bar. Tifa weaseled her way between their seats--in front of Aerith and behind Cloud--and tapped the latter on the shoulder. “Hey,” she muttered.

“Oh, h-hey,” he replied, with a small smile, but quickly returned his attention to the front.

 _“So, I’ve got a couple songs I wanna do for you tonight,”_ Zack continued, adjusting his hat. _“Sorry you’ve got to look at my ugly mug--”_

Aerith cupped her hands around her mouth and just barely missed shouting in Tifa’s ear. _“You’re beautiful, babe!”_ she called.

Zack laughed off mic and pointed in their direction. _“That’s my baby girl right over there,”_ he said. _“She’s sitting right by my favorite SOLDIER too, so go on and say hi before the night’s up, ‘kay?”_

Cloud shrank in his seat as Zack winked from across the room. _“Anyway, here’s something you guys might know.”_ He hopped off mic and said something she couldn’t quite hear, but got an eyeroll from Sephiroth. He cranked up the volume on his guitar and began strumming a steady rhythm, accompanied by hi-hat from Angeal, and then with a shake of his shoulders, he stepped back to the mic and sang:

_“I was down at the New Amsterdam, staring at this yellow haired girl--”_

The look down at Cloud was subtle, but even Tifa caught it, and it was made more obvious as Cloud covered his mouth and sunk into the bar once again. _God, Zack, you’ve always got to show off,_ Tifa thought as Aerith giggled behind her. _You’re going to make Cloud disintegrate one day…_

Zack continued to sing. _“--Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation with a black haired flamenco dancer,_  
_You know, she dances while her father plays guitar, she’s suddenly beautiful,_ _  
_ _And we all want something beautiful…”_ He broke song to speak with a flourish of his guitar. “God damn I wish I were beautiful--!”

The rest of the band kicked in--Sephiroth looked displeased to be hanging back, but amused himself with playing lines in tandem with Zack. Angeal, with sweat running down his forehead, looked like he was having the most fun, replying to Zack’s chords with appropriate fills and bringing his sticks high. The more Zack sang, the more he closed his eyes and emoted to the music--everything was a little distorted and boomy through the tiny bar, but it was in time, it was tight, and Tifa bobbed her head to the beat. _Yeah, they’re good._

Aerith leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek from behind. “Do you want to sit?” she asked. “You’ve been standing all night.”

“I’m fine,” Tifa replied automatically. She shifted her weight on her feet, aching in her sneakers. “I’m used to it--”

Cloud glanced over his shoulder, then spun around toward her. “You can have my seat,” he offered, sliding off.

“No, no, not _you,”_ Aerith insisted, hopping of the stool and rushing over to Cloud to keep him on his. “I’m being the chivalrous girlfriend today.”

In the dark, Tifa could still spot Cloud turning a shade of pink as he righted himself. “A-ah…” he muttered, but still scooted his stool a little closer to Tifa’s, so they were sitting flush beside each other. Their knees brushed, and neither of them moved away.

_“And when everybody loves me, I will never be lonely…”_

“They sound good,” Tifa said at his shoulder. “You drop in on their rehearsals, don’t you?”

Cloud nodded. “Mm. They’ve been going every day this past week to make sure everything’s good. Up to Sephiroth’s standards, at least.”

“God, he must be hard to please,” Tifa snorted.

“I thought we were going to die in drills today,” he replied. “He picked on a couple 2nds who were running light sword techniques and just…wouldn’t let them go until they had it _perfect._ It took almost an hour…”

“He didn’t pick on you, did he?”

“No,” he said, and held his arms out as if he were brandishing a double-handed sword. “I’m following Zack and Angeal with their style…”

Tifa smirked. “Nice.”

Back with the band, Zack was singing his heart out, dancing at the microphone stand. _“I wanna be Bob Dylan,”_ he sang, then spun around as far as he could go while still catching the mic and gestured to Angeal at the drums. “Hey, _Mr. Jones wishes he were someone just a little more funky--!”_

Angeal laughed, deep and full enough to be heard over the band, and sent him a couple cymbal hits in appreciation. The whole group--from Genesis smiling himself, to Sephiroth trying to hide his amusement with a shake of his head--ended up responding as Zack continued. _“But when everybody loves you, aw son! You’re just about as funky as you can be…”_

“God, he _sells_ this,” Aerith marveled beside them. “He’s been singing this song in the shower for months now, but to really _hear_ it live…”

Zack opened his eyes and beamed toward Aerith and Cloud at the bar, catching them even through the milling of people. _“Mr. Jones and me, staring at the video, when I look at the television I wanna see me staring right back at me…_

 _“We all wanna be big stars, and we don’t know why, and we don’t know how,_  
_But when everybody loves me, I’m gonna be just about has happy as I can be._ _  
_ Mr. Jones and me…”

The band slowed down together with an exaggerated drop of Genesis’ bass leading the way, while Zack finished the lyric breathlessly. _“We’re gonna be...big stars.”_

Even before they finished, the bar had erupted into cheers. “All right, Fair!” Reno yelled from somewhere behind Tifa. She clapped along as well, melding in with the rest of the noise. _Really...not bad. He sounds good when he sings._ Beside her, Aerith stood on her toes and whooped, her face flush. _She’s caught up in it too._

The praise from the room seemed to wash over Zack, and he bowed his head, unable to stop smiling. _“Thank you,”_ he said into the mic, barely masking modesty.

“Zack Fair, folks!” Angeal hollered, voice cutting through even without a mic, with his hands cupped around his mouth. “Give it up!”

Despite him saying this, and the continuing cheers, he began to play a shuffle beat on the hi-hat, and Zack glanced back and nodded. _“This is an original tune,”_ he said.

Within a couple beats, Sephiroth joined in with an arpeggiated guitar riff, and then Genesis with simple long tones against the chords. As soon as everyone was playing, Angeal played a fill on the toms, and they shuffled into the main groove flawlessly, Zack in particular weaving to the beat.

“This…” Cloud started, leaning back to talk right into Tifa’s ear. “This is the song he wrote...for Aerith and I.”

“Oh, yeah?” Tifa replied. _“Whoops,_ careful--!”

As Cloud leaned back, he lost some of his balance, and Tifa steadied him with her hands on his waist. At the same time, he grappled her thigh to keep upright, and soon became stable with a sigh. “S-sorry,” he said, running his hand down her thigh toward her knee. Oddly enough, he kept it there, though he swallowed hard before he continued talking. “Um...y-yeah, he wrote it while I was sick…”

“Mm, I think I remember that.” _He always had his guitar out those days when I was visiting, and a notebook was always on the coffee table. It looked like scribble to me, I could barely read it._ Acutely aware of his hand on her knee, she tried not to stare at it, instead focusing on the band playing in front of them.

_“How will I know when most of me is getting there? How will I know when we can stand here hand in hand…?”_

Tifa bit her lip. _Maybe he doesn’t realize that he kept it there._ “U-um, you know…” she started, crossing her feet against the metal bar below the stool. “The drummer...Angeal, he asked me if I wanted to learn how to play…”

“Really?” Cloud replied. His fingers tensed, then relaxed on her knee. _Nope, that’s on purpose._ “That’d be pretty cool.”

“Maybe, but…” She sighed, gripping underneath her seat and rattling her nails. “I mean, I sat at the kit, it seems cool, but…then again, it’d be kind of complicated…I never did anything like that growing up.”

Cloud tilted his head in thought. In the paused space, the band died down at the bridge of the song, with Zack humming at the mic. _“I’ll tell you I love you once, then twice, and I’ll say it again…”_

_“Not holding back…”_

_Not holding back,_ Tifa thought, staring out past Cloud in soft focus. _Not holding back._

_Have I been holding back? Because of him? Because of her? Because of…you?_

_Has it been worth it? I don’t…_

She released one of her hands from her death grip under her stool and coaxed it on her own lap. Her fingertips barely brushed the side of Cloud’s hand. _I don’t know. Does it matter now?_

_“We’re getting there…”_

Applause flared up once again as Zack finished his song, diving back from the mic while he caught his breath. At the same time, Cloud released his touch from her knee to clap, and Tifa could still feel its warmth as she clapped as well, dazed. _Ah. We’re...getting there too, aren’t we?_

Cloud spoke again as soon as the applause died down. “I think you’d be good with it,” he said, reaching back to touch her knee again. “It’d be...something…”

In the middle of speaking, Tifa intercepted him, catching his hand, and while he tried to jerk it away, she pulled him back. _No, no, you’re okay,_ she thought as she closed her fingers around his palm. _This is...easier. Isn’t it?_

They both stared at their clumsily linked hands. “S-something…” Cloud tried to finish. “Something good. Something new, I-I mean.”

Tifa nodded. “Mmm.” _Something new._

They looked up at nearly the same time, meeting each other’s eyes. The bar mulled and chattered around them, and the band started another number with Sephiroth at the mic despite the quiet moment they shared. Cloud challenged himself to hold her gaze, but as he rearranged his hand around hers into something more natural, he bit his lip and glanced off. _You’re hiding that shy little smile,_ Tifa thought, letting her own shine through. _Cloud, Cloud…_

 _“And I see that these are lies to come, and would you even care?_ _  
_ _And I feel it…”_

With her face feeling flush, she turned her attention back to the band--it was getting harder to see with the crowd of people, but Sephiroth was tall enough to be seen even from the distance. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Aerith glancing at them with a smirk. _What are you smiling about?_ Tifa thought, making a point to let her know she had been caught with a headtilt and pursed lips. _Or, did you have this in mind all along…?_

_(“We’re like a whole big family now!”)_

She wandered over to her side, kissing her cheek and perching her head on her shoulder. “How’s it going?” Aerith said into her ear. “How’s Cloud?”

“Fine,” Tifa replied.

She giggled. “Oh, I see you two. I think it’s going _more_ than fine.”

“Stop it--!” Tifa exclaimed, but was stopped with a kiss to her lips, deepening slowly. _Ah, Aerith…!_

Inadvertently, she squeezed Cloud’s hand at the same time, coaxing him to turn around just in time to see them in full liplock. Tifa opened one eye to catch him trying not to stare, and apparently Aerith did the same, as he huffed and ran a hand back through his hair. “S-sorry…” he muttered, barely audible in the noise.

Aerith broke the kiss and bounced over to Cloud, a hand on both Tifa’s and his shoulder. “What are you sorry about?” Aerith said to him. “If you think we’re cute, you can watch.”

“I-I just…” He shook his head and covered his mouth with his free hand. “I don’t wanna intrude…”

“Aw, you’re sweet,” Aerith remarked. “And kind of refreshing. Zack’s _never_ shy about watching.”

 _“God,”_ Tifa groaned. “I swear, his eyes get to be the size of dinner plates.”

Cloud chuckled, letting his hand drop from his face. “Yeah, I’m...that doesn’t surprise me,” he commented, rolling his fingers against Tifa’s knuckles. “That’s Zack…”

“Your boyfriend’s a card,” Tifa said, glancing up to see him wandering around the stage, going between all of his bandmates. None of them seemed to be paying too much attention to him, despite his clear enthusiasm. “But he’s pretty good on stage.”

“Of course he is,” Aerith replied, sidled with her hip against her side and her arms crossed. “He doesn’t have a ego like, say, _Sephiroth,_ but he does shine when he’s in the spotlight.”

Cloud nodded, watching the front once again with a soft look. “Yeah, he does.”

Cheers and clapping racked the bar again, but Cloud kept his hold on Tifa’s hand this time, clapping his hand against his thigh to compensate. “They’re really flying through this set, though,” Aerith said, twirling a lock of her hair between two fingers. “Thank God no one’s much for speeches in this group…”

The next song started with a blistering fast drum beat, running into a simple, but equally fast guitar line led by Sephiroth. Tifa kept her hand locked with Cloud’s, resting more on his leg, and leaned against his shoulder. He replied by gently bumping his head against hers. _He must be getting tired--even I am. When I’m working behind the counter, I don’t notice it until my shift’s done, since I keep myself moving. Except on slow nights, but then usually Barret let’s me go so I can keep an eye on Marlene…_

_Speaking of which…_

She sat up and waved down Barret at the other end of the bar. He spotted her immediately and rushed over. “Everything okay?” he asked. His eyes flicked to Cloud with suspicion, and Tifa was thankful that he wasn’t paying attention.

“Yeah, yeah,” she assured. “I was just wondering where Marlene was.”

Barret chuckled. “She’s upstairs. You know she doesn’t like coming down at night. I’m sure she’d get spooked if she saw all the people here, anyway.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right.” She let out a small sigh of relief. “Still, I wouldn’t want her to get curious about the noise and wander around here…”

“Nah,” he said. “She’s probably hiding from it anyway.” He crossed his arms and ducked closer to her, causing Tifa to lean over at the bar. “You know, she really thinks of you as a big sister. She loves you a lot.”

Tifa’s face spread into a smile. “She’s a sweetheart,” she chose to reply, after a second’s hesitation.

“Sure is.” He cleared his throat. “Stupid question, but you’re planning on sticking around for a while, right? It’d break her heart if…you know…”

“Oh, yeah,” Tifa said. “I don’t have any plans, besides being here.” _Here with her, and with him…and everyone here. I have so many more_

_(loved ones)_

_friends here than I did back in Nibelheim…more people who give a damn about me, for who I am._ She gave Barret a smile, and he returned it with a nod before wandering back to the sink. _And something tells me Marlene wouldn’t be the only one heartbroken if I left, either._

Cloud began rubbing his thumb on the inside of her palm, and the floor felt more entertaining to her flushed face, to her lips curved into a secret smile. _Why would I want to? This is…home._

At the front of the stage, while the rest of the band was absorbed in a rousing, instrumental number, Zack took the microphone. _“All right, everybody, we’re gonna be heading into our last number, so lemme introduce you…”_ He gestured back. _“On drums, Angeal Hewley!”_

A wave of cheers rumbled up. Zack pointed to his opposite side, toward the bass amp. _“On bass, Genesis Rhapsodos!”_

Genesis replied with only a nod and an exaggerated line that jumped to the high end of the instrument. As Zack turned toward Sephiroth, he realized he was stalking up toward the mic anyway, staring in annoyed anticipation. _“And on lead vocals and guitar,”_ Zack called. _“The one and only Sephiroth Cetra!”_

Tifa watched Sephiroth’s lips move off mic-- _some smart comment, probably,_ she assumed to herself--then push Zack back with one hand. He sighed, loud enough to kick some feedback into the mic. _“And Zack Fair, guitar and vocals.”_

“Ow _ow!”_ Aerith hollered, jumping up and down. “Love you, baby!”

In the small space of transition between grooves--a straight ahead rock groove to more of a shuffle, coordinated mostly by Angeal and Genesis focusing on each other--Zack called to her off the microphone. “Love you too!” he shouted, then craned his head around to try and catch Cloud’s eye. “And you, Cloud!”

“Oh my _God,_ Zack…” Cloud warbled, hiding his head into Tifa’s shoulder. “Of course he’s gotta do that…”

Tifa laughed and coaxed Cloud’s head up by nudging it with her own. “He’s your boyfriend,” she said. “He likes showing off for you.”

Cloud nodded. “Y-yeah, I know.” He stayed close enough so that their foreheads were almost touching. “He doesn’t…have to.”

 _Have we been this close before?_ Tifa thought, clammy hand flinching in his hold. _I don’t think so, and if we have, it’s been a long time. All I can remember from growing up is those sleepovers when Dad was being a jerk, him staring at me from across the gym floor during a school dance, spotting him cigarettes between classes…_

_Maybe we have been a long time coming._

_“We live in the shadows and we had the chance but threw it away,_  
_But it’s never gonna be the same, ‘cause the years are falling by like the rain,_  
_It’s never gonna be the same, ‘til the life I knew comes to my house and says…_ _  
_ Hello, hello…”

Even the wild solo coming from Sephiroth’s guitar couldn’t sway Tifa and Cloud to the front of the stage. _Aerith swept me away, that’s for sure, but you…you’ve always been around. And I don’t want to change that._

_(do you?)_

Cloud smirked, accompanied by a gentle snicker in the back of his throat. _Only if it’s a change…that brings us closer,_ she concluded to herself. She mimicked his expression, heart hammering in her throat. _Yeah…_

He sighed through his nose and swallowed hard, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “Ti,” he said, reaching his free hand up to the side of her face. For the first time that night, he was facing totally toward her, not at the band, and the adrenaline from the attention made Tifa feel light-headed. “I...ah…”

But, before he could say much else, the crowd roared for the end of the set, interrupting the moment. It was further interrupted when Aerith was shoved aside into the bar between them. “Hey, _watch it!”_ she snapped.

Tifa reached out to catch her by the side, while Cloud jerked his arm down to guard Tifa from getting shoved into. “Are you okay?” Tifa asked Aerith, voice sounding odd coming out of her mouth. _Was he…?_

“Yeah, I’m good,” she dismissed, then winked at her. “Didn’t mean to _interrupt_ you two…”

“Hey--!” Tifa exclaimed. _I don’t think my face could burn any hotter…_

 _“Thank you, thank you everybody!”_ Zack said into his own mic, waving to the crowd. _“You folks have a good night! We’re...we’re, uh…”_ He glanced over at Sephiroth. “Hey, do we even have a band name?”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Of course,” he said, then spoke into his own mic. _“We’re Dark Materia. We will be performing again soon, so…keep an eye out.”_

Genesis stared down at his feet, digging a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, while Zack gaped at him. “Really? Are you kidding?”

On the other hand, Tifa heard Kadaj shout from the bar. _“Dark Materia! Woo, fuckin’ sweet!”_

“God,” Cloud muttered. “I don’t know what we were expecting…”

“Yeah, really,” Tifa replied. _That’s the end of the set. That means it’s going to clear out pretty quickly._ “Hey, um…”

Cloud tilted his head, keeping his eyes on her face, although they wandered between her eyes and her lips. “Were you...ah…” she continued. _Oh, come on, you already know the answer. He’s probably going to leave with the rest of them. I need to stay to help clean up…_

“Hey, hey, there he is!” Aerith exclaimed as Zack weaved through the crowd over to her. As soon as she was within proximity, he picked her up by the waist and brought her to his face to kiss her. Aerith kicked her feet and giggled. “My rockstar! My _sweaty_ rockstar, oy…”

Zack laughed, dropping her and throwing his head back. “Ha! Rock ‘n roll’s hard work!” he said. He then scooted over to Cloud and kissed him as well, both hands on his shoulders. “How’d we sound? Everything good?”

“You were awesome,” Cloud replied breathlessly, wiping residual sweat from his face from his boyfriend. Still, he beamed up at him with bright eyes. “Everyone sounded really good…!”

“Sweet!” he chirped, bouncing on his feet. “Fuck, that was fun! We’re gonna have to do this again sometime…”

“You should,” Aerith said, hugging his arm. “So you can get big and famous.”

“Aw, sheesh,” he said, sheepishness creeping into his grin and his voice. “We’re just some military guys jammin’ out…”

 _If you want to put it that way, sure,_ Tifa thought with some amusement. _But you’re all top-ranking “military guys”, and you sound like more than just a jam band thrown together._

Commotion began to build to a peak as people started to order their last drinks and mill out of the bar. Tifa felt Cloud squeeze her hand a little tighter, shrinking into his seat. _Ah, there it is._ Zack noticed it too, as he threw his arm around Aerith and ducked down to talk to him. “Hey, you okay?” he asked him.

“Huh? Y-yeah, just…” Cloud said, then sighed heavily. “I think I’m done for the night.”

“Well, why don’t you guys step out?” Aerith suggested. “I think I’m going to help the boys pack up. Give you two some time.” She winked and hugged against Zack’s side. “We can meet up tomorrow at our place!”

“O...okay?” Tifa said. “Sure, we can do that…”

“Ti…” Cloud muttered into her ear. “I don’t care where we go, can we just--”

 _“Hey, Fair!”_ Sephiroth called over the throng of people. “Are you going to help us, or what?”

“Coming right up!” Zack called back, then clicked his tongue and gave Tifa and Cloud a wink as well. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

“Yeah…”

Aerith and Zack exchanged a look, then both with devilish grins, they dove forward and kissed both of their respective partners full on the mouth. Aerith, in particular, was enthusiastic, cupping Tifa’s cheek as she did so. _“Mmwah!”_ she said. “Have fun!”

Before Tifa could blink and gather herself, they disappeared into the crowd, over toward the bandstand. Beside her, Cloud looked equally as dazed, but shook himself quicker, keeping a tight hold on Tifa’s hand. “Ah…” he sighed, then looked to her. “So…?”

Tifa nodded. “Yeah, let’s go…” She glanced around them--an easy exit wasn’t clear, either for the front door or back around the bar. Her eyes finally fell on the door to the upstairs. _Oh, well. I kind of want to check on Marlene, anyway._ “Let’s go upstairs. C’mon.”

She slid off the stool and led the way through the crowd milling about, ears tuning into the band’s banter. “Nice job guys.” “Hey, did you get the recording?” “Yeah, it’s right here--fuck, you’ve got to stop it, it’s going to run out of tape.” “Gen, you’d better not be smoking already.” “I ain’t got a light. Unless you wanna give me one.” “You fucking…”

Tifa shook her head. _Yeah, I’ll just leave them be,_ she thought to herself, twisting the knob on the door and yanking Cloud into the stairwell. _I think I need a breather just as much as he does..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1/5/17: I decided to extend one of the scenes just a tad, because I enjoyed it so much.
> 
> This chapter has an 8tracks mix to go with it! [You can find it here.](http://8tracks.com/shadsy/think-about-me-1st-gig) There are annotations too!
> 
> The Cloti's coming, folks, I promise! I don't have much for notes right now, despite it being a long chapter. Maybe I'll come up with something a little later. But next time we'll follow Cloud and Tifa upstairs! Thanks for reading, stay tuned!


	51. Quiet Time

When Tifa shut the door behind them, the noise was instantly halved, and they were enveloped in darkness. “Shit, I can’t see,” Cloud muttered, voice close. “Where are you…”

His hands fumbled around her--first at her waist, then creeping to the sides at her arms. “Hey, I’m right here,” she replied, voice nearly as low as his was. Her eyes strained to adjust to the dark as she caught one hand, laced in a tight hold. “C’mon, let’s--”

“Wait, wait…” His voice was a hushed whisper, consonants close in her ear as his other arm continued to fumble, until it made its way at her waist. “Wait, Ti…” 

His forehead bumped against hers, pushing both of their bangs out of the way with a tilt of his head. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she felt Cloud’s nervous breath against her chin, his rapid pulse in the palm of her hand.  _ Cloud?  _

He swallowed hard and rubbed his thumb against the curve of her waist. “W-wait…” he whispered, one more time. 

Then, he closed the gap, and kissed her on the mouth. 

She could feel the roughness of his lips against hers, chewed out of anxiety, but the motion was still soft, still tender and kind. Even though it buzzed with nervous energy--and she felt it in herself too, prickling at the back of her neck, filtering to her fingertips as she squeezed his hand.  _ Cloud…you… _

The creak of the upstairs door interrupted them, and she broke the kiss quickly. “Shit, that’s probably--” she hissed.

“Tifa?” Marlene’s voice wafted down the stairs, tentative. “Is that you?” 

“Yeah, hon,” Tifa answered readily, mounting the stairs and taking Cloud with her, hands still linked. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, and by the time they reached the top, she could make out the shadowy figure of Marlene in her pajamas, clutching Red against her chest. “Everything okay?”

“It was really loud…” she said, swaying back and forth. She squinted up at Cloud. “Who’s that?” 

“It’s Cloud,” he answered. “I needed a break from the noise, too.”

“Ooh.”

Tifa chuckled to herself.  _ He’s really sweet with kids,  _ she thought, then bit her lip.  _ Oh my God. Cloud just kissed me. Holy cow, what the fuck.  _ She tried to shake herself by clearing her throat, as well as edging toward her bedroom. “Hon, why don’t you get to bed…” she started, pawing for the light inside her room. “It’s gotten pretty late…”

The switch flicked, and flooded the hallway with dim light, just enough to illuminate the three of them. Marlene immediately covered her face with Red. “Okay…” she yawned. “Has everyone gone home?”

“If they haven’t, they will soon.” Tifa bent over and kissed Marlene on the head. “Nuh-night, sweetie.”

“Nuh-night,” she replied. With a shy look back toward Cloud, she shuffled back toward her bedroom, leaving the door ajar. 

Tifa stared at the open door for a moment, listening to her sift the sheets over, waiting until the bedroom fell silent before she dared to move or speak again. “Okay,” she sighed, eyes behind her as she led Cloud into her room. “I figured the noise would keep her up…”

“I’m surprised she wasn’t down there,” Cloud muttered. When Tifa shut the door behind them, she was finally able to see patches of pink on his cheeks, still lingering. “All the commotion, and the music--”

“Too many people,” Tifa said. “She usually doesn’t come down on busy nights anyway, she’s so small...and...a-ah…”

They stood in front of each other, hands still held, as Tifa’s sentence fizzled in the low light.  _ So, what now? What now?  _ she chanted in her head, frozen in place under his cyan blue eyes.  _ You kissed me, so are we…are we something, now? We’ve been a long time coming I know, I know, _

_...I know… _

Cloud snorted a small laugh first, then Tifa soon followed with a giggle of her own.  _ God we’re like kids still, still too shy to even make a move, to do anything. Isn’t it obvious how we feel?  _ Tifa bit her lip as her face burned, amusing herself with Cloud’s steadily reddening face.  _ Even after we keep side-stepping each other, even with other lovers, we keep coming back here.  _

_ And even our lovers know…hell, Aerith kept teasing me about it…  
_

Cloud took another deep breath, whistling it out of pursed lips, then shook his head with a whisper. “C’mere…” 

He bent down to her, and they kissed again--this time less tentative, especially as Tifa abandoned Cloud’s hand and wrapped her arms around his neck.  _ Only a matter of time, only a matter of time,  _ she thought to herself with each kiss, lips becoming warmer and softer with every press.  _ But it’s our time now, our time… _

Cloud walked them backwards onto the bed, and they sat on the edge, still in liplock. He ran a hand back through her hair, careful not to get his fingers knotted as he worked it through the back. The tactile sensation prickled goosebumps on the back of her neck, and a small noise from her throat.  _ “Mmn…”  _

He froze for a second, then gave her one last kiss before he broke away, short of breath. “A-ah…” he said, low and quiet. “I…”

_ Is he going to apologize? Oh, God. Don't do that.  _ “It’s okay,” she replied, running her hands off his shoulders and through his arms. The overshirt he was wearing was thin enough for her to feel the definition of his arms beneath it with a little pressure. “O-oh…”

He cocked his head. “Hm?”

“N-nothing, I just…” Tifa chuckled and dropped her hands to his thighs, fingers flexing. “You’re a lot, um...stronger than I remember.”

Cloud smirked, fueled by pride, and unbuttoned the couple buttons near his stomach on his overshirt and shrugged his shoulders back.  _ Are those flowers on the buttons?  _ she mused, but was quickly drawn back when he shook the shirt off, revealing a t-shirt and his bare arms. “I’d say the training helped, but…” he said, rubbing his bicep. “Mako didn’t hurt, either.”

“Right.” She inhaled long through her nose and let it out sharp, loud in her own ears.  _ I guess I didn’t realize it. That’s what it does, besides make your eyes that…bright color.  _ Her auburn eyes turned up to his, and she studied his eyes--the peaks and valleys in his irises, how his pupils dilated when he met hers.  _ Everything’s the same, just a different color. I thought I’d never get used to it, I thought it would always remind me of him passed out on their couch… _

_("Tifa?"_

_“J-just one second.” Tifa pulled Cloud’s bangs back, revealing his forehead, and kissed it gently, cool beneath her lips._

_“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she murmured, her throat barely voicing the words. “I promise.”)_

_ And it still does, but it doesn’t seem so…intimidating, now.  _

“So…” Cloud sighed. He reached for her hands and played with the edge of her fingers. “Ah, so...are we, um…?”

_ Are we dating?  _ “If you want to,” she replied. “I mean, you  _ do…”  _

He nodded before she could even finish. “Mmhm. Yeah.” His throat bobbed as he nodded, gaze flicking down to their gently fidgeting hands. “Probably…well,  _ definitely  _ for a while now.”

_ Yeah, probably the same for me, too.  _ Tifa leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re…sweet, Cloud,” she said, voice barely sounding. “I’m glad…”

Her sentence trailed, but he was there to finish it. “Me too,” he said. He dipped his head forward, and she responded in turn, until their foreheads were touching. “Me too, Ti.” 

Without any other prompting, they kissed again, and this time upon their lips meeting, they leaned back into the bed, lying beside each other. Cloud paused on her lips as his legs fidgeted, and when Tifa opened her eyes, she saw that he was trying to kick his shoes off. She chuckled into his mouth and did the same, although her plight was clearly easier than his. Then, he held her by the back and scooted them fully onto the bed, pulling her close to his chest.  _ He’s so warm,  _ she thought.  _ Like her, but different. More quiet, more gentle.  _

_ This isn’t a rush, this is just…us. Together.  _

It was her turn to run her hands through his hair, soft and blond, and she gently scratched the back of it before smoothing it down over his neck and his back.  _ I love you, and I love her.  _

_ Maybe we can…all be together. I mean, if they can do it with us, we can too… _

Tifa broke the kiss to nuzzle against his face, and he responded in turn, as well as offering a kiss to the top of her cheek. “Is this okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” she replied. “Yeah, of course it is…”  _ Why wouldn’t it be? With you… _

They kept close to each other, breathing in each other’s space, the dim bulb above them casting warm light on each other’s faces. Their legs tangled themselves together, with Tifa’s over Cloud’s, and she could feel Cloud’s hands wander down her sides, around to her lower back and hips. She rested her mouth in the crook of his neck, offering a small kiss, but nothing more than that.  _ I could stay like this forever… _

“Is it...okay for me to stay here tonight?” Cloud whispered into her ear. “I thought maybe…I’d go back after, but it’s…I…”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she said, right into his neck. “You can stay.” Suddenly, a laugh bubbled in her chest. “Oh, but I don’t know what Barret’ll say--”

“Fuck…” His curse was quiet as his hands flinched on her. “I’ll just…”

“No, no, you’ll be fine,” Tifa assured, hugging him tighter. “Don’t worry about it, even if he  _ does  _ make a fuss. He ain’t my daddy.”  _ Even if he acts like one to me sometimes.  _ “I’m an adult anyway, I can have a boy sleepover if I want to...” 

“‘Bout that…” Cloud muttered, close enough to her neck for his lips to brush. 

“Hm?”

“Mm...n-nothing,” he amended with a sigh. “I’ll be okay, I’ll just…sneak out the back or something in the morning--”

“God, you don’t have to do  _ that.”  _ She patted his back. “It’ll be Saturday, so Vincent brings breakfast--”

“O-oh.”

“…You’re not still spooked by him, are you?”

“Well,  _ no,  _ but…” He sighed heavily, fingers playing at the belt loops of his jeans. “He did almost tear my arm off that one time…”

“He  _ wouldn’t  _ have, hon.”

“Really?” 

“I would have stopped him.”  _ I kinda  _ did  _ have to stop him, but I’d rather give Cloud some peace of mind… _

“Okay.” It was enough to ease him, as his shoulders relaxed once again, and he shifted in her hold. “…Do you have the day off tomorrow?”

“Yeah, probably. I  _ might  _ have to watch Marlene, but we’ll see.” 

He nodded. “Well...I’m going to go back to Zack and Aerith’s. Do you…wanna come with me?”

“Course I do,” she said with a smile. Tifa rearranged herself so she could look at Cloud’s face once again. “My girlfriend lives over there, too.”

Cloud smiled, a little bigger than before, and kissed her mouth again, warm and sweet. It was shorter lived than the others, but still sent a shiver down his spine. “Guess we’re all dating now, aren’t we?” he said. “I-in some way, anyway…”

“Yeah, we are.” Tifa rolled her shoulders back, and her eye caught the shirt he was wearing, barely hanging on by the corner of the bed.  _ There’s something I’ve been wondering, though…  _ ”Hey, Cloud...are you--or,  _ would  _ you, I mean...ever go out with Aerith?”

His eyes drifted up as he thought. “I…don’t think so,” he replied after a moment. “I really like her, and…y-yeah, she’s pretty, but…” His mouth twisted around, even as there was still a flush in his cheeks, much to Tifa’s amusement. “…I don’t know. We’re just good friends.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”  _ Aerith seems pretty keen on how cute Cloud is, and it seems like something she’d do. But, maybe not this time.  _

“What about you?” Cloud asked. “Would you ever date Zack?”

Tifa jerked. “No, oh God, no  _ way.” _ At Cloud’s gently crestfallen face, she found herself backtracking. “No offence, he’s not a bad guy, but… _ hoo,  _ no, I don’t think so. Not boyfriend material for me.”  _ He’s a little…much. I’m not as starstruck as him and Aerith... _

Nonetheless, Cloud managed to laugh it off. “That’s okay. I…think I get it.” 

He rolled over on the bed and took her with him, spooning loosely against her with a yawn. “I’m still glad,” he muttered. 

“Hm?” Tifa replied, back against him. “For what?”

“For us,” he said. “For... _ all  _ of us.” 

She smiled into her chest, the force of it enough to close her eyes. “Yeah.”  _ Yeah, me too. Ever since that first gala, where we were all together, it seemed like…it was right. We all fit, like a little family of our own. And now it’s real… _

_ I’m glad.  _

The clock flashed 11:56 on the nightstand when she opened her eyes.  _ I need to get up and turn off the light,  _ she thought.  _ And change out of these jeans and into pajamas. But I want to… _

_ I want to stay here, even if he’s going to be here all night… _

_ I want to stay just like this, just for a little while. _

_ Just for a little while… _

* * *

 

Elsewhere in Sector 5, Aerith rolled off Zack and spooned beside him, breathless and panting. “That was good, baby,” she said, kissing the side of his sweaty face.

“Sure was,” Zack replied, dazed and staring at the ceiling.  _ “Shit,  _ if I wasn’t tired before, I sure am now…” 

Aerith giggled and peppered a few more kisses on his cheek. “Don’t get too comfy, you’re going to want to shower.”

“Man, do I have to?” he whined, toes flinching. “My legs don’t work anymore.”

“You big  _ baby.”  _ She sat up and loomed over his crotch, carefully removing the condom from it and holding it by two fingers. “I thought you were 1st-class?” 

She heard his laugh follow her as she threw the mess away in the wastebasket in the far corner of the bedroom. “I’m 1st-class and I  _ earned  _ it, damn it,” he said. When Aerith turned back to see him, he had sat up in bed. “Being ready to move immediately after great sex isn’t part of the criteria, though…”

“Oh, I’m sure,” she said, sticking her tongue out and plopping back beside him. “Mm, I love you, sunflower.”

He leaned over to kiss her forehead, an arm around her shoulder. “Love you too.”

She sighed and nuzzled into him, rubbing his bare chest. “So, what are we doing tomorrow?” Aerith asked. “Wanna go out?”

“We can,” Zack replied, running a hand back through his hair. “I’d like to see if Cloud’s gonna come back around, and maybe Tifa too--”

_ “Ooh,  _ that’s right!” She bounced on the bed beside him and slapped at the mattress. “Cloud and Tifa!” 

“Y...eah?” Aerith found that Zack had difficulty keeping his eyes up at her face with her boobs bouncing.  _ You’re such a kid sometimes!  _ she thought with amusement.  _ Oh, my God.  _

“Yes!” she continued, holding his face with both hands and mushing his cheeks. “I think they’re going to get together! They were  _ holding hands.”  _

“Oh. Oh!” A spark finally erupted in his deep blue eyes, and he grinned. “That’s great!”

“I know!” 

“But...will they come over tomorrow?” he said with a pout. “I was busy yesterday, I didn’t get to see much of Cloud--”

“Oh my  _ God,”  _ Aerith groaned, hugging him. “You’re  _ just  _ like a puppy--we can call them in the morning to make sure! Gee whiz…” 

“Okay.” Zack hugged her back, but gave a squeeze to her ass as he did so. “That works--”

Aerith swatted him away and tapped her finger against his nose. “Hey, be good,” she said with a wink. “C’mon, let’s shower and get some sleep, so you can be ready to see your boyfriend tomorrow.”

He grinned, showing off a dimple at the edge of his cheek, and he grappled her in his arms with ease, adjusting her into one arm as he hopped off the bed. “I’m on it,” he chirped, using his other hand to salute. “1st-class Zack Fair is on the job!” 

Aerith hung onto him with her arms clinging around his neck. “You’re a dork!” she exclaimed, kicking her feet. “It’s late, c’mon…”

He chuckled, still keeping her in one arm, but started off to the bathroom, humming to himself.  _ Then again, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep right away, either,  _ Aerith thought, hiding her smile in Zack’s shoulder.  _ I can’t wait to see them all tomorrow… _

_...so we can all be together.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for Cloud and Tifa! This is just fluff all around, as well as a glimpse into the aftermath of some Zaerith lovemaking. 
> 
> Thanks for over 3000 hits, gang! We'll reunite everyone next chapter, so stay tuned!


	52. Together

“Tiiiiiii _iiiifaaaaaa!”_

The echo of Marlene’s call, only punctuated by the thumping of her feet, was the only thing that gave Cloud any warning. _What?_ he thought groggily, rolling over against Tifa’s back. _It has to be too early…_

_“Tifa! Wake up!”_

What came next was much worse than any alarm clock--or any 2nd-class drill instructor in his BASIC training, for that matter. Neither of those things were a 40 pound child bouncing right on his chest and ripping the sheets off the bed. “Wakey wakey-- _AH!”_

Cloud couldn’t help but respond in turn, just as shocked. _“Ah--!”_ he yelped, briefly seeing a flash of blue skim his vision.

“Oh, God…” Tifa sighed, face buried in her pillow. “Morning already…”

Cloud coughed and sputtered as he scrambled to sit up, while Tifa merely rolled over to her front and rubbed her eyes. Marlene squinted at Cloud, still in her pajamas (decorated in moogles) and pointed at him, almost close enough to touch his nose. “Hey, what are _you_ doing here?” she interrogated.

“Um…” Cloud stuttered, his heart still pounding as he tried to catch his breath. “I just--”

“We had a sleepover,” Tifa answered with a yawn. “Like that time when Aerith came over.”

 _“Ooh,”_ she replied. She continued to crawl over them, mostly on Cloud, her bony knees digging into his thighs. “Well, you gotta get up.”

“We will…!” Tifa reached out and smoothed her hair back. “We need to get ready first…”

Marlene pouted, emphasized by her chubby cheeks, and bounced on the bed. Cloud winced as his thighs continued to be assaulted--and even more when she lost her balance and used his chest to steady herself. “Well, hurry up!” she insisted. “Breakfast is gonna be here soon!”

She crawled over Tifa to get out of bed, wobbling as her feet hit the floor, then rushed down the stairs. The sound was like a herd of elephants, loud enough to thin out the thud of Cloud’s heartbeat in his ears as his head hit the pillow. “Does she always do that?” he groaned, rubbing his forehead.

“Sometimes…” Tifa replied. “Lately she’s been getting up after the crack of dawn, but I guess she’s back to form…”

“Oh God, is it _that_ early?” Cloud said, whirling his head over to the clock. “Oh, it’s not that bad…quarter past nine--”

“Pretty early for a weekend,” Tifa sighed. She rolled over to spoon next to him, an arm over his stomach. “Still, this is when I usually get up…”

 _Yeah, and I’m usually up a lot earlier,_ Cloud thought, rearranging on his back. His hand automatically rested over Tifa’s arm, and he took deep breaths as he stared at the ceiling. _Although sleeping in on the weekend is nice…sometimes, I feel like I never get enough sleep._ He felt his eyes start to flicker closed. _She’s warm…_

_Ti…_

Her voice brought him back out of his light doze. “We should still get up. Breakfast and all,” she said, patting his stomach. She sat up and stretched, her oversized t-shirt trying to ride up her hips as she lifted her arms high above her head. Her hair was strewn and messy, but still generally straight against her back, pooled in a dark pile at the base of her hips. _She’s…beautiful,_ he mused. _Even in the morning…_

She glanced back at him, still lying on his back, and smiled. “You still have a hard time getting up?” she asked quietly, brushing a lock of his blond hair from his face.

He nodded. “I’m…getting used to it,” he grunted, finally sitting up. “Probably won’t ever like it, but--” He shrugged and smirked. “What can you do?”

She chuckled, and offered him a kiss on his cheek, one that warmed his whole face. He went to return it, another kiss to the cheek, but met her lips instead. Caught off guard, he squeaked in the back of his throat as he leaned into her kiss. She smiled into it as well, warm, dry lips against his, but broke it quickly. “Do you do this with Zack, too?” she muttered.

“I-I dunno…” he said, trying to look off, even as close as he was. “M-maybe?”

Her smile widened, and she pecked the top of his cheek again. “You’re cute,” she said.

_(“You’re so cute, God,” Zack said, holding his cheeks in both of his hands. He laughed then planted a huge kiss on his lips. “God! Look at you…”)_

_(“You look cute,” Aerith remarked, mouth open as she finished putting mascara on his lashes. “This really suits you…I think I have an extra tube of this, if you want…”)_

Cloud bit his lip. _That’s three for three. Ah._  “W-well,” he started, staring into her eyes. _So deep and dark…when the light hits them, they look more reddish, like mahogany. It’s pretty._ He swallowed as his next sentence hung in his mouth. _You’re beautiful, you’re beautiful, you’re beautiful. Just say it, say it._ “You’re...y-you’re beautiful.”

Tifa blinked and drew back to cover her mouth. “C-Cloud…” she muttered, almost completely muffled by her hand. Her tone lilted up then turned down, accompanying the bloom of red flooding her cheeks. “Y-you…”

Confidence see-sawed back over to him, and he tilted his head with a hand on her knee. “I’m sure…Aerith says that to you all the time,” he said.

“Well, she…she does, sometimes…” she sighed, dropping her hand. “But, this is…”

 _This is different,_ Cloud filled in mentally. _It’s different, because it’s me now, it’s us. God, how many times…_

_(“C’mon, here…”_

_Careful to brush her sky blue dress away from the mud, she held out her hand to Cloud. “Let’s go, we can go home.”_

_The glitter on her eyes was still present, and sparkled like stars in the moonlight. Cloud hastily rubbed his face on the sleeve of his dress shirt before taking her hand, anxiety finally fizzling away the more he watched her…)_

_...have I wanted…_

_(Alone at the edge of Shinra HQ, cigarette in hand in a red dress he had never seen before…)_

_...to say that to her? Say it like I meant it…_

After a moment, Tifa sighed and scooted back and off the bed. “We’d better get dressed,” she remarked, walking to her dresser. “It’s going to take me a minute, so you can head down.”

Cloud nodded. “Sure.” _Yeah, it won’t take me long because I practically slept in my clothes._ He swung his legs around the bed, looking past his boxer briefs and legs over to where his jeans sat in a pile. He slipped them on, adjusting himself before bending over and picking up the overshirt that was right beside it. He tied it around his waist with the sleeves, then strung his dog tags out from beneath his shirt so they hung in plain sight over his chest.

Just before Tifa took off her own shirt, she glanced back at Cloud. “Oh, you might want to wash your face,” she remarked. “I think…it looks like you might’ve smudged something…”

“Mm.” His eyes flicked to the small mirror on Tifa’s dresser, and there were already dark marks above and underneath his eye. _Shit. I forgot I was wearing mascara. I probably rubbed my eyes sometime in the night, and this morning._ “Where’s the--”

“Bathroom’s right next door. Er, other side, so not Marlene’s room.”

“Got it.”

Cloud flicked the light on and ran the faucet, not giving much look to his face as he splashed cold water on his face. _I feel like my ears are still ringing from last night…I’ll have to grab some earplugs from the shooting range for next time._ Sputtering, he pawed for a towel beside him, and mashed the whole thing on his face as soon as it was within his grasp. He gave some extra attention to his eyes, and when he finally looked in the mirror, found that the dark smudges were gone. _That was easy._

He ran a hand through his hair, the tips of his bangs damp from the water, and hung in the bathroom doorway. “Ti?”

Her bedroom door was closed. “Go on down, I’ll be there in a sec.”

“‘Kay.”

He took the stairs one at a time, holding onto the hallway walls with a yawn. Pushing open the door, light flooded through--as dim as it was, Cloud still winced. _Sometimes it’s hard to tell time of day under the plate like this,_ he thought, rubbing his eyes as he stepped into the bar. _There are grates that get some sun through, but it sure ain’t much--_

“Hey, _you!”_ Barret barked.

Cloud squawked in the back of his throat and staggered backward, clutching at his shirt. _Shit!_ The shock made him weave, a cyan film ghosting over his vision as he tried to catch his breath. He swallowed hard and nodded as he tried to focus on Barret with his arms crossed and a scrutinizing look at the bar. “I-I…” he stuttered, a click in the back of his throat. “I-it was l-late last night…”

Marlene was at the bar, swinging her feet and still in her pajamas. “He had a sleepover!” she sang, head swinging from shoulder to shoulder. “With Tifa!”

“Uh-huh,” Barret grumbled. “Nothing _funny_ went on up there, right?”

Cloud blinked, unable to tell whether the question was directed at him or Marlene. Thankfully, Tifa came bounding down just in time, tossing her hair back from her shoulders. “Oh, give it a rest,” she groaned. On her way to the bar, she stopped near Cloud to run a hand over his shoulder, and he sighed long and loud. “It got late last night, I told him he could stay.”

Barret’s lip twitched before he ran his hand over his mouth, down through his chin. “You should let me know when you’re doing that,” he said. “You know, because--”

“Marlene was fine, jeez,” Tifa huffed, patting her head before she took a stool for herself. “Isn’t that right, hon?”

She nodded, her bob bouncing against her cheeks. “Uh-huh!”

Barret wasn’t entirely convinced. “But what about--”

Tifa scowled and leaned over the bar--one arm under her chest, the other square to the bar as she scrunched her face. “You let Aerith sleep over without a fuss,” she said, eyebrows raised. _“Dad.”_

He flinched, his arm making a clatter on his side of the bar. “Cut that out!” he snapped, then immediately spun around to the sink. “I just don’t want any _trouble…_ Jesus Christ…”

Tifa smirked as she shook her head, then glanced over to Cloud and winked. _Like I’d cause any trouble with him around,_ he thought, wandering behind Tifa. _Him or Vincent too…_

“Are you going to sit?” Tifa asked, patting the stool next to her. “We’re still--”

She was interrupted by the door behind them swinging open and Vincent hobbling through with a large cardboard box. It creaked on the hinges, and fell off kilter as it reached its widest point. Vincent glanced back at it and sighed through his nose. “Need to get that fixed,” he muttered, hair in his face. He slinked to his usual seat with the box, Cloud watching every measured step and listening to every click from his heavy boots.

It still took Vincent a moment to recognize the new face at the bar, and while there was no visible shock, he did stare at him for a while. After some time on his face, his mouth turned down to a pout as he opened the cardboard box. It revealed an array of donuts, warm and fresh with a sweet aroma. All the while, Cloud held his breath until he spoke.

He started with a sigh. “Didn’t get any for you,” Vincent mumbled.

“O-oh,” Cloud replied.

“Yay, donuts!” Marlene cheered, jumping off her seat and running to Vincent’s side. He stayed remarkably still as she climbed on top of him to look over the box. “I want the jelly filled one!”

“Marlene, I can get it for you…” Tifa sighed, standing on her knees as well as she reached over. “Don’t--”

“Coffee, Vinny?” Barret asked, already pouring a steaming pot into a mug on the table. “What about you, Cloud?”

“E-er, I’m good,” Cloud replied. _I’d like to feel less wound up before I dump caffeine into me…_

Vincent, on the other hand, nodded as he gingerly held Marlene on his lap by her waist. As she enthusiastically took a huge bite of a jelly donut, getting most of it on her face, Cloud spotted a small smirk on his pallid face. _Never thought I’d see him look…soft,_ he thought, chewing on his lip. _I never thought I’d see him look anything more than vaguely intimidating._

“Here, Cloud…” Tifa said, fingers wiggling over the box of donuts. “There might be something here, Vincent always gets more than we need…”

“It lasts us the whole weekend, anyway,” Barret mentioned. He picked out a chocolate glazed and stuck half of it in his mouth before turning away.

“Yeah, but…” Tifa eventually picked out a plain glazed and handed it over to Cloud. “Here, this is as plain as it gets.”

“Thanks,” Cloud replied, taking it by two fingers. He nibbled the edge of it, sweetness flooding his tongue. _Yeah, it’s not that bad, I guess._

Tifa slid him a napkin, and took the other to tend to Marlene’s face. “You know, you’re the only person I know who likes _plain_ donuts,” she remarked.

Cloud snorted. “What? They’re sweet enough without any stuff on them…”

“Tell that to this one,” she said, folding up the napkin as Marlene attempted to finish off her donut. “Could _you_ eat a plain donut?”

“No way!” she chirped with a giggle. Sticky hands reached for the box once again. “I want another one!”

“Oh, no _no,_ I don’t think so,” Tifa said, dragging her off Vincent’s lap and plopping her on the floor. “You’re going to drive your daddy crazy if you have more than one.”

“What _are_ your plans for today?” Barret asked. “You think you could take her out sometime today?”

She exchanged a glance with Cloud. “Well…” she started. She automatically went to tug at her bangles, but when her fingertips didn’t find them there, she fidgeted at her wrists. “I wanted to out with Cloud, Aerith and Zack for a bit…”

Barret nodded slowly. “Guess that’s all right,” he grunted. “The four of you seem to get along pretty well, from the looks of it.”

Cloud occupied himself by keeping some donut in his mouth at all times. _“Close”, that’s one way to put it. We’re…close, all right. Seems like it hasn’t been too long but we’ve all just…come together._ He coughed and covered his mouth. _Fuck. I hope he didn’t see when Zack and Aerith kissed us at the bar last night…_

“Yeah, we do,” Tifa answered. “They’re fun.” She smiled to herself, then shook her attention back. “I mean, I can come back later in the afternoon and take Marlene someplace. Or, I can handle the bar tonight--”

“You just do your thing,” Barret sighed, scratching the back of his head with downcast eyes. “Just come ‘round before the evening, it’ll be fine here.”

“Are you _sure?”_

“Shit, Tifa--” Barret barely caught himself, skimming a look down to Marlene before clearing his throat. “I’m letting you go out with your friends, hell, I’d give anything to get a chance like…” He winced as he shook his head. “Like that again…”

Silence fell over the group, only punctuated by Vincent sighing and slumping over his coffee. _I only see Barret here at the bar,_ Cloud thought. _I think Tifa mentioned to me something about him having a friend around when he first moved to Midgar…he was from Corel, sort of near where we grew up._ Even though the side of his face began to itch, he didn’t dare to move. _I don’t know how long I would’ve lasted if I were_ really _alone here. Maybe I would have, but…_

_It would have been awfully lonely…_

Suddenly, Tifa smashed the silence by jumping off her chair, the stool scraping against the worn, stain-soaked wooden floor. She whirled around behind the counter and hugged him tight, eyes squeezed shut. Barret stumbled from the sudden impact, and responded with one hand on her shoulder and the other on her head. “It’s fine, hon…”

Marlene soon followed, hopping over and hugging him as well, at least from what Cloud could see and assume. “Hey, you can’t be back here,” he scolded gently. He ran his hand off Tifa’s head down her hair, and used the other to scoop Marlene into his arm, bouncing her to readjust her in his arm. “You little rascal…!”

She giggled right in his ear and kissed his cheek. “I wanted a hug, too!”

“Sure,” Barret said with a gentle chuckle, then addressed Tifa by patting her back. “I’m all right--y’can let me go, _oof…”_

Tifa huffed as she withdrew, arms crossed, her look not entirely convinced. _“Really,”_ he insisted. “I was just thinking about Dyne, how we used to just hang out, like y’all seem to do--”

“It’s okay.” She cut him off. “Y’know? It’s okay. I don’t mind helping out here, even if it’s not just with Marlene.”

There was a pause as they stared at each other--Tifa’s smirk grew as she tilted her head, and soon Barret burst into a bray of laughter. He shook his head and gave her a little push out from behind the bar, making his way over to Vincent. “Yeah, yeah,” he chuckled, slapping in front of his seat. “I’ve got Vinny here too, it’s all good. Ain’t that right, old man?”

Vincent jerked at the sudden noise, but offered raised eyebrows and a nod, dipping his head down to the bar before Cloud could really see anymore. “Yeah, all right,” Barret said. “Get outta here, Tifa. Might have something for you after dark.”

“Oh, I’ll be back by then,” she said. She whirled around the counter, fluttering over to Cloud. “I think Aerith might work in the afternoon anyway.”

Her hands rested on his shoulders and drifted down his back. “We might as well get going,” she said close to his ear. “Boss’s orders, after all.”

Cloud spun on the barstool--Tifa’s face seemed to glow, even in the dull light from the bar and the eerie non-light from outside. Round cheeks gently flush, her eyes a valley of auburn, especially as Cloud studied them from the short distance. Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah,” he muttered quietly. _You’re beautiful._ “Let’s get going.”

* * *

 

Tifa tossed her cigarette away as soon as the Sector 5 church came into view. “Wonder if we’ll be waking them up.”

“I don’t think so,” Cloud replied with a laugh. “Zack’s an early riser most of the time.”

She smirked and bumped his side as they walked. “Unlike you?”

“Yeah, right.” He stared up at the plate as they rounded the corner, his feet familiar with the route to Zack and Aerith’s apartment. “I’m always the last one up…”

“Let me guess--Zack jumps on you to drag you out of bed?”

“No, actually. You’d think he would--”

“--Because he’s an overgrown child?”

“Puppy, more like,” Cloud chose to respond, fluffing the back of his spikey hair. “He actually wakes me up pretty gently, if he has to. You know, the little shake to the shoulder, ‘wake up, babe’...”

They got into the alley, and Cloud kept his hands in his pockets as he jogged down the stairs to the door. He raised his fist to knock, then turned up to Tifa. “What time _was_ it when we left?”

She shrugged. “I dunno, ten something?” she replied, then cocked her head. “You don’t have keys?”

“Nope.” He sighed, resting his hand on the door. “Aerith mentioned something the other day, for me to get some, but we were probably gonna do that this weekend…” He twisted his mouth as he stared at the door. _Guess I’m going to have to wake them up anyway,_ he thought. “Oh, well.”

Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut and knocked on the door three times. “Maybe we should’ve called before we came over,” Tifa remarked, joining him at the foot of the door. She automatically reached for his hand, and he took it without hesitation, as if it had always been there.

Cloud squeezed it. “It’d still probably wake them up…”

“Well, we’re not going to sneak in while they’re sleeping. Especially since you don’t have keys.”

“Yeah…”

Cloud’s sentence hung in the air as they waited. After a minute, he knocked again. “Hey, it’s me and Ti,” he said through the door, just loud enough for it to carry. “Zack? Aerith?”

Tifa leaned hard against his side, and he abandoned their laced hands to put one around her shoulder. She responded with her arm around his waist, weight warm and comforting. _Just a couple visiting their other partners,_ he mused with a smirk. _Funny how things work out…_

Finally, two locks clicked over, and Aerith was the one at the door, already in a loose t-shirt and jeans. “Oh, hey~!” she greeted, hair down all around her shoulders. As she surveyed them, her grin grew wider. “Don’t you two look _cozy.”_

Cloud chuckled, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. “Yeah, well…”

Aerith giggled and bounced on her toes, ushering them in. “Oh, it was coming eventually,” she said, patting his shoulder. She moved in and planted a kiss squarely on Tifa’s lips, then spun around and twirled toward the bedroom. “Cloud, your boyfriend is being a lazy bones.”

Whining filtered from the open door. “I’m _noooot,”_ Zack groaned. “I’m just…taking my time!”

 _“You_ were waiting for him to get here,” Aerith corrected for him, winking back at the other two. “Because you’re _smitten!”_

Cloud couldn’t help but grin, rubbing Tifa’s back before striding ahead of her, sliding his shoes off one step at a time. Peering into the bedroom, Zack was in a black SOLDIER t-shirt and boxer briefs, somehow taking up the entirety of the bed. “Is that right?” Cloud remarked.

Zack scooted up immediately, arms out. “Babe!” he exclaimed. “How was your night after we left? You scurried off there…”

He hopped on the bed and immediately was roped into Zack’s arms, inhaling the gentle scent of him and his shirt. “It was good,” he said.

“Were you okay?” Zack asked, peppering his head with kisses. “I got a little worried after we got everything packed up, y’know, after some of that adrenaline wore off--”

“No, no, it was cool,” Cloud said. “Just the noise and everything...I’d had enough.” He bit his lip. “And Ti was there…”

Zack chuckled. “Oh, yeah.” His voice rose up and down, gently teasing. _Oh, boy._ “So, did you get lucky, huh? Did you finally kiss her?”

“We--wh-wait, _finally?”_ Cloud jerked up, right into Zack’s beaming face. _Have they been...have we been closer than even we thought? God, I didn’t think that…especially with how we…_

Aerith waddled with Tifa wrapped in her arms into the bedroom, lips slightly more swollen than before. “I thought maybe you guys were dating before,” she said, scooting right to the edge of the bed. “But really, it’s about time! I dunno how you guys can friggin’ _wait_ so long.”

“Hey!” Zack said. He grabbed Cloud around the waist and moved over just enough so that Aerith and Tifa could at least sit at the edge of the bed. “I’ve heard enough about that--”

“Listen, I’m just…determined,” Aerith replied with a pout. “If there’s someone I want to kiss, I’m going to _do it,_ God damn it.”

Tifa scooted back into her lap, thighs flush with Cloud’s, while Aerith’s arms were draped around her shoulders. She offered him a sheepish smile, one that he shared with her gratefully. _We’re all here together, aren’t we?_ he thought. He cozied himself closer to Zack, spooned right into his back. _All four of us._

“You sure do, sweetie,” Zack said, reaching out to poke Aerith’s nose. The bed creaked as he leaned forward, and he winced. “Oof, we’re really giving this poor thing a run for its money…”

“Aw, but it’s _cozy,”_ Aerith said, bouncing a little. “It was the first thing we bought together for this place, remember?”

“You mean it wasn’t the couch?” Tifa asked.

“Oh _hell_ no, that wasn’t new when we got it, God.” Aerith rocked Tifa in her lap. “That was a hand-me-down from Elmyra. I used to sleep on it when she first took me in as a teen, it’s got some milage…”

“It’s on the list,” Zack said, drawing an invisible square with his finger above the group. “The list of things we buy when we can blast out of the plate…”

“Well, if we’re all together, maybe we can pool our resources,” Aerith suggested. “You know, save up? Together? Get a big place that fits the four of us?”

Suddenly, Zack sighed dreamily. “Yeah…” He fell quiet, glancing around every other person on the couch, then kissed Cloud’s head again with a hearty smack. “I love you guys.”

Aerith chuckled. “Aw, baby…”

“I love you,” he said right to her, and ruffled Cloud’s hair. “I love you too, Cloud.” When he looked over to Tifa, he grinned and snapped his finger into a point. “Even you, Tifa.”

She blinked and jerked back, fidgeting her hands. “Um, th-thanks,” she replied. “I, uh...you’re all right.”

“What?!” Zack shouted, jerking up and bouncing Cloud around on the thin mattress. “Ouch! That’s cold, dude. Ice cold.”

“Oh my God!” Tifa exclaimed. “What do you want from me?”

But Zack was already laughing, and punched her thigh gently. “I’m just kidding you! You’re cool!”

Tifa crossed her arms and squinted at him. “Uh-huh.”

He snapped a couple finger guns at her, and she returned the gesture with only one finger gun, much less enthusiastically. _“Eyy,”_ Zack brayed, with a grin that spanned nearly his entire face.

“You’re a big dweeb!” Aerith exclaimed, lunging for him. _“Ack--!”_

In the process, she pushed Tifa out of her lap and nearly face to face with Cloud, knocking their foreheads together. _“Ow!”_ Tifa yelped, although laughing still. Instead of nursing her own head, she rubbed Cloud’s. “Shit, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said, taking her hand away from his head. “Are you?”

Above them, Zack and Aerith kissed, then promptly rubbed noses. “See, we can all fit if we try,” Aerith said.

“Yeah, but there’s no way in hell we could sleep like this,” Tifa said. “Your knee’s digging into my back…”

“I can sleep on top of Zack.”

“You can’t do that!” Zack protested, even as he hoisted Cloud on top of him with one arm to allow more room for the others. “You’ll crush my stomach--!”

“Aren’t you SOLDIER?” Aerith teased. “Besides, if you’re going to take up the whole bed, that’s the price you’ve got to pay!”

“No…!” Zack said, to answers of laughter from the rest of them. _God, Zack’s cute…!_ Cloud thought, trying not to dig his elbows into his chest. _I love him…_ “Aw, man…”

“So, are we going to do anything today?” Tifa asked, grunting as she tried to get comfortable in the small space. “Or are we just going to pig-pile here? I’ve got to be back at 7th Heaven by the end of the afternoon…”

“Oh, shit, yeah! We’ve got to celebrate!” Zack exclaimed.

“Celebrate what?” Cloud asked.

“You know, you guys getting together!” He drew a circle in the air. “Y’know, we’ve completed the dating circle.”

Aerith giggled. “Sunflower here always wants an excuse to celebrate _something,”_ she remarked. She amused her hands by playing with a chunk of Tifa’s hair, twisting and twirling it between her fingers. “I mean, it’s the weekend, and I’ve already done my thing for today…”

“Already?” Cloud asked. _It’s still pretty early--well, not_ that _early, if I were at Shinra, I’d be nearly done morning patrol…_

Aerith nodded. “I was at the church at five today. I’d just gotten back to Sleepy when you guys knocked.”

“Hey!” Zack said suddenly. “Let’s go get ice cream!”

“In the _morning?”_ Tifa challenged. “Really?”

“Isn’t that what we did last time?” Cloud asked. “Or, when you and I…”

“Yeah, so?” Zack ran his fingers through Cloud’s hair, pushing his bangs all the way back. “It’ll be cool!”

“It _is_ kinda early, babe,” Aerith said.

“You guys are _no_ fun,” Zack huffed. He reached over to the alarm clock on the nightstand beside him, turning it up to read it. “Listen, if we take our time getting ready, getting over there, it’ll be the perfect time for ice cream! We’ll catch ‘em right when they open--!”

Tifa wasn’t convinced, an eyebrow raised. “Still, sweets before lunch?”

Zack groaned, throwing his head up at the ceiling. “Jesus! What are you, my mom?”

With that, he scooted Cloud up onto his shoulder and hopped off the bed, making him cling onto Zack’s shirt for dear life. _“Ack!”_ Cloud yelped, kicking his feet.

“We’re adults, we can have ice cream for whatever, whenever we damn well please,” Zack continued. He spun around, letting giving Cloud a view of Aerith and Tifa huddled in each other’s arms on the bed. “Well, Cloud and I are going out. If you ladies wanna join us…”

“Yes, we’re coming!” Aerith said, winking at Cloud before kissing Tifa’s temple. “Are you going to carry him all the way there?”

“Maybe,” he replied without looking back.

“Well, you’re going to need to put on some pants.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m workin’ on it…”

* * *

 

Eventually, the four of them made it to the ice cream parlor, as predicted, right when the sign in the window flipped from “CLOSED” to “OPEN”. Cloud lingered behind everyone as Zack ordered enthusiastically--a large, triple-thick strawberry malt for himself and Aerith (“Whipped cream! Don’t forget that!” she insisted. “Oh, and a cherry!”), and a simple vanilla shake for Tifa and him to share. Even though Cloud dug his wallet out from the back of his jeans, Zack was quicker, and paid for the whole order. “You can get lunch,” he said, patting his back. “Maybe.”

Zack was eager to sit beside Cloud, sliding him almost flush with the window with how close he was sitting. “So, how’s it goin’?” he asked, rubbing his thigh beneath the table. “Are you feeling okay?”

Cloud nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m good.” He leaned into Zack’s side, a soft smile creeping on his face.

“Good.” Zack kissed his head as Tifa and Aerith brought the shakes back to the table. “That’s good…”

“Hey, um…” Cloud shifted against him. “Are you…is it _really_ okay that I’m dating Tifa too?”

He snorted. “You’re asking me _now?”_ With a laugh, he kissed him again. “Like I said before with Aerith, it’s totally cool. Just so long as you still want me around…”

“Yeah.” _Why wouldn’t I?_ “Definitely.” _Now that everything’s come together like this…I wouldn’t want to have to choose. It feels different between them, but I definitely…definitely love them both._

Tifa and Aerith returned to the table with both shakes. “All right, sweet!” Zack said as Aerith scattered four straws down before them. He grabbed one and slammed it against the table to pop it out of its paper sleeve. “Dude, I hope this is the real deal…”

“We’ve had milkshakes here before, you should remember,” Aerith said, wiggling as she settled to the other side of the booth, right in front of him.

“I know, but different people make ‘em different, y’know?” he continued, popping the straw into the top of the tall malt. “I want it to be so thick I can barely suck it.”

Aerith’s mouth went from an “o”, to a lip-bite, to a barely hidden smirk. “Uh-huh,” she said, voice warbling with giddiness. “Is that right?”

He was about to take a drink when he paused to stare at his girlfriend across the table, then pointed at her. “Hey.”

She held her hands up. “I didn’t say _anything,”_ she replied coyly, unwrapping her straw much more gingerly than he did and winking as she sank it into the other side of the milkshake.

“But you--!” Zack retorted, then twisted his face into a wicked grin and leaned over to her. “Oh ho, wait, are you going to test to see if it’s _thick_ enough?”

“Oh my _God!”_ Tifa groaned, hiding her head in her arms on the table. “You guys are awful! _Eep!”_

Cloud didn’t quite catch it, but judging how Tifa scrambled to the edge of the booth, he assumed Aerith had tickled her side, all with her lips on the milkshake straw. _Cute,_ Cloud thought, offering her a smile. As soon as she caught it, her face burned an even brighter shade of red.

Zack took notice of this after his first sip of his milkshake. “Mmm,” he said. “What are you so red about?”

“What? _Nothing!_ Nothing!” she cried, jamming her straw into the vanilla shake. “I just--”

“Hey babe,” Zack said, nudging Cloud with his elbow. “She’s pretty cute when she blushes, isn’t she?”

 _Oh, I don’t know if I want to feed this fire…_ “W-well…” Cloud hesitated. “I-I mean--”

“She’s your girlfriend now, you can say so,” Aerith encouraged.

“Oh, _come on!”_ Tifa said, slamming her elbows on the table to boost herself up, glaring at Zack. “You little--”

“Hey, why are you picking a fight with me?!” he exclaimed, pulling back with his hands out. “I didn’t--”

“‘Cause you started it!”

“I didn’t start nothing!” Zack pointed over to Aerith, grinning impishly into her shake. “I think you wanna talk to your girlfriend over there…”

“Yeah, but you!” Tifa insisted, scrunching her face. “Ooh, you’re _trouble.”_

“Oh, yeah?” Zack rolled up his sleeves. “Well then, if you wanna fight, there’s only one way to settle this.” He propped his elbow on the table with his hand out. “Arm wrestle.”

Tifa squinted at him for a moment, then plopped back into her seat and held her arm out. “Fine.”

“Honey, I don’t know if this is a fair fight,” Aerith pointed out. “She’s not a super-soldier like you are--”

“But Tifa’s strong, too,” Cloud piped up. _Back when we were in school, she didn’t take any shit from boys who used to harass her. She could probably beat all of them in an arm wrestling contest._ His eye caught the side of her arm, bicep tensed as she prepared to grip Zack’s hand. _Hell, she could probably best me right now…_

“Hell yeah, she could get into SOLDIER no prob.” He took Tifa’s hand and slid his other right in the crook of her elbow, while she did the same. “Count us off, Aerith.”

She rubbed her hands together, and offered Cloud a wink. “On three,” she said. “One...two... _three!”_

Both of them grit their teeth as they forced their arms against each other’s. “Shit!” Zack muttered, shaking his head. “I’m tellin’ you what, you should have a talk with the 1st that patrols up in the mountains…fuck, what’s her name--”

“Shut up, man!” Tifa grunted, hand shaking in the deadlock, barely budging from the center. “I’m not joining fucking SOLDIER!”

“You’ve got this baby!” Aerith cheered.

“Who, me or her?” Zack asked.

“Her.”

_“What?!”_

Cloud chuckled as they struggled in the feat of strength, covering his mouth. _Aerith probably set this up on purpose,_ he thought, sitting back. _They seem to be having fun with it, though._ His vision drifted toward the other side of the parlor in soft focus. _I’m glad…I’m glad we’re all here. I thought…I really thought I’d be all alone here in Midgar, constantly fighting my anxiety, crushing it down so I could prove myself._

_But it doesn’t have to be that way, does it? I don’t have to be alone…_

“You getting tired?”

“N...no! Ghh...don’t act so tough…!”

“Baby, are your eyes glowing?”

“Damn, I hope not…we’re just getting started…!”

Cloud was jerked back to the present by a slam on the table--Zack had pushed Tifa’s arm down to the table in a sudden burst of strength, hard enough for her to shake it as she brought it back to her chest. “Ouch…!” she huffed. “Whew…”

“That was good! You put up a good fight!” Zack said, shaking off his hand. Cloud caught his eye right before he took a long swig of his shake, and they were brighter than he remembered. _If he had to push like that, then she definitely did…_

“You sure did,” Aerith said. She kissed Tifa’s cheek, making her beam, then swung her attention over to Cloud. “What’re you thinking about, Cloud? You’ve been quiet.”

“Hm?” He bit his lip, then looked off with a quiet smile. “Nothin’, I’m…just happy, that’s all.”

The other three smiled in varying degrees, but all of them were aimed at him, and the force of it made his ears turn red. _Yeah, I…I really am._ He occupied himself by sipping his milkshake across from Tifa, smiling all the while. _I am._  

* * *

 

_"So, come on, baby, get those shoes on,_   
_And we can run away from here,_   
_Talk about a life we're starting--we can start it all right here._

_"Show me that love is worth the wait, tell me I'm right._   
_Give me your love, don't hesitate, show me tonight."_

[ "Sugar", Tonic, _Sugar_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoP643iSwxE)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole of that song, "Sugar", is good for this--I had a hard time picking which lyric to feature. 
> 
> Finally, everyone is together! Sorry for the late update, it's that time of year--the holidays, a new Pokemon game came out, as well as some other video games…I'm sure you all can relate. So, I hope this chapter delivers! It moves through quite a bit. Cloud/Tifa interactions are really sweet…but the Zack/Tifa ones always make me laugh. I always love writing everyone just hanging out, being together and having fun. It's good! They're good.
> 
> We're moving into the 3rd arc of this little (haha) story--about 2/3 through. I believe we're going to spend a night at 7th Heaven with a special guest next chapter. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!


	53. Sense of Closure

_ (“Mmn…” _

_ Tifa wrapped her arms around Aerith’s waist as they kissed, while she sat flush against Cloud’s chest. His warmth was comfort enough, but occasionally he gave her a few kisses against her neck, fingers brushing her hair away. “Hey,” Aerith said, breaking the kiss. “When do you have to go back?”  _

_ “In…in a bit,” she replied. “I can…stay a little bit longer…” _

_ “Nice, isn’t it?” Zack peaked out from around Cloud--he also had him nestled in his lap, his head perched on his shoulder. His voice was more calm than usual, and he had a gentle, dazed look on his face. “She’s a great kisser…” _

_ Aerith draped herself on Tifa as she leaned over toward Zack. “You wanna switch it up?” she asked. “Rearrange the train?”  _

_ Zack pouted, but it had a coy edge. “Maybe…” _

_ She giggled and slipped out of Tifa’s grip, crawling on the bed and ushering Cloud from his lap. “Here, Tifa, you can get behind me, or…” _

_ But Tifa had found her way in front of Cloud, and he opened his arms to her…) _

Vincent cleared his throat.  _ “Tifa.”  _

She rose from the counter with a start, shaking her head. “Shit, sorry,” she said. As she refocused, she spotted his empty glass and a long stare, and she swiped it from the counter. “I’ll get you another…”

With a sigh, Tifa set the glass in the sink and grabbed another one from above it, letting muscle memory take over.  _ I was spacing,  _ she thought.  _ Things were good today. Quiet, but…good.  _ She smiled to herself before returning to the bar with the finished drink.  _ I hope there’s more like it to come.  _

Vincent nodded in thanks, and took a small sip of his drink. “Did…” he started, then trailed off.

Tifa stayed present. “What’s that?”

He sighed, as if regretting his decision to make conversation. “Did you…have a good time?” he asked. “Out?” 

“Oh! Yeah, I did,” she replied. “We went out for ice cream and a walk above the plate…then just chilled at their place. It was cool.”

He nodded with a sigh, hunching over the bar. His face reflected in the liquid of his glass, cool and still. “Good…”

Tifa was prepared to elaborate with a reply, but was interrupted by a woman slipping into the bar, hugging her purse close to her body. Her light brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, braided down to her back, with glasses against her face. She had a name tag fastened to the pocket of her neatly pressed dress shirt, but while Tifa recognized the Shinra logo from the distance, she couldn’t make out the name. Her heels clicked against the floor as she scanned the bar, eyes darting.  _ It’s always weird to see someone so clean cut come through here,  _ Tifa thought as she watched her.  _ Sure, there are a few…but it looks like she wandered in by mistake.  _

However, as the woman made out Vincent, she made a beeline to the seat beside him, slowly placing her purse on her lap. He was frozen in place, continuing to stare at his glass, while she dipped her head to try to look at his face. Surprisingly, he didn’t budge, not even after her persistence, and Tifa began to fidget beneath the bar. “Um,” she interrupted. “C-can I…get you started on anything?”

She jerked up, startled, then offered her a small smile. “No, thank you,” she replied in a clear voice. Deep circles lined underneath her eyes, as well as the beginnings of crow’s feet.  _ She’s wearing a lot of foundation,  _ she mused. Before lingering on her face for too much longer, she got a better read on the badge at her breast.  _ Dr. Lucrecia Crescent… _

Tifa blinked and gestured to it. “O-oh! You’re…Dr. Crescent?” she asked. 

She chuckled. “Yes, that’s right.”

“You took care of Cloud when he was recovering, right?” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear to fidget. “Ah, sorry--I’m a friend of his, actually.”  _ You’re his girlfriend, Tifa,  _ she thought, adrenaline spiking through her.  _ That’s going to take a bit to get used to, even still… _

“Yes, Cloud Strife.” Lucrecia sighed heavily, hands folded in her lap. “Hopefully, we can keep cases like his to a minimum from now on…”

“R-right.” Tifa’s gaze flickered beside her; Vincent stayed right where he was, although she could sense the grip on his glass grow tighter with every passing second. “S-so, um…I can’t quite remember from the news, but…was it  _ you  _ who was going to be the new Head of Science at Shinra?”

“Yes,” she replied, pointing at her badge. “They updated things pretty quickly, if you ask me. Things tend to move slowly in a place as big as that.”

“Well, congratulations!” Tifa cleared her throat.  _ Why is he so stiff? He must know her, he doesn’t act this avoidant even to belligerent customers…I don’t get it. I actually wish Barret were here right now, but I’m not going to take him away from time with Marlene just because of an awkward situation.  _

“Thank you,” she said. As she twisted her hands on her purse, a simple silver band on her finger glinted in the dim bar light. “I’ll be able to have more say in what goes on, although the actual work probably--”

“What are you doing here?” Vincent interrupted suddenly.

Both Tifa and Lucrecia paused in their expressions, only their eyes shifting over to Vincent. His posture fidgeted--from his fingers trembling the smooth surface of the liquor in his glass, to his eyes darting everywhere but anyone’s face. Lucrecia bit her lip and dipped her head, gathering her thoughts.  _ I don’t know if this is better or worse,  _ Tifa thought.  _ I feel like I should leave… _

“I…came to see you,” she said quietly. Her head turned to the side, but her eyes still wouldn’t meet his. “It was…you, wasn’t it?”

Vincent grumbled wordlessly before speaking. “What?”

Lucrecia glanced around her--the bar was milling with its usual customers, but none of them seemed to notice the odd pair at the far edge of the counter. Her, in her crisp dress shirt, compared to him in his dark, grungy trenchcoat, was like comparing day to night. With one last glance to Tifa, she continued. “At Shinra.”

He nodded imperceptibly, but enough for both of the women to catch it.  _ At Shinra. That means…God.  _ Tifa held her breath.  _ He  _ does  _ kill people for a living. But, this is the first time I’ve seen it make headline news… _

“I…thought so,” Lucrecia said. “Thank you.”

Vincent shook his head. “Not something you should…” He took another deep breath, and gripped his drink with his gold, clawed hand a little more tenaciously. “…thank me for.” 

“Not…n-not just…” Lucrecia huffed to gather her thoughts. “It’s not that. O-or even  _ just  _ that.” Absently, she rubbed the side of her cheek. “You…kept your promise.”

To this, he had nothing to say. 

“Even…even after everything--”

“Don’t. Don’t.”

“You didn’t have to,” she pressed. “God knows you didn’t have to…but you still did. You came back before…before things became really terrible--”

“They weren’t terrible before?” Vincent growled. He grit his teeth. “How…you…I…”

The venom fizzled from his voice as words evaded him, and left a forlorn look on his face. Tifa felt glued to the floor, muscles in her arms aching from being so tense.  _ This is… _

With some hesitation, Lucrecia rested a hand on his arm, and he flinched. His drink glass creaking from the pressure of own grip. “I don’t even…know how you knew. But…” She sighed again. “Thank you, still.” 

_ Cloud said Hojo hit her,  _ Tifa thought.  _ And the way Vincent just stormed out after he said that…how do they know each other? The way they talk, they way they interact…it’s tense, it’s uncomfortable but… _

_ …I feel like there’s more being said that I can’t hear.  _

“I’m looking to…change things around Shinra, now that I’ll be the science head,” Lucrecia said. “I-I can’t fix everything, but…I plan to run tests on all the 1sts and 2nds stationed at Midgar. See if I can reverse some of the damage. I could…I could even help you.” She stroked his arm. “Help you live normally, perhaps--”

“No,” Vincent choked. “N-no…no more experiments, please. Please…”

She nodded, and silence fell between them. Down along the bar, a customer called for Tifa. “Can we get another round?” they asked. 

Tifa only nodded, keeping an ear out as she took plodding steps back to where the mugs were kept. “You kept an eye on him, too.” “Wasn’t…easy.” “I never dreamed he would become SOLDIER, let alone end up at Shinra to begin with.” “Mm.” “…Thank you.” “Don’t. Don’t need it.” “Vincent…”

Distracted, she slid the foaming mugs over the bar without looking, and made her way back to her station, trying not to look too eager to get back. “You were better than I ever deserved,” Lucrecia said, fingers curling against the fabric of his coat.

Vincent winced, prosthetic shivering. He mumbled something Tifa couldn’t understand, but by Lucrecia’s heavy sigh, she could only imagine what it could be.  _ Vincent… _

Lucrecia flinched, then leaned close to Vincent’s ear, brushing a lock of his ragged, unkempt hair behind his ear. Tifa strained to hear, but it was clear even by the motion of her lips. “I’m…sorry,” she whispered. 

The glass in Vincent’s hand shattered.

Lucrecia yelped, and a hush fell across the bar. 

As Tifa struggled to keep still, despite her heart pounding from adrenaline, she realized that Vincent had risen from the bar. He seemed taller than she remembered, standing at full height and staring down at Lucrecia. His hair cloaked most of his face to those around him, but Tifa could see the cocktail of emotions scrawled on his face--eyes wide, lip quivering, jaw tight. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and before Lucrecia could speak again (as much as she tried, her throat clicking), he whirled on one foot and stormed out the door. The last screw was dislodged from the hinges of it, and it clattered to the floor unceremoniously in his wake. 

“A-ah…” Tifa stammered, backing up. “I-I’ll…”

As chatter rose around the bar once again, she fumbled for a broom in the corner, and rushed around to sweep up the broken glass. “I-I’m so sorry,” Tifa apologized. Her eye caught the claw marks etched in the dull wood in front of his seat. “S-sometimes he’s just--”

“It’s okay,” Lucrecia replied. “I know him. Well, at least…I did, once upon a time. A very long time…” Her posture slumped as she took off her glasses, resting them carefully on the bar. “Sometimes, you don’t realize how long until moments like this…”

Tifa swept the shards of glass into the dustpan and carried it around to the trash, making a glittering, twinkling sound as they were discarded.  _ I don’t…I don’t know if I really understand,  _ Tifa thought.  _ Not yet…at any rate.  _ “Looks like we’re  _ really  _ going to need to get a new door,” she muttered to herself. “About time, honestly…”

Lucrecia chuckled, then rested her arms on the counter, her chin on top of them. “I shouldn’t have waited so long,” she remarked, a watery quality entering her voice. “Two and a half decades is…far too long to wait.”

“A-ah…”  _ Part of being a bartender in a place like this is the stories you hear, and how to react,  _ Tifa thought, fidgeting.  _ God, why didn’t I wear my bangles today? I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.  _ “W-well…y-you know--”

“It’s over,” she interrupted. “I just wanted a chance to thank him myself, that’s all. We…never got any closure.” Her head tilted to one side, and she stared at the ring on her left hand. She opened her mouth to speak, glancing at Tifa, then thought better of it. With a heavy sigh, she slipped the silver band off and dropped it in her purse. “On second thought…I think I would like something.”

“S-sure, absolutely,” Tifa said, voice pitching up. She finally raised her hands above the counter and stretched her arms out across it.  _ This I can do.  _ “What can I get you?”

Lucrecia sat up, quiet thoughtfulness grazing her expression. “Do…you have any red wine?” she asked. “Malbec?” 

“Um…”  _ Wine, wine…  _ Tifa ducked beneath the cupboard and shuffled through the bottles of liquor beneath the bar. Some were caked with dust from lack of popularity, and she found herself sniffling the more she dug. “C’mon, there’s got to be…something…” 

Eventually, she felt the tall, smooth shape of a wine bottle and dug it out, clinking glasses against other until it emerged from the back. “Here’s something,” she said. “Looks like it hasn’t even been open…it’s a Merlot, is that okay?” 

“Sure,” Lucrecia said. “That’s fine.”

As Tifa reached for a wine glass (one of only two shelved) and a corkscrew, she felt herself relax just barely. “I dunno how long it’s been in here…” she said, squinting at the label. “God, it’s well aged, though. 1971…”

She filled the glass halfway and rested it in front of Lucrecia. “Hm,” she mused, picking it up between her fingers and swirling the liquid. “The year my son was born…among…other things.”

Her brow clouded for a moment before she took a drink of the wine, and Tifa chose not to pry.

* * *

 

_ “Take it hip to hip, rocking through the wilderness, _ _   
_ _ Around the world, the trip begins with a kiss…” _

Aerith continued to sing along to the radio as she danced through the living room.  _ “Roam if you want to, roam around the world…”  _

Cloud chuckled, nestling himself further into Zack’s lap. The TV was on, with the Sega Genesis running a video game that Zack was absorbed in. His arms were draped around Cloud’s shoulders, with the controller settled right at his chest. “Hey, babe?” he asked. “When were you gonna come in and sing for the band?”

“Ooh, it’s going to be a  _ surprise,”  _ she replied, winking and disappearing into the bathroom. The door slammed shut, but she continued to shout through it. “I wanna surprise them!  _ Roam if you want, without anything but the love we feel…”  _

Zack laughed and shook his head. “I dunno if that’s such a good idea,” he muttered, kissing the top of Cloud’s head. “You know how they are…”

“They  _ know  _ she’s going to do this, right?” Cloud asked. “I mean, didn’t Sephiroth pick the song?”

“Yup. But Shinra’s finest likes to have everything  _ just so.”  _ A victory fanfare competed with the radio, and Zack tossed the controller across the couch. “Nice. Hey, I’m surprised you didn’t stay over to Tifa’s tonight.”

“Huh? O-oh.” Cloud shrugged. “W-well, I just stayed over the other night…”  _ Besides, I don’t want Barret to breathe down my neck again so soon,  _ he added to himself. 

“But she’s your girlfriend,” Zack said. He squeezed him tight against his chest. “Your  _ new  _ girlfriend.” 

“Yeah, but Ti and I have known each other for a while, now.”

“But it’s different, y’know. Now that you’re dating.”

Cloud craned his neck around. “Is it?”  _ Things didn’t feel different when I started dating you…I mean, if by “different”, you mean “better”… _

Zack grinned. “Well, you can  _ kiss  _ her now.” 

Cloud found himself laughing. “Zack…”

“What, you can!” He peppered kisses over Cloud’s cheeks. “All that and a bag of chips!”

_ You big dork,  _ he thought, and was about to say so, when the phone began to ring. “Ah, shit,” Zack sighed. “I can--”

_ “I’ve got it!”  _ Aerith hollered from the bathroom.  _ “It’s probably Tifa!”  _

But Cloud was already on his feet and striding over to the phone. “I’ve got it,” he called back, just as he picked up the receiver. He held it against his chest and pointed over to the radio. “Zack, can you turn that down…?”

“Sure.”

He brought the phone back to his face. “Hello?” 

_ “Hey...Cloud?”  _

“Yeah.”

_ “Ah, yeah. It’s me.”  _

_ Ti.  _ He smiled to himself. “Hey. What’s up?” 

_ “N-not much, just…”  _ She sighed, creating distortion on the line.  _ “Rough night. Well, not  _ rough,  _ but…weird. Weird night.”  _

“What happened?” he asked. 

_ “Just…your doctor, the one you had in rehab--”  _

“Dr. Crescent?”

_ “Yeah, her. She came in and…talked to Vincent. It was weird. Seems like they had a lot of history.”  _

“Oh…” Cloud began to pace through the living room, continually passing the TV. “Did anything bad happen?”

_ “Not really. He broke a glass and the door, but that door was going anyway.” _

“No one got hurt?”

_ “No.” _

“Dude, you’re blocking my view!” Zack exclaimed, waving his hand. His pager popped out from his belt as he lunged forward, prompting him to look at the readout. “Oh, shit…”

_ “I just…”  _ Tifa’s voice drew Cloud’s attention back, and he chose to make his way around the couch to do his pacing.  _ “I dunno, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not really my business but…it was just really heavy.”  _

“Yeah, I bet.” Cloud bit his lip. “Are  _ you  _ okay?” 

_ “I…”  _ she hesitated.  _ “Yeah. I think so.”  _

_ She doesn’t sound quite relaxed.  _ “Do you need me to come over?” 

_ “No! God, no, it’s fine…”  _ She laughed a little.  _ “Barret’s down at the bar, now…” _

“Are you sure?”

Aerith burst out of the bathroom and rushed over to Cloud. “Is it? Is it her?” she asked, thinly restraining herself from grabbing at the phone. 

Cloud nodded and brushed past her into the kitchen, even as she kept on his heels.  _ “Yeah. I just…wanted to talk to someone about it.”  _ Her voice grew soft.  _ “So…thanks.”  _

He grinned wider than he expected down at the linoleum. “S-sure. Anytime.” 

“Can I talk to her?” Aerith whispered, bouncing on her toes and clasping her hands together. 

He pressed the phone against his chest again. “Just a sec,” he whispered back. “You’re almost as bad as Zack…”

Aerith’s mouth dropped open. “Are you sassing me, Cloud Strife?” 

She swiped for the phone, but Cloud took a step back as he held it back up to his ear. “Hey, sorry, someone else wants to talk to you,” he said, batting Aerith away gently. “So…I gotta go.” 

_ “Aerith?” _

“Yup.”

She giggled.  _ “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” _

“Sounds good.” Suddenly, anxiety gripped his chest.  _ Do I say it? Do I say “I love you”? Isn’t that how you end conversations with people you’re dating? But we just started dating, so is it too soon? It took a while for Zack and I-- _

_ “Okay. Bye, Cloud.”  _

_ Well, it’s too late now.  _ “B-bye.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Aerith made a more poignant effort to snatch the phone from his hand. “Hah!” she cried, then twirled as she clutched it with both hands to her face. “Hey baby. …Hi. …Cloud’s cute, isn’t he?” 

She winked at him, and he shook his head before returning to the couch, feeling heat in his cheeks.  _ Next time, maybe, next time…I do, don’t I? I love Tifa, I do… _

He plopped next to Zack, who automatically wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Hey, did you get a message on your pager?” he asked, holding his up.

“Huh? I didn’t hear anything,” Cloud replied. He patted the waistline of his jeans, then sighed.  _ Shoot. It must be in my jacket… _

“Well, heads up,” he said. “Labs want to do bloodwork on all the Midgar 1sts and 2nds on Monday. You’ll have to check up for times…”

“Oh. Okay.” He shifted in his seat, then reached underneath him to pull the Genesis controller out and handed it over. “That’s…not so bad.” 

“I guess.” Zack rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms. “Yeah, it’s just…just a thing, ‘specially now that Hojo’s gone…”

Cloud studied him before Zack took the controller from his hands. “Are you nervous?” he asked.

Zack waggled his hand. “Eh. I’m not a big fan of…needles.” He whistled as he sighed. “What can you do? It’s cool. I’m cool. I’ll be fine.” 

He pressed the pause button, and the game resumed its cheery music, less drowned out by the radio. Cloud leaned his head against his shoulder. “I can come with you,” he muttered. “I-if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Zack kept his eyes on the screen, but leaned over and kissed his head. “We’ll see how the schedules turn out. I’ll  _ definitely  _ be there for yours, no matter what.” 

“R-really?”

“Of course!” He laughed, more relaxed than before, and Cloud became more distracted by his profile than what was happening on the TV. “You’re my boyfriend  _ and  _ my 2nd. I’ve gotta keep looking out for you!”

Cloud chuckled, his smile lingering.  _ Yeah. And I’ll keep looking out for you, too.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song featured today is ["Roam" by the B-52s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqNQb0_s8v4). I had "Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna in my head for that last little scene, but alas, it was just out of the time period. Dang!
> 
> A little wrap-up with some of our side characters this chapter! I'm sure that Vincent will be feeling more at peace when he comes back. Along with getting a new door. It was nice to write something that was only one scene (although it did become two, since I wanted to cleanly bridge chapters) for once! It made things go a little smoother.
> 
> Next time, we'll hang out with Zack and some of the 1sts as they take a small adventure!


	54. Demo Tape

_ C’mon, Zack,  _ he thought to himself, leaned against the wall of the lab office. He drummed his fingers against the wall.  _ You’re cool, you’re cool. A little bloodwork isn’t a big deal. You’ve done it a bunch of times. Easy peasy. Nothing to it.  _

He breathed out with a huff and fluffed the back of his hair, tugging on the longest part. His palm was cool and clammy as it grazed the back of his neck.  _ Cloud had his shit done this morning with a bunch of the other 2nds. Paged him a bit ago, but no answer. Must be stuck in drills.  _ Absently, he fumbled with his pager, bringing it out of his belt and fussing with the knobs without looking.  _ Another call wouldn’t hurt-- _

He was rudely interrupted by the office door flying open, and Sephiroth emerged with an annoyed expression and his hand over the crease of his arm.  _ “Ack!”  _ Zack yelped, standing immediately to attention. “All done?”

“Yes,” he grumbled. “Took long enough…” He took a moment to adjust the collar on his SOLDIER uniform, then raised an eyebrow. “Are you… _ nervous?” _

“Absolutely not!” Zack chirped, adding in a laugh for good measure. “Dude, we’re SOLDIER, why would we be? Haha…”

Sephiroth appeared to bite the inside of his cheek. “Many reasons, actually,” he muttered. “Anyway, I want you to meet me and the others down in the rehearsal room when you’re finished here.”

“Yeah, yeah, rehearsal,” Zack said.

“Not a standard one,” Sephiroth sighed. “Gen mixed the tape from the show the other night. We need to debrief and discuss our next course of action. Mainly, where to send it to get some publicity…”

“O…kay.”  _ Dude, it was just a gig, not some major military operation.  _ Zack crossed his arms as Sephiroth stared at his own; the crease of his arm was covered in medical tape and gauze.  _ Guess when you’re here long enough, bossing people around all the time on and off the battlefield, that’s gotta be what it does to you. _

Zack didn’t get to make another comment, for Lucrecia’s voice sounded from inside the office. “Next?” 

Sephiroth nodded. “Better get started. She took six or seven vials of blood out of me, for some reason…”

_ Great.  _ “Okay.”  _ That totally doesn’t make me feel nervous at all! Gee, thanks Seph!  _ Nonetheless, he saluted him with one finger and brushed past him. “Welp, see ya later!” 

Sephiroth grunted a reply before dissolving behind him. In the office, Lucrecia was hunched over her desk, writing down some notes hastily with a pen. “Just…one second,” she murmured, shoving her glasses back against her face before they slid too far down her nose. “Have a seat over there…”

She gestured to a stretcher covered in wrinkled wax paper, and he hopped up to it with a rattle. “Must be gettin’ close to the end of your day, huh?” Zack said, eyes darting around. He finally spotted a clock on the back wall, ticking closer to 5 o’clock. He kicked his legs to fidget, and the heel of his boot hit the metal beneath the stretcher, causing it to rattle. “Oof, sorry…”

Lucrecia rolled a small table over to him, scattered with some vials, a needle still in its packaging, a rubber strip, a pile of gauze and a roll of medical tape. Zack felt himself holding his breath as she snapped a fresh pair of pale blue gloves over her hands. “This is only the first part,” she muttered. “I have a whole night ahead of me, doing a thorough analysis of all the bloodwork…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zack replied, swallowing thick. “I, uh…you’ve been here doin’ this all by yourself?”

“Yes.” She coaxed his arm out straight, padding the crease with an alcohol wipe. “I want to be sure it was done right…”  

“Mmhm.” His fingers felt like ice.  _ So much prep to this. Now she’s gotta tie that band thing to the top of my arm. Then she’s gotta break out the needle, Jesus.  _ He huffed a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Yeah, some people are like that. If something’s gotta be done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself. Angeal said Seph got like that a lot with certain things--”

She pressed two fingers against the crease of his arm, then looked up at him. “Are you all right?” she asked quietly.

“Ah? Sure, yeah! I’m cool!” he bluffed, but as she returned to the table and broke the packaging of the sterile needle, he felt himself backpedaling. “Well, y’know, it ain’t a big deal, but I’m…ah, I’m just not a big fan of needles, getting…” He whistled out another held breath. “…Getting poked and prodded…”

She paused before uncapping the needle. “I understand,” she said simply. “You’re not the only one.”

“Is that right?” 

She tilted her head in thought. “Many people don’t like to watch when they get their blood taken. But Hewley refused to take his eyes off me and what I was doing. Rhapsodos didn’t believe me when I tried once, couldn’t draw anything, and had to try his other arm. Made a fuss about it.” She focused back on what she was doing, reexamining Zack’s arm. “Even Seph--even 1st-class Cetra flinched.”

Zack’s eyes grew wide.  _ Huh. Well, I know Angeal and Genesis have been through some shit. Didn’t think Seph would be that way.  _ “Cloud was all right, though, wasn’t he?” 

“Oh, yes,” Lucrecia replied. “He’s also used to me, after being in rehab for a time…”

“That’s right.” The band tied at his bicep began to ache, and he struggled to ignore it.  _ Cloud.  _ “Y’know, er, Lucrecia, I never…ah, well I did while I was there, but I never really got to thank you for helping out-- _ ouch.”  _

Before he could realize it, the needle was in his arm--just a pinprick--and dark blood filled through a tube over to a syringe, where she fed it through to the couple of vials set up. “It was the least I could do,” she replied with a small smile. “That wasn’t bad, was it?”

Zack found himself chuckling. “N-not bad at all.” 

_ (“One…two…three.”  _

_ The needle prick wasn’t so painful, but the cool flood of mako sinking into his veins faded to a dull burn, flooding up his arm. He hissed and clenched his other fist. “D-damn it…” he muttered. “I really don’t…really don’t…” _

_ “Relax.” _

_ He took a deep breath, and a wave of blue washed over his vision. Soon, the prickling burn could be felt through his body--although, instead of tensing him, it dulled Zack’s senses, lulling him into a stupor…) _

“Zack?” 

He shook his head--already, there was a patch of gauze taped to his arm. Lucrecia was taping a label to each vial. “You’re all set,” she said. “If you give me a moment, I can do a quick scan with the computer for anything glaring.” She held the two vials between her fingers as she walked back over to her desk, scanning the clipboard there. “Although, there doesn’t appear to be anything in your file that looks unusual or suspicious.”

“Suspicious?” Zack asked, hopping off from the stretcher. “Suspicious like what?”

“Altered records,” she replied. “You never know, with…well, with Hojo…”

_ Altered records?  _ Zack marvelled.  _ Guess I wouldn’t put it past them. But…sheesh, medical stuff is serious business…what would they alter?  _ Suddenly, it dawned on him.  _ Damn, you know, I bet if it weren’t Lucrecia taking him in, Cloud’s mako overdose would’ve been “altered”-- _

Lucrecia continued before he could dwell too much. “In fact,” she said with a smile. “1st-class Hewley told me that you’ve been hardy in response to mako, and ‘as healthy as a horse’ since he’s known you.” 

Zack barked another laugh, stretching tall enough to touch the ceiling. “Yup, that sounds about right!” he said. His worry fizzled quickly into relief.  _ Done, done. All done. _ “Welp, I’ve gotta catch up with some of the others, but if you find anything funny, hit me up, okay?” He popped his pager out from his suspender belt and wiggled it. “You’ve got all of us, right?” 

She raised an eyebrow, then nodded. “Y-yes, I believe so, but--”

“All right!” He shot her a wink as he backed out. “Don’t work too hard, Doc!” 

He spun on a heel and whistled as he dashed to the elevator.  _ That’s fuckin’ done, at any rate,  _ he thought.  _ Now it’s time to find Cloud, then see what all the other bastards are up to… _

* * *

 

Zack did not end up finding Cloud, much to his disappointment. Instead, he shuffled behind his two senior officers as the early evening heat wafted from both the sky and the pavement.

“Gen,” Sephiroth growled.

“Yeah?” Genesis replied with a grin on his face.

“If I  _ ever  _ see you put your filthy hands on my guitar again…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’ll skewer me like you were gonna roast me over a pit fire.”

“You can’t even play it! It’s a lefty, you idiot…”

Zack sighed very heavily before jamming his hands in his pockets, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk.  _ I don’t think I can’t stand to listen to those assholes bicker for another second,  _ he thought, the late summer heat beating against his jet black hair and the back of his neck. Above the plate, the streets were bustling with rush-hour traffic, both on foot and on the road. While Sephiroth and Genesis were a pace ahead of him, Angeal stayed at his side, appearing to enjoy the drifting clouds in the sky rather than the argument ahead of them. 

“You didn’t have too much trouble today with your bloodwork, did you?” Angeal asked. “Sorry I couldn’t come spot you.”

“What? Nah, it’s no big deal,” Zack brushed off, waving his hand. “Piece of cake, no sweat. Just sucked that I couldn’t get a hold of Cloud before we headed out…”

“Really?” he said. “Well, since he’s on the track to head to 1st, they’ve probably got some extra work for his company. You remember staying late too, don’t you?”

Zack scrunched his face. “Yeah, I  _ guess.”  _ He skipped a little in his walk.  _ Maybe I didn’t notice it. By then, I was dashing out as soon as I could to go see Aerith…  _ “Do you think I’d be able to get him out early next time?”

Angeal rolled his eyes. “Easy there, Fair. You shouldn’t abuse your 1st rank doing shit like that.” He stroked the bottom of his goatee before giving Zack a raised eyebrow. “It’s a lot of responsibility--”

“Yeah, yeah, honor and all that,” Zack chuckled as he gently checked Angeal’s hip. “I remember.”  _ Even with all that’s gone on, you beat that into me so hard that I don’t think I’ll ever forget it… _

_ Protect your honor… _

Angeal cleared his throat and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey, you guys know where we’re going?” 

“Yeah!” Genesis hollered back, spinning on a heel and walking backwards. His hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets, although it was open, and he flapped the jacket as if breathing air beneath it.  _ How can he wear leather in this fucking heat?  _ Zack marvelled, observing the sheen of sweat beneath his bangs. Not only that, but he was wearing a pair of bulky headphones around his neck as well, barely tucked beneath the collar of his jacket.  _ TV said it was gonna get up to 85 today… _

Genesis jerked his head back. “We’re almost there, it’s just up the street--”

His feet fumbled just enough to weave him off balance, and before he ran into a mailbox at the edge of the street corner, Sephiroth yanked him by the collar and spun him around, using his momentum to push him forward. “Watch where you’re going,” Sephiroth huffed, flicking his ponytail back. “Asshole.” 

“You’re  _ so _ kind,” Genesis remarked sarcastically, before nodding up. “Here, see, told you, it’s right here…”

As soon as Zack saw the sign above the entrance, he snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah, this place! Vinyl Fantasy! Aerith comes here all the time…”

Sephiroth, on the other hand, curled his lip, and crossed his arms. “It seems…small,” he scrutinized, squinting into the front window. “Too basic.” 

“Well  _ sor-ry,  _ your majesty,” Genesis said with a click of his tongue. “‘Fraid we can’t just drop off our tape at Tower Records above Sector 7 and demand they listen to us.”

Sephiroth whipped his head around. “Why  _ not?”  _

Genesis rolled his eyes. “We don’t have an in, we’re not recording artists.”

“So?” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Is that not the goal? What more of an ‘in’ do we need, we’re some of the highest ranking military officials--”

Genesis cut him off. “That doesn’t mean shit outside of Shinra.”

“I’m a  _ war hero!”  _ Sephiroth began to raise his voice, jamming a thumb to his chest--while Genesis and Angeal didn’t even flinch, Zack held his breath.  _ Take it down a notch, Jesus, we’re in the street.  _ He glanced around, but thankfully, he hadn't drawn any attention. Yet.  “Everyone knows who I am! It  _ should  _ mean something! Besides, Shinra is  _ everywhere-- _ ” 

Despite his outburst, Genesis chuckled and patted a hand on his chest. “Take it easy, tiger,” he said. “We’ll get you there. The owner of this store here has connections to some indie labels. Figured that’s a good place to start.” He glanced back at Angeal for support. “Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah, you’ve got a point,” Angeal sighed, pinching a nerve between his eyes. “For once.”

“But…!” Sephiroth hissed, then fizzled into a pout. “Fine. I  _ guess  _ what you’re saying is… _ reasonable.”  _ He glared at Genesis again before turning his nose up. “I hate saying that. Since when have you  _ ever  _ been reasonable?” 

“I know, it’s a rare occasion.” He winked at Angeal, then opened the door for the three SOLDIER, bowing deeply to Sephiroth. “After you.”

“Pathetic,” Sephiroth muttered as he walked in first. Despite his comment, the swagger he carried was palpable, chest out and shoulders back. 

Angeal grabbed onto Genesis’ head and messed with his hair. “You’re such a suck-up,” he muttered.

“Gets the job done, doesn’t it?” Genesis replied, fixing his bangs. “Besides--”

_ “Don’t,”  _ Angeal interrupted before he could get any further.

Genesis only snickered as he slipped in, leaving Angeal to keep the door propped for Zack. “The fun never stops, does it?” he said, shaking his head.

“I’ll say,” Zack muttered, ducking as he entered.  _ It’s a good thing this all dissolves as soon as we start playing. When they stop bullshitting with each other, the music’s actually nice. And it shows on that tape…least I hope so.  _ He puffed out his cheeks.  _ They’d already gotten through most of it by the time I got there, and Seph was eager to go.  _

The kid at the counter was lounged back in a chair, showcasing the six belts he was wearing--one around his neck, three around his bicep, and two around his waist. He sat up just as soon as he caught wind of Sephiroth blazing through, nearly springing out of his seat. “H-hey,” he greeted, having to look up to all of them. “Wh…what can I, uh…”

“Where’s the owner?” Sephiroth demanded, scanning behind the desk and craning to look into the back room. “Shouldn’t he be here?”

“He, uh…” The tag on his chest was taped over with the name “LEON”, and as he raised a hand up, Zack saw he had yet another belt on his wrist. “T-took the day off. Hey, aren’t you…aren’t you Sephiroth?  _ The  _ Sephiroth Cetra…?”

Sephiroth smirked. “See, he gets it,” he said, flipping his ponytail once again.

“Seph?” 

From the back, Loz emerged, only briefly glancing at the rest of the company before settling on Sephiroth. “Hey. What’s up?” he asked. While excitement didn’t show much in his face, or even his voice, his eyes were still eager and wide. 

“Loz," Sephiroth greeted plainly. "We have a tape from the other night.” He snapped his fingers. “Gen?”

Genesis was already ready with the tape, cassette in a case between his fingers. “Right here.”

Sephiroth took the tape with two of his own fingers and held it out to Loz. “I was  _ hoping  _ the owner would be here today,” he sighed. “But, I suppose it cannot be helped…”

“Wait a sec, you  _ know  _ him?” Leon asked Loz incredulously. 

He simply nodded before grabbing the tape, holding it gingerly with both hands. “Yeah, he’s my brother,” he muttered, staring down at the tape. 

Leon nearly choked. “What the  _ fuck?  _ You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Loz shook his head. Then, he glanced back up, eyes only for Sephiroth once again. “You made this?”

Sephiroth nodded. “Yes. I did.”

“Well,  _ we  _ did--” Zack clarified. 

“--but  _ I  _ was the driving force.” Sephiroth said with a curled lip. Genesis nodded, even though he turned just enough so Sephiroth could not see him roll his eyes. 

“Cool,” Loz said, and turned around to rush to the back. 

Leon had shrunk back behind the counter, but he side-stepped just enough to peer in and watch what Loz was up to. “Hey, what are you doing?” he asked. “Cid doesn’t want us messing with the stereo--”

“But this is _Sephiroth’s_ tape,” Loz replied simply. “I’m going to play it.”

He groaned and threw his arms up. “Come on! He’s going to be so pissed! And you  _ know  _ he’s going to yell at  _ me  _ about it!”

“Uh-huh.” 

The faint background music, something inoffensive that Zack quickly tuned out, was replaced with the booming sound of guitars and drums. “Whoa!” Zack exclaimed as he looked up. “Dude, that’s us!” 

“Astute observation, 1st-class Fair,” Sephiroth said through clenched teeth, then appeared to relax as Loz reemerged. “The guitars aren’t as clean as I’d like…”

“Did the best I could with what I had,” Genesis sighed.

“And the bass is a bit boomy.” He squinted at Genesis. “I assume that was on purpose?”

He snorted, then glanced at his nails to occupy himself. “What makes you think that?”

Zack huffed and wandered away from the counter, idly browsing through the aisles of cassettes and CDs.  _ I’m getting a headache,  _ he thought.  _ This would’ve been a million times more bearable if Cloud were here…hell, I might’ve been able to sneak out or something.  _ He pulled out his pager and checked the screen, still reading an uneventful “0”.  _ I wonder if he got my memo… _

As he reached the vinyl section, a whole aisle at the far left side of the store, he hummed along to the recording of the band over the speaker. “So, will you show this to the owner?” he heard Sephiroth ask. “I am not…opposed to being showcased like this, but it does need to be spread to a larger audience…”

Zack’s pager beeped as it was still in his hand, and he nearly fumbled it out of his grip. “Shit!” he hissed to himself, then clumsily mashed the side button and held it up to his ear.

_ “Hey…ah, it’s Cloud. What record place did you say you were going to? I…think I can see you…” _

He whipped his head around to the window, and he could see the puff of Cloud’s blond hair and the slope of his nose at the very edge of the window. He grinned, bouncing on his toes, and rushed over to the door and hurled it open. “Yo!” he called.

Cloud jerked his head up, and behind him, Tifa poked her head out as well. Cloud’s face glowed as soon as he saw him, and rushed up to meet him. His hand was laced with Tifa’s, and he ended up dragging her along with him in his haste. “Hey!” 

Zack chuckled and ruffled his hair, offering a kiss to the top of his head. “Surprised you found me,” he commented. “What’s up, Tifa?” 

“Hey,” she said simply, and glanced up. “Aerith took me here once. I guess you’d call it our…first date.” 

Zack stuck his tongue out. “That’s what  _ she  _ kept saying it was.” 

Tifa pouted and tugged Cloud a little closer to her. “Sure…”

With a tilt of his head toward the door, Zack pulled it open. “C’mon, come witness the shitshow before I use you as an excuse to juice on outta here.”

“Shitshow?” Tifa asked. “Oh…right.”

Cloud snickered to himself as he walked in, and as soon as the door shut behind Zack, he sunk right against his side, even with Tifa holding his hand.  _ Cute,  _ Zack thought, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.  _ Must’ve missed me today. Even though we saw each other a couple times, it wasn’t enough, so…guess I kinda did too.  _

As they walked up the aisle, Angeal turned at the commotion. “Hey, guys!” he greeted, his grin glowing with relief. “How’s it going?” 

“N-not bad,” Cloud muttered with a small sigh. “Monday…”

“Ah, yeah. Beginning of the week’s always hard.”

Out of the corner of Zack’s eye, he spotted Tifa wander away from Cloud and fidget with her bangles, staring off into space.  _ What’s up?  _ he thought, willing himself to catch her eye, but it didn’t happen.

“I can give this to Cid,” Loz said back behind the counter. “I’ll tell him it’s from you.”

“Good,” Sephiroth said.

“Hey, can’t…you’re like, the highest rank in Midgar, aren’t you?” Loz asked. “Don’t you have a way to get this to the right people?”

Genesis snickered. “Yeah, Shinra’s got connections, but not the right kind for this sort of thing. Clearances, classified documents, drugs, weapons--that’s their game.”

Sephiroth elbowed him hard in the ribs. “You shouldn’t speak so candidly about that.” 

“So what?” Genesis winced as he rubbed his side. “They’ve already got us by the balls...damn, Seph, that hurt…”

“Tch, that’s what you get…”

“Um!” Tifa suddenly piped up, shuffling back over so she stood in front of Zack and Cloud, facing Angeal. “W-we’d  _ love  _ to stay and chat, but we’ve really got to get going…”

_Thank God,_ Zack thought. _She knows what's up._ “Sure, no problem,” Angeal said with a wave of his hand.

“What?” Sephiroth’s attention was deterred. “Who said  _ you  _ could leave?” He made the comment directly at Zack. “I don’t care about your friends, but--”

“Dude, really,” Zack sighed. “If we’re just dropping this off, I’m heading home. My baby’s waiting for me.” 

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Fine. Do what you want. You’d better have ‘Burn’ ready for next rehearsal.”

“Yeah, yeah…”  _ That Deep Purple song. Pretty rad, but it’s pretty long...long enough for Sephiroth to show off.  _ Zack tried not to roll his eyes at the thought.

As Zack backed up to bail out, Tifa continued, stopping him in his escape. “Another…another thing,” She glanced back at Cloud for a moment, and when he only held her gaze, she took a deep breath to continue talking to Angeal. “I wanted to…take you up on what you said. You know, the other night at the gig…”

“Oh, you want to pick up drums?” Angeal’s face lit up once again. “That’s great! When are you available?”

“Whenever,” Tifa said. “I mean, I can work around your schedule--”

Genesis abandoned Sephiroth at the counter and whirled to Angeal’s side with a raised eyebrow. “What?” he said. “You’re going to have  _ her  _ be your sub?” 

Angeal sighed heavily, expelling several more years of crafted disdain from his chest. _ ”Yes,”  _ he replied. “Don’t tell me you could come up with anything better. Because you haven't even come up with _anyone._ So…”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. “Well, Seph’s gotta be the real judge,” he muttered, looking her over. “He’s--”

Angeal didn’t hesitate. “You’re lying.”

Zack glanced over the whole group--Cloud was glued to his side, but he could sense him tense from the atmosphere. Tifa seemed equally caught, but managed to keep her chin up and forward despite her fidgeting hands.  _ This got awkward real fast,  _ Zack thought, holding his breath. 

Luckily, Angeal wasn’t one to hold the tension, as Genesis’ wide stare and suddenly closed posture was enough reaction. “You just don’t want to get used to a new drummer,” he continued. “But I’m the only one who doesn’t have a sub. I think Tifa’s going to be fine.”

He gave a wink to Tifa, and she sighed audibly. “Well, I’m a quick learner,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “If I can learn how to bartend in a couple weeks, this shouldn’t be too bad…”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” Genesis retorted, flipping his bangs with his hair. With that, he retreated back to the counter with only a sour look, not another word.

Angeal rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. He’ll get over it,” he whispered. He cleared his throat with a raspy cough and spoke louder. “Anyway, since we rehearse Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you can just drop by on a Tuesday or Thursday at the back door--you know where that is, right?”

“O-oh yeah. Aerith told me, she...I went up in there looking for Cloud that one time.”

Angeal only nodded. “Yup. You’ll probably catch me having my last smoke of the day, and then we can go from there.”

Tifa nodded, bangs bouncing. “Mm! Sounds good!” 

“Are we cool?” Zack said, squeezing Cloud against him. “Surprised Aerith hasn’t been hounding my pager by now…” 

“Yeah, go on,” Angeal replied with a wave of his hand. “I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

Genesis, after a second of eavesdropping, wandered back up behind Angeal. “We’ve still got places to go...I think,” he said with another tape in his hand. “I don’t remember bringing another copy of our gig…”

Angeal raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Well, why don’t you give it another listen, make sure that’s what it is.” Very briefly, he winked at Zack, minute enough that he almost missed it. “You’ve got your Walkman with you, right?” 

“Sure…” As Genesis fished for his Walkman in his back pocket, Angeal bit his lip to hide a wicked grin.  _ Oh boy,  _ Zack thought.  _ Angeal’s a lot more devious than he lets on...wonder if he snuck in another one of those tapes he hates?  
_

“Let’s go,” Cloud murmured beside Zack, an arm around his waist. “I’m getting kind of hungry.” 

“Let’s blast then,” Zack said, throwing his arm around Tifa and leading the group out. “See ya later, guys!” 

He didn’t bother waiting for a reply, hauling the two out of the pleasantly air conditioned record store and into the wave of city paved heat. “Whew,” Tifa sighed, worming her way out of Zack’s grip as soon as she could. “There.”

“How long were you sitting on that?” Zack asked. 

“All weekend,” Cloud answered for her. When she gave him eyes, he fell back a pace. “W-what? You were…”

“Yeah, well--!” She huffed and danced ahead of them, walking backwards with her hands in the back pockets of her cut off shorts. “Whatever. Guess I’m in now.”

“That’s pretty cool!” Zack exclaimed. “Dude, I’m excited to hear you play!” 

“It’s going to be a while before you do,” she remarked. “i’ve still got to  _ learn.”  _

“Sure, but still.” He slid his arm off from around Cloud’s shoulder to lace their hands together, giving it a squeeze. “It’ll be nice to have another buffer between the ego circus we’ve got going on.”

Tifa’s eyes went wide. “Oh, shit! I’ve got to deal with  _ those _ assholes!” 

“You  _ forgot?”  _ Zack barked, a laugh accompanying it. “Jesus, that’s like, the first thing you’ve got to consider.”

_ (“Hey, Zack,” Angeal asked. “If you don’t want to go through with this, you don’t have to. I know Sephiroth’s been hard on you--” _

_ “No, no, it’s cool,” he replied, bouncing on his toes. “I’ve really been itching to play lately, and you guys do cool stuff!” _

_ He chucked, then sighed. “Well, these guys aren’t the most fun to deal with. And once you’re in, you’re  _ in.  _ It’ll be worse if you up and bail. I'll bet you he'll be complaining for weeks."   _

_ “Worse than how he’s complaining now?” _

_ “Uh-huh.” _

_ “Well, at least...er, Genesis isn’t so bad,” Zack started, then hesitated as Angeal made a face. He found himself mimicking it. “Uh...at least...I don’t...think so? Quiet, anyway...”  _

_ “Sure,” he chose to reply. Then, he clapped him on the back and pushed him gently. “Just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into…”) _

The longer he laughed, the more downcast she seemed, but he caught it and composed himself. “Hey, listen: once they actually get  _ playing,  _ it ain’t so bad. And they’re good too, you heard ‘em.”

“Yeah.” 

“And if they ever start giving you shit, I’ll set ‘em straight.” 

Tifa chuckled wlth a raised eyebrow. “Okay. But, I can handle it.”

_ Tough girl.  _ He bumped against Cloud. “Cloud will too, if he’s there.” 

“Oh, my God…”

To both their surprises, Cloud nodded with his chin out and shoulders back. “I will,” he replied, quiet and serious. 

Zack ruffled his hair, but kept his tongue.  _ You would, wouldn’t you?  _ he thought while Tifa came back to his side to walk close.  _ You really love her. I think I could always tell.  _

“Hey, what time  _ is  _ it?” Tifa asked. “The sun’s still out, can’t be  _ that  _ late…”

“Does...Aerith really complain when you don’t get home on time?” Cloud mentioned quietly. “Or--”

“Nah, not really,” Zack replied. “Only if it’s real late. First time in a while, though, so Im kinda surprised she didn’t page.” He leaned over to glance at Tifa. “Did she come see you today?”

“Yup, around lunch time like usual.” She smiled to herself. “She brought me a flower too, I kept it at the bar--”

_ “Aww,  _ she  _ likes  _ you--!” Zack teased, sticking his tongue out. 

“Well, she’s kissed me, so I’m pretty sure she does,” Tifa scoffed. 

“Shit, you’ve hit the big time!”  _ I remember she gave me flowers too, right before she kissed me for the first time…  _ Aerith’s face flashed in his mind’s eye--her bright smile, pink cheeks and rounded nose, tall bangs framing her forehead and her eyes, eyes a deep, emerald green. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning.  _ I knew I was lucky then… _

He glanced down at Cloud, quiet with his hand laced in his. He seemed to sense the attention, for he looked up with curious eyes.  _ And you, you too,  _ he thought,  _ sure, it wasn’t an instant cupid’s arrow when I first met you in training…but maybe it was, and I just didn’t know it yet. I didn’t know a lot of things yet, anyway. You and your quiet confidence, unrelenting determination, and that cute face of yours… _

Heart swelling with pride, he lifted his head up toward the top of the tunnel they descended through.  _ “Woo! I love my girlfriend!”  _ he hollered, the sound reverberating ten times louder than what could be considered normal.  _ “And my boyfriend! Yeah!”  _

Cloud relinquished his hand to cover his ears, face burning hot and red. “Z-Zack…” 

“Aw, c’mon!” he brayed, punching his shoulder lightly. “You try it! It’ll feel good!” With a vigorous head-shake from Cloud--and maybe a small, embarrassed whine--Zack ruffled his hair. “Okay, okay. You don’t have to. Yo, Tifa!” 

_“No,”_ she replied immediately, pace and a half away with her back turned.  _ “I  _ don’t have to make a show of myself.”

“Aww!” Zack whined again, jogging to catch up. “Really! Let it out!  _ Come on!”  _

“Oh, my God! Cut it out!” Tifa groaned, pushing him away.

He stuck his tongue out. “Ten gil says your chicken!”

She whirled around and crossed her arms, head cocked. “Well, twenty says you’re full of horseshit,” she retorted. 

“Oh  _ ho!”  _ Zack crowed with laughter and clapped his hands, then dug into his pocket.  _ Yeah, I kinda am. She’s smart, she won’t take the bait. Must be why Aerith likes her so much.  _ He pulled out a couple gil pieces and tossed them over to her. “You got me!” 

She caught them, but didn’t pocket them away. “Dude, I don’t want your money, you’ve just got to stop being such a pain in the ass,” she said. 

“Ti…” Cloud muttered.

“C’mon, you  _ know  _ I’m not that bad.” Zack spread his arms out and winked. “You’ve seen worse.”

Tifa twisted her mouth, then used it to blow her stray bangs out of her face. “Yeah, I guess so,” she huffed. “Let’s just get back!”

She paced away from him, and Cloud immediately fell in line to follow. He offered him only a small giggle, a quiet smile, before he gestured and jogged up to meet Tifa.  _ Yeah, I’m coming,  _ he thought as he easily caught up to Cloud’s side.  _ With friends like these, of course I am. I’ll be right there, no matter what.  _

* * *

 

When the trio reached their apartment, they found Aerith lying on the floor at the foot of the couch. “Hello~!” she greeted, then burst into a fit of giggles. 

“Hey,” Zack said, cocking his head. “Whatcha doin’?” 

She tried to reply, but kept interrupting herself with laughter, barely able to get a word out. “Uh, h-hon?” Tifa asked, circling around her. “Are…you okay?” 

_ “Whee!”  _ she squealed, trying to lift her arm up, but then it fell unceremoniously back to her chest. “I’m…I’m  _ great.”  _

Zack scanned the surroundings.  _ She’s not drunk, she doesn’t usually act like this when she is,  _ he thought.  _ Plus, there’s no evidence for it.  _ “Sunflower,” he said, still in a bit of a sing-song voice. “What’d you get into, babe?” 

“Ooooh, nothin’,” she replied, then waggled her arms out to Tifa at her feet. “Baaaby, can you help me? I can’t…I can’t get up. I feel all… _ hehe,  _ whoa…”

Tifa rolled her eyes, but still hoisted Aerith off the floor, holding her when she immediately flopped into her arms. “Hi,” she cooed at her face, giving it a lazy kiss. “Mm…where were you guys?” 

“We, uh, well, Seph wanted to go drop off our demo tape someplace,” Zack said, distracted as he wandered into the kitchen.  _ Seriously, what could she…  _ “We’re a little late, but…how long have you been home?”

“I dunno.” She giggled again. “A…a while?” 

Tifa eased Aerith back to the couch, while Cloud followed Zack back into the kitchen. At the same time, Zack spotted an empty plastic bag on the table, surrounded by brown crumbs. Cloud caught eye of it too, and bit his lip. “Oh,” he muttered.

“What?” Zack asked.

“That’s…that’s why,” he said, then spoke up. “Hey, Aerith, did you eat that one brownie that was in the cupboard?”

“Uh-huh!” she replied. “It tasted kinda funny…speaking…speaking of which, what’s for dinner? I’m starving…”

Zack and Cloud exchanged a look. “Fuck,” Zack cursed quietly. He shoved his hands in his pockets before waltzing out to the living room. “Babe, that was from Genesis, so that was probably a pot brownie. No, it  _ definitely  _ was.” 

“Oooh!” she exclaimed. She draped herself over Tifa, who was calmly stroking her hair. Each word she spoke seemed elongated. “That makes sense! I felt kinda tingly earlier…” 

“Sorry,” Cloud said, shuffling out of the kitchen. “I just threw it up there and forgot about it…” 

“It’s okay,” Zack said, bending down to kiss Cloud on the cheek, then leaned over the back of the couch to kiss Aerith on the hair. “You’ll sleep good tonight, anyway.” 

“Mmm…” The noise punctuated itself with a giggle, and then with a yawn. “Seriously, though, I’m…mm, I’m hungry…”

“The boys will cook something for us,” Tifa said, leaning her head back on the couch. “Right?” 

“You’ve got it!” Zack saluted and grabbed Cloud around the shoulder. “C’mon, let’s make something good…”

Conversation drifted from the couch over to the kitchen. “Did you have a good day?” Aerith asked, still in a lazy, lilting tone.

“Mmhm,” Tifa replied. “I finally got to tell Angeal that I’m going to drum for the band.”

“Oh, my God! Yay!” Kissing noises floated through, and Zack chuckled to himself. “My babies are so talented…”

“Well, I’m not talented  _ yet,  _ I’ve still gotta learn first…”

“Oh, but you’ll do good! I know you will…oh, oh! I’m planning on crashing their rehearsal this week--” She tried to sit up and call over the couch, but flopped over. “Don’t tell them, Zack!” 

Zack ran the sink to wash his hands while Cloud milled through the fridge. “I won’t!” he replied. 

“Mm! A-and…” Aerith continued. “You should come with me. ‘Cause…’cause I’m gonna sing.” 

“Y-yeah, of course.”

“I wanna sing for my pretty baby…”

“A-ah…!”

Cloud chuckled as he shut the refrigerator door. “They’re cute,” he murmured, staring back at the couch. 

Zack waved his hands to wick off the water, then drew Cloud close to him. “Hey, you know who else is cute?” he said.

Immediately, Cloud began to flush. “H-hm…”

He tapped his forehead against his. “It’s you,” he murmured. 

Cloud chuckled low in his throat, and tipped his head up just enough to meet Zack in a soft kiss. Zack’s hands drifted at his waist, pulling him flush against him.  _ Really, what’s better than this?  _

_ I love you, Cloud…I love you too, Aerith… _

“Hey!” Aerith called. “Quit making out back there! I’m hungry!” 

Zack broke the kiss and began petting Cloud’s hair. “Sheesh! It ain’t my fault you got stoned!” he said. 

“On accident!” She pouted dramatically from behind the couch. “Pleeeease…”

“Okay, okay.” Zack chuckled and kissed Cloud’s hair one more time before releasing him. “Hey, promise me you won’t get into that shit, ‘kay?”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to,” he replied. “But, ah…”

“Yeah, it’s not a big deal with her. I’m just teasing. So long as Gen doesn’t get wind of it and start something…” As he reached up into the cupboard, Cloud kept a tentative gaze on him. “Hm? What’s up?”

He bit his lip. “I love you,” he said. 

_ Ah…  _ Zack grinned. “Love you too, babe,” he replied with a wink. “Now, let’s get dinner ready for princess over there…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you had a good one!
> 
> Zack's not a fan of needles, and probably for good reason. The asshole brigade is still running strong--the weed tape makes a brief return this chapter, hoho. Cid's not in, so Squalleon gets to live up to his title as Belt Man and wear all his belts without being reprimanded. And poor Aerith is victim of that pot brownie a few chapters back. 
> 
> Hopefully with the holidays out of the way, I'll be able to get on a more frequent update schedule. This chapter is a little filler-y, a little scattered…but I hope it's worth reading. Next time, we'll hang out with Tifa and Angeal as she gets some drum lessons (I promise I won't get _too_ technical). Stay tuned!


	55. First Practice

Outside of Shinra HQ, Tifa stared between a package of cigarettes in one hand, and a pack of nicotine gum in the other.  _ Well, what’s it going to be?  _ she asked herself. Her eyes wandered to the pile of cigarette filters littered beside her feet.  _ I thought for sure Angeal would get here before me, then I’d just have a smoke but…  _ She chewed on her bottom lip.  _ Now I feel like I have no excuse. That I should just…ugh.  _

The door creaked open behind her, and she nearly dropped both packages she was holding to shuffle out of the way. “Oh, hey…!” she said. “Sorry, I’m here early…”

Angeal shook his head and waved his hand, already with a cigarette in it. He was still in uniform, 1st-class SOLDIER black, but without the shoulder armor. Even despite this, his arms looked huge in the sleeveless tunic. “No worries,” he replied, pulling a lighter from his pocket. As he lit his cigarette, he glanced to Tifa’s hands. “You thinking about quitting?”

She sighed. “Yeah…I bought the gum a week ago, and I still haven’t broken it open…” 

“No cold turkey for you, huh?” Angeal took a quick drag from his cigarette, and even though he made a point to blow the smoke away from her, just the residual smell made her fingers itch.  _ God damn it.  _

With disdain, she shoved the cigarettes into her back pocket and ripped the cellophane off the gum, then popped out a single piece from the pack. “Not for me,” she said. “Cloud seemed miserable doing it that way, so…”

“Ah, yeah. It’s tough.” Angeal leaned against the building. “Zack was a mess when he quit. You should’ve heard him. He used to take a cold shower in the locker rooms, then chant ‘For Aerith, it’s for Aerith’ in the mirror…”

Tifa laughed before biting down hard on the gum, a chemical mint flavor flooding her tastebuds.  _ That sounds familiar,  _ she thought.  _ That’s kinda why I’m doing it, too. Actually, that’s  _ completely  _ why I’m doing this. Most days, I can get by on one or two, but if I get antsy… _

_ Just like Cloud was. We’re more similar than I thought…and if he could kick the habit, so can I. _

Angeal finished his smoke, tossing the filter in a pile with the rest. “I probably should quit too, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” he sighed. “C’mon, let’s go in.”

Tifa followed close behind Angeal as they entered the back entrance of Shinra HQ, up the stairs and through the painted cement hallways.  _ I thought I’d be more nervous,  _ she thought,  _ but Angeal seems…pretty easy going. More sane than the rest of that group… _

_ (“Dude, I don’t know what you’re all worked up about,” Zack said, kicked back on the couch. “Angeal is super chill.”  _

_ “Yeah, well coming from you, I dunno how to take that,” she huffed as she paced in front of the TV.  _ “Anyone’s  _ going to be more chill than  _ you.”

_ “He’s right, babe. Angeal’s nice,” Aerith said. She caught her just as she spun around and stopped her in her tracks with her arms curled around her waist. “Really down-to-earth. He’s helped us all out at one point or another…right, Cloud?”  _

_ From the bathroom, Cloud’s voice barely sounded. “Yeah. Angeal’s great.”) _

Angeal opened the door for her to the practice room--all of the amps were still set up, with the drumset at the center. “So, you guys just leave all your stuff here?” Tifa asked, wandering to the side with her hands in her pockets.

“All the amps and stuff, yeah,” Angeal replied. He made a beeline for his kit, and as soon as he was en route, Tifa followed. He gestured to a guitar case leaned up against one of the amps. “Guitars and stuff usually go. Gen tends to just leave his bass here until Friday, Seph takes his guitar home every night.” 

“Huh.” She nodded to the drumkit. “Guess you can’t…take this home every night.”

He chuckled. “Nope. I’ve got some drum pads at my place to practice if I have to.” He instinctively reached for his back pocket as he rounded behind the kit, then bent down to pull a pair of drumsticks, tied together with a rubber band, from near the bass drum. “I haven’t been to my locker yet, so I only have one pair of sticks right now, but here…take a seat.”

He patted the well-worn stool with the tips of his sticks and took a step back. Tentatively, Tifa eyed the stool as she shrugged off her jacket.  _ This is what I’m here to do, isn’t it?  _

_ (so you’ll feel less like an outsider?)  _

She plopped down and adjusted her feet to sit near the pedals. “Like this?” 

“Yeah.” He kept standing right at her side. “There’s a lot going on here, isn’t there?”

She nodded.  _ How many drum…thingies are there?  _ She knocked her foot against the bass pedal.  _ This is the bass drum…the snare’s right in front of me, and the rest of these drums are…toms, I think? Then these cymbals…one, two three…four, all to keep track of.  _ Tifa snapped her gum.  _ Oh, boy.  _

“Well, we can start out simple. Here.” Angeal took the hi-hat out from beneath her foot, as well as all the other standing cymbals in his arms and set them aside. “Don’t need those right now…” He unscrewed the toms from the top of the bass drum and rested them in front of the bass drum. “Or that. There.”

What was left was the snare and the bass drum in front of her. “That doesn’t seem so bad, does it?” 

“Yeah, this is…better, I guess,” Tifa replied with a nervous chuckle. “Less to think about…for now.”

With a smile, he pointed at the bass drum with his drum sticks. “That’s going to be your foundation, there, so let’s start with that.” He finally untied them, and as Tifa watched him slip the band over his wrist, he noticed a feather hanging from it. She didn’t get to linger on it, as Angeal began tapping a rhythm with the sticks together--an incredibly simple beat. “Start with this, just with your foot on the pedal.”

Tifa nodded, following along easily.  _ This isn’t so bad. It’s just…the beat.  _ She wiped her hands against her thighs, still a little clammy.  _ Maybe this isn’t as hard as I thought.  _

Angeal dropped out, leaving Tifa to keep the beat on her own. “You want to make sure you have time solid in your head,” he said. “The drummer is the one most likely to speed up or slow down in a band setting, so you want to make sure you keep focused.” He started tapping a slightly different rhythm. “Add this in.”

Tifa paused to listen, then jumped in with her own time.  _ It sounds kind of like a heartbeat,  _ she mused.  _ Okay, okay. I can do this.  _

Angeal dropped out once again and paced around the kit. “Keeping steady is the key,” he remarked. “Especially with...with…”

He became distracted by the door, and took a step forward. “Who’s there?” 

Tifa glanced up for a second, still keeping her foot going, just in time to see Zack back-pedal in the doorway. “Yo!” he greeted. “I was just, y’know, passing through…”

“Aren’t you done for the day?” Angeal asked, not convinced. “You’re still in uniform.”

“Y-yeah, well, so are you!” 

“I’ve been down here.” He crossed his arms. “I’d really like to get her comfortable with the kit without everyone watching.”

“O-oh.” His shoulders drooped.  _ Puppy,  _ Tifa thought, rolling her eyes. “Well, okay. Hey, Tifa!”

“What?” She dropped a beat because of responding, and fumbled her tempo. “Ah, shit…”

Angeal gave Zack a cross look that he didn’t catch. “I’m gonna let Cloud know you’re here, and you guys can get home together, ‘kay?” He clicked his tongue with a grin, but as he spun around, Angeal’s glare reached him, and he jumped. “Sheesh, okay, I’m going!” 

He was gone with a dash, and Angeal shut the door firmly. “Sorry.  _ Hopefully  _ we won’t get anymore interruptions,” he said, tapping his sticks on his thigh. “At least he’s well-meaning. Now, let’s try something else…”

* * *

 

Aerith toyed with the string tied around her neck in the quiet flower shop.  _ I should really ask Zack about exactly how much of a pay bump he got,  _ she thought.  _ With 1st-class and the extra he got after Cloud got sick.  _ She frowned to herself.  _ That’s so…dirty that they did that. Give him money just to keep him quiet?  _

_ (it’s better than killing him outright) _

Her breath caught in her throat.  _ That’s…true.  _

Her eyes scanned the windows opposite the counter, watching people walk by, but never walk in.  _ With his paycheck, and mine, and even Cloud’s…we should really budget and see what that comes out to. A one-bed is too small for the three of us, let alone the four of us. But, getting a new place means so much up front costs, and that’s such a chunk of gil, even with two SOLDIER paychecks.  _ She sighed.  _ Why does city living have to be so expensive? I bet even that new development just outside, Edge, is just as pricey-- _

A thin-sounding horn right outside jarred her thoughts. She blinked and dashed over to the door, mauve, flowy top fluttering in her wake. When she threw it open, none other than Zack Fair was idling on his motorcycle right outside. He was in shorts and a loose tanktop, the armholes on it wide enough to see his bare chest right through the side. Sunglasses were perched on top of his backwards baseball hat, and he shot her a grin and a wink. “Hey, baby,” he purred. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing all cooped up on a day like this?”

“Oh, my God, you dork!” Aerith laughed, pointing up at the plate. “Hard to tell when you’ve got a big chunk of metal for a skyline.”

He snickered as well and crossed his arms, legs in a steady stance to keep his bike upright. “Ah, true,” he said. “Are you all set here?”

“Oh, give me a minute to tidy things up. You can come in,” she replied, pointing at the bike. “But for God’s sake, just shut that off. The exhaust isn’t good for the flowers.”

Zack twisted the key, and the bike went silent without a fuss before he leaped off it. Immediately, he was at her back, a hand right on her waist.  _ Cute.  _ “Oh, hon, I was just thinking,” she said.

“What’s that?” Zack asked.

“We should probably redo our budget again, you know…since your promotion, and now that Cloud’s living with us…”

“Oh, yeah.” He sighed, just enough to notice. “Probably…”

Aerith wriggled herself free from Zack’s hold and skipped behind the counter. “You know, ‘cause if we  _ have  _ some extra money,” she said as she began closing out the register, punching in numbers on the worn keypad. “We should start saving up for a bigger place.”

“Mm,” Zack replied. He hunched himself over on the counter so he could rest his arms and head against it.  _ Don’t strain your back being a lazy bones,  _ she mused while watching him from the corner of her eye.  _ You’d probably get better height by being on your knees, since you’re so tall.  _ “I mean, it’s not  _ that  _ small--”

“It is.”

“Well, it’s not like we all  _ really  _ need separate beds.”

“True--”

“So, we can just get a bigger bed!”

“For  _ now.”  _ Aerith pursed her lips. “Hon, even if we got a king sized mattress, it would take up that whole room.”

Zack’s face fell. “Yeah.” He stood up straight and stretched up, touching the ceiling with his fingertips. “Well, if we’re going to look for a new place, we might as well look for one that’s going to fit four.” He paused, but when Aerith cocked her head, he continued. “For Tifa.”

“Oh! Oh,  _ duh.”  _ She giggled to herself.  _ Tifa has been spending a lot more time with us lately, but she does always tend to go back to 7th Heaven. And she’s over there most nights.  _ “I…hm, I want her to be with us, but she seems so caught up with work. I think she feels obligated…”

“Yeah?” 

Aerith pushed in the cashbox with her hip, and it rang as it clicked into place. “You know, since Barret did that big favor with her, giving her a place to work  _ and  _ live when she didn’t have anything. Plus, looking after little Marlene, too.” 

“Oh, that’s right,” Zack said. “He’d be a little sad, sure, but I don’t think he’d stop her.”

“Obviously.”

“He practically treats her like family, y’know?” 

Aerith nodded. “She’s strong and hardworking. And steady. He probably misses having some company around…” She trailed off, then glanced up at Zack. “Didn’t you try working there for a little bit?”

Zack held up a finger. “One month,” he replied. “Mostly bad timing, since I was getting ready for my 2nd-class exam, but I wanted a little extra cash. I could only do like…once a week? And I forgot a lot of stuff…”

Aerith chuckled as she locked the cashbox and dropped her key into her open purse on the floor. “That sounds about right, for you,” she replied. She whirled back around the counter and immediately wrapped her arms around Zack’s waist. 

Zack stuck his tongue out. “Yeah, well, I had more important things to think about…!” He draped his long, toned arms around her shoulders. “You wouldn’t  _ believe  _ the amount of garbage they make you memorize to pass the 2nd exam…just ‘cause it’s technically the ‘highest’ rank most people get to. 1st-class is above and beyond.”

“But now you’re there,” she said, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. “My brave, strong, tall sunflower.”

His cheeks bloomed pink as he chuckled, smile widening from ear to ear.  _ I love you, Zack,  _ she thought.  _ You’re such a sweetheart. Oh, speaking of which…  _ ”Hey, isn’t Tifa at HQ doing her drum thing?”

“Oh, yeah! She is!” Zack exclaimed.

She tapped her fingers against his waist. “Caaaan you take me over there? I wanna see her…”

His face fell and he twisted his mouth to the side. “Sorry, babe. Angeal was kinda miffed when I popped by. I think he wants to take the time to make her feel comfortable.”

“Aww,” Aerith groaned. “But it’s just me! I  _ am  _ her girlfriend.” 

“Yeah,  _ exactly,”  _ Zack retorted. “I think he doesn’t want anyone around that she feels like she’s going to have to impress.” 

Aerith huffed and pouted. “We can’t even go and pick her up?”

“I don’t have a sidecar yet, babe.” 

“Oh,  _ fine.”  _ She whirled away from him and took one hand off her shoulder to hold it. “I  _ guess  _ we can just go home…” 

“I can take you for a ride, if you want,” Zack suggested, then wiggled his eyebrows. “Or a  _ ride.  _ Cloud won’t be home for a little bit.”

“Zack!”  _ Hm, maybe,  _ she mused, despite the disdain in her voice outwardly.  _ It’s been a couple days, and it wouldn’t be a  _ bad  _ way to pass the time. Anyway…  _ ”Is he working late again?”

She locked up the flower shop as Zack remounted his bike. “Probably. He’s got to stay a little later for stuff. He’ll probably be the one picking up Tifa.”

“What?!” she exclaimed.  _ “He  _ can go pick her up, but  _ I  _ can’t?” 

Zack laughed while patting the seat behind him. “I don’t think he’ll make as much of a fuss about it.”

She stood right in front of the motorcycle, scowling and pouting. “I can be sneaky! God, I’m not  _ you,  _ over-excited puppy!” 

“Well, I know how you get around cute girls,” Zack replied, leaning over the handlebars. 

_ Oh, don’t give me that smug look!  _ “The same way you do?” she retorted, edging closer. “Or, the same way you get about a cute boy from Nibelheim named Cloud Strife?” 

His jaw dropped, and his posture slumped, sunglasses on the top of his hat slipping down to his forehead. “Shit,” he mumbled, then sighed. “Oh, fine. You’ve got a point…”

Aerith giggled and bounced on her toes.  _ Gotcha.  _ “I’m teasing you, sweetie.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said. He smirked and reached out to poke her cheek. “So, what’s the plan? Are we going for a ride, or am I taking you home?”

She leaned forward to kiss his cheek, long and soft. “Take me home,” she murmured.

* * *

 

Back in the rehearsal room, Tifa stretched her aching arms high above her head. “Whew,” she sighed. “This takes a lot more work than I thought…”

Angeal laughed, deep and hearty. “Doesn’t it?” he replied. “Think about it, you’re using your whole body to play. It ain’t easy.” Still, he walked around and patted her shoulder. “You’re getting the hang of it, though! I’m impressed.”

The weight of the praise lifted Tifa’s shoulders. “Th-thanks…”

He started dragging the cymbals back close to the kit. “Now, we can get you started on something…something different…” As he situated them, he kept stealing glances back at the door. “Just one sec…”

Angeal jogged over and threw it open without bothering to look out it. “I  _ told  _ you not to come by,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. 

Sephiroth emerged in the doorway, and despite his curled lip and scrutinizing demeanor, Tifa was too exhausted to feel intimidated.  _ Oh great,  _ she only thought. “If she is going to be your sub,  _ I  _ need to be the one to hear if she’s good enough,” he muttered, arms crossed.

“Oh, for  _ Christ’s  _ sake,  _ I’m  _ teaching her! She’s  _ just  _ learning,” Angeal said. “Gen, I know you’re there too. Stop hiding.”

Reluctantly, Genesis stepped out from beyond the doorway. He had nothing to say, but his sour look spoke volumes for Tifa anyway.  _ I thought Sephiroth would be the biggest issue, with his ego,  _ she thought,  _ but it looks like this guy is going to be worse.  _ He gave her a once-over before turning his attention to Angeal. 

“If you’re going to sit here and tell me she’s not good enough with just a day of practice, I’m not going to hear it,” Angeal reprimanded, standing tall. 

“Who said anything about that?” Genesis muttered.

“I know you! You still haven’t wiped that sour look off your face!” he retorted, then rubbed his forehead. “Neither of you were born magically knowing how to play…”

“But I _was_ born with talent,” Sephiroth said, nose in the air. 

“Yeah, well, few can achieve  _ your  _ level of…whatever.”

_ “Excuse me?”  _

Angeal sighed heavily, but despite his displeasure, Genesis picked up the slack. “Your greatness, he means,” he said, lip twitching. Then, he nodded to Tifa. “She needs work still.”

“Of course!” he exclaimed, smacking his forehead. “Of course she does, she just started--”

_ I can’t take any more of this,  _ Tifa thought, standing up.  _ And they’re going to just wear him out.  _ “Hey!” she said, hands on her hips. “If you give me some damn time, I bet you I can be just as good.”

The two SOLDIER blinked at her. “That’s a tall order,” Genesis said.

“I’m not a replacement, I’m just a  _ substitute,”  _ she replied. “With your standards, it’s lucky you can get anyone to sub for you at all!” 

Sephiroth’s jaw dropped for a moment, then he snarled with a twitching eye. “Well, you had better put your money where your mouth is,” he said. “Because  _ I  _ expect  _ perfection.”  _

A terse moment of silence passed through the group, enough to feel, but Angeal broke it before it could settle. “That’s great,” he grunted. “Now, could you guys give us a minute? We’re trying to wrap up.”

With an audible sigh, Sephiroth nodded, turned on one heel, and left the doorway. Genesis lingered, twisting his face as if trying to figure out something to say. But, when Sephiroth called “c’mon, Gen,” down the hallway, he left, giving one last look to Angeal before he disappeared from view. 

As soon as their footsteps became inaudible, Angeal let out an enormous sigh. “Good lord,” he huffed, then chuckled to himself. “You handled ‘em pretty well.”

Tifa shook her head and smirked herself. “Well, I’m a bartender. I deal with assholes on a daily basis.” She sat back down on the stool, but when she went to set the drumsticks down on the snare, her hands shook with adrenaline.  _ Still don’t get to backtalk the highest ranking military officer in Midgar every day… _

“Yeah, I believe it,” Angeal said before coughing off to the side. “I had a feeling you’d be able to stand your ground. It’s one of the reasons I offered this to you. They need someone who can take ‘em down a notch.” 

“I bet.” Tifa’s chest swelled with a small burst of pride.  _ I guess I do give off that “no nonsense” vibe sometimes, especially at work.  _ The glow fizzled.  _ I mean, it’s not great that I’ll have to deal with those assholes without Angeal buffering eventually, but nice to know that I’m apparently the best one for the job.  _ “Say, does Sephiroth  _ really  _ want everything to be perfect…?”

“Somewhat,” Angeal replied. “As nit-picky as he can be, he tends to compromise.” He winked at her. “He let Zack join the band, after all.” 

Tifa snorted. “True…”

Angeal clapped his hands together. “Well, we’re just about ready to wrap up…” He paused suddenly. The door to the rehearsal room had been left open, and shuffling echoed from the outside. Angeal jerked his head up. “Oy, Genesis, if you’re still hanging out back there…” he called, annoyance in his voice. 

A timid voice warbled in reply. “No, sir…” 

Cloud stepped into view, head gently bowed with his hands in his pockets. Immediately, Angeal’s tone and demeanor shifted. “Ah, Cloud! Done for the day?”

He nodded, then focused his cyan blue eyes on Tifa. “Hey, Ti,” he said. “Zack told me you’d be down here…and it’s getting kinda late…”

“Yeah, I think we were…just finishing up?” Tifa questioned, glancing up at Angeal.

“Might as well,” he said. “Make sure to stretch when you get home. We’ll pick up again on Thursday?”

Tifa stood up, grabbed her jacket and nodded, backing up toward Cloud. “Yeah, sounds good!” she replied. 

“I’ll make sure to bring you your own sticks next time, so you can take ‘em home to practice.”

“Sure thing,” Tifa said. “Thanks again…!”

“No, thank  _ you,”  _ he responded, offering her a one fingered salute. “See you, Tifa. Cloud.”

Tifa waved, while Cloud nodded as they headed out of the rehearsal room, down the hall, and down the stairs to street level. Immediately, Tifa fished through her jacket slung over her arm and grabbed the pack of nicotine gum, popping out a square. “Can I have a piece?” Cloud asked.

“You probably shouldn’t,” Tifa replied as she snapped into the gum. She revealed the box. “It’s nicotine gum.”

“Oh,” he said. “You’re…quitting?”

“Yeah, might as well,” she sighed, then smirked up at him. “I’m not going to torture myself like you did.”

Cloud chuckled before taking her hand as they walked down below the plate. “Yeah, I kinda…did it on impulse,” he muttered. “Zack said something about it the first night I went over to his place…”

“‘Course it was because of Zack,” she teased. 

Cloud frowned. “S-so why are you doing it, then?”

“W-well, it’s a bad habit…” she started, then sighed the longer he looked at her. “Fine. Aerith’s a big reason…”

Cloud only smirked and looked off. _Yeah, you got me,_ Tifa thought with a small pout. _But, I remember that time you came in soon after you quit._ _Even though you looked miserable, the smell of you when we hugged was…nice. Plus, I don’t want to be the only one, and tempt you like that one time…_

“So, how was practice?” Cloud asked. 

“Not bad,” she replied. “It’s a lot of work, moving your whole body like that…plus, even though Angeal told them not to, the whole band ended up stopping by to see how I was doing…”

He snorted. “Figures,” he said, then bit his lip. “I…it’s really cool that you’re learning something like this, Ti.” He glanced down at her and smiled. “I can’t wait to hear you play.”

She returned his soft look and rubbed her thumb against his index finger. “Y-yeah,” was all she could manage to reply with as she studied his face and the gentle look in his eyes. “Well, once I’m good, anyway…”

Cloud pulled her close enough so their arms were flush together as they walked. “Mm,” he murmured. “I hope Zack and Aerith have dinner ready. I’m kinda hungry…”

* * *

 

When Cloud and Tifa opened the door of the apartment, Zack and Aerith were nowhere to be found. However, as soon as Tifa spotted the closed bedroom door, it dawned on her. “Oh--”

_ “Aaahn, Zack~!  _ Oh, God,  _ fuck…” _

_ “Mmmn…”  _

Tifa bit the inside of her cheek hard. “Maybe…we should come back later,” she muttered to Cloud.

He nodded slowly, staring at the closed bedroom door with wide eyes. “Yeah…right.”

More passionate noises wafted from beneath the bedroom door, yet the two of them stood frozen in the entryway.  _ They…sure are having fun,  _ she thought, twisting her hand in Cloud’s.  _ I wonder if Aerith and I ever sound that loud…I-I mean, she  _ is  _ pretty vocal when she wants to be… _

“Um…” Cloud whispered, swallowing hard enough for Tifa to see his adam’s apple bob in his throat. “Are we…are we gonna go?” 

“We…probably should,” Tifa replied.

A breathless voice called from the bedroom. “Babe, is that you?” Zack said. “Cloud? Tifa?” 

“U-uh, yeah,” Cloud answered. “W-we just…got home.”

“Hey, honey~!” Aerith sang. “You wanna come play before dinner?” 

Her face heated up. “N-no thanks!” she shouted, fidgeting her hands enough to wriggle out from Cloud’s grip. “I, ah, I don’t…”  _ Maybe later, and not with Zack…not tonight.  _

“Aww, okay,” Aerith said.

“Cloud, you’re more than welcome, isn’t that right, babe?” Zack said. 

“Ooh, yes! Cloooud…” 

As soon as the spotlight was off her, Tifa was able to enjoy Cloud’s red face and ears as he tried to shrink in his overshirt. “I-I…mm, maybe…n-not right this second,” he managed to stammer, rubbing the side of his arm. He glanced over to Tifa with a sheepish look. “I, ah…”

Zack chuckled. “It’s okay, babe. We’ll just finish up here, then get dinner started, okay?” 

“Sure,” Cloud and Tifa said in tandem. 

They wandered to the couch and sat on it, heavy enough to make the frame creak beneath them.  _ Well, it kind of sounds like they’re trying to keep it down, now that they know we’re here,  _ Tifa thought, sitting thigh to thigh with Cloud.  _ But…I can still hear them.  _

_ Oh, boy… _

She looked over at Cloud to see that his eyes were already on her. “Well,” she sighed, cheeks puffed out. “Now what?” 

He shrugged and bit his lip. “Um…” He opened his mouth to speak, eyes wandering from her own to her lips, but floundered for quite a while before he was able to form somewhat of a sentence. “I mean…”

“Ah…” Tifa somehow found herself in the same position.  _ What, we can’t  _ do  _ anything, because they’ll be done before we’ve even started. And besides, I don’t think I wanna try on this couch. It sounds like it’s had enough already. Oh God, have they fucked on this couch? Probably.  _

She sighed through her nose. With a quick look back at the bedroom door, however, Cloud leaned forward and cupped Tifa’s cheek in his hand. “J-just…to pass the time,” he murmured, touching his forehead to hers. 

“Mm…all right,” she replied, just as quiet.  _ I guess…some kissing wouldn’t hurt.  _

She closed the gap between them, and allowed herself to become absorbed in the sensation of his lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year, folks! There's a bit to unpack in this chapter, but I am throwing it up so it can be done and out there, so not so many notes this time. It feels a little scattered, but we're moving forward. It's what you've got to do sometimes, you know?
> 
> I think we've spent a little too much time with the SOLDIER crew lately, so we're gonna do a date night with the poly next chapter. I think that sounds like a good idea. Stay tuned!


	56. Date Night

_“…Police still have found no leads on the murder of Simon Hojo. Internal investigation has found nothing so far, and with the declining crime rate in the Upper Plate, down 10% from last year alone, police anticipate that this will be a one-time event. The investigation will be put on a lower priority, and preparing to be transferred to Shinra's internal intelligence._

_“In other news, scientists in Shinra Labs finally have a lead on a possible vaccine for HIV and AIDS. President Rufus Shinra says…”_

The TV buzzed quietly in the early evening of Zack and Aerith’s apartment. Aerith, tucked in the corner of the couch, peered up from her crossword puzzle. “Oh, that’s good. Especially if it made news…” she muttered, tapping her pencil against her lips. “Who knows when it’ll get to us, though…”

On the other end of the couch, Cloud nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “Things been okay over at the church?” he asked.

“I mean, it’s been pretty steady for the last month or so. No big influxes. And only one funeral.” She bit her lip, then returned her attention to the crossword. “So, that’s good.”

Cloud sighed to himself and suck further back into the couch. _There were no funerals held for those guys who got poisoned by Hojo,_ he thought. _Didn’t know them very well, except for that one who made fun of me…but still._ From the bathroom, the sound of running water made enough white noise for him to further block out the TV and sink into his own thoughts. _I barely see any of the other guys in my company…since they’re all 3rd, and I went right to second. And I bet a bunch of them got dispatched. At that rank, you don’t tend to stick around Midgar…_

The front door flung open, and a breathless Zack burst through with a skip in his step. “Geez, I just told you to get the mail,” Aerith commented, sitting up on her knees to peer over the back of the couch. “Did you get lost? You were gone for almost a half hour.”

Zack stuck his tongue out at her, before whirling around to kiss her on the lips. Just as Cloud sat up to see him, he was right in front of him, and gave him a kiss as well. “No,” Zack said, ruffling Cloud’s hair before walking to the kitchen. “I got my check today! I wanted to go cash it.”

“Already?” she asked. “Couldn’t you wait ‘til tomorrow?”

“Didn’t want to,” he replied, and winked. “Besides, I forgot to drop off my request for time off, so I spun over there too.”

“Jeez, when you put it that way, I guess you were pretty fast,” she said with a giggle.

_Shoot,_ Cloud thought, adrenaline spiking through him. _I’ve got to do that too._ “What days did you take?” he asked.

“Uh, a couple days around the weekend, right at the beginning of September,” Zack replied. “Don’t worry, I filled one in for you too, so you don’t gotta worry.”

“O-oh.” Cloud smiled in Zack’s direction, and it made him beam. “Thanks.”

“No prob, babe.” He clicked his tongue and clapped his hands together. “So, are you guys gonna get ready?”

“Ready for what?” Aerith questioned.

“For our date!” he exclaimed. “I’m taking all of you out. Tifa too. Where is she?”

Aerith blinked. “Sh-she’s in the shower, but…” She pouted a little. “Baby, weren’t we just talking about putting a little more money away to save for a new place?”

Zack’s shoulders slumped, and he put one hand on his hip and used the other to gesture. “W-well, yeah…” he said. “But I…”

He paused for a second, looking between Cloud and Aerith. Cloud had scooted a little closer to Aerith, and they were both peering over the back of the couch at him. “God, look at you two. I just wanna do something nice for you. You’re both so cute…”

_You’re too sweet, Zack,_ Cloud thought. _You already do so much for us._ “I-I can help pay for dinner,” he suggested. “We can split it--”

“Aw, but it’s my treat!” Zack insisted, rushing over to them. He put one hand on each of their heads, then brought them down around to one of their cheeks. “I wanna spoil my babies…”

“We know,” Aerith replied with a smile. She turned her head to kiss his palm. “I _guess_ it’s still early, so I _guess_ we can go out…”

_“Yes!”_ He jumped up and bounced back on his heels. “All right! You guys get ready.”

Whirling around, he bounded back to the bathroom and burst the door open, steam pouring out. Without hesitation, he ripped open the shower curtain. “Yo!”

_“Eek!_ Zack, what the _fuck!”_ Tifa screamed, echoing and hollow.

“Hey, hey, no screaming, it’s just me,” Zack said. Beside Cloud, Aerith snorted and shook her head. _Was that wise, Zack?_ he thought. “We’re going on a date, so hurry up and get ready.”

“O-okay! You didn’t have to…” she said, but Zack had already turned toward the sink and the mirror. “Hey, asshole! Are you gonna shut the curtain? You’re letting all the heat out!”

“Hey babe, do you think I should shave?” he asked, stroking his chin.

Before either of them could respond, a shampoo bottle flew from the shower and hit Zack in the back. _“Go away!”_ Tifa shouted, pulling the shower curtain back closed while she stuck her head out.

_“Ow!_ Okay, okay!” Zack covered the back of his head as he dashed out.

With soap running down her face, she scowled back at the couch. “Shut the door! Oh my _God!”_

Stretching out his arm as long as he could, Zack pulled the door shut tight. “You’re not doing yourself any favors, baby,” Aerith said as she hopped off the couch. “Can’t you be civil with our girlfriend?”

Cloud’s heart jumped, and he smiled down at his hands. _Our girlfriend._

Zack threw his hands in the air. “I’m being civil! I’m always nice to her!”

Aerith smirked while she walked past him, poking him in the stomach. “Yeah, well, consider a different tactic. _Especially_ if you want to achieve your ‘dream’.”

She disappeared into the bedroom. _I might as well get changed into something nicer,_ Cloud thought, pushing himself off the couch as well. In the meantime, Zack whistled and shook his head. “Damn, that’s right,” he said. “Cloud, you get me, right? I’m just having fun, trying to make her feel like part of the family…”

_Family._ Despite the softness the thought gave him, Cloud snorted. “Sure, but Aerith’s right,” he said. “Maybe…chill out around her.”

“Aw, okay.” As soon as Cloud was within arms reach, he instinctively drew him into his chest, an arm around his shoulders. “I’ll _try.”_

_I’m sure you will._ “Hey, uh…” Cloud started, glancing up at him. “What did she mean by ‘achieve your dream’?”

_“Oh,_ that.” He stuck his tongue out and chuckled, then lowered his voice. “Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve always wanted a chance to bang two girls at once.”

He made a brief gesture with both hands, one finger out, then winked. Cloud’s mouth opened, then closed. _Maybe I shouldn't have asked._ “Oh,” was all he replied with.

Zack ruffled his hair. “I don’t think it’s that weird. It’d be a hell of a lot of fun, I think. Haven’t you always dreamed of something like that?”

“Um,” Cloud replied slowly. “I…n-no, I, uh…can't say I have.” _I can't say I thought too much about other girls, besides Ti…_

_“What?_ Aw, shit, man,” Zack sighed, hugging him quick then relinquishing him from his grip. “I _know_ I can’t be the only one.”

“Baby, you’ve always had high aspirations,” Aerith called from the bedroom. “You’re SOLDIER 1st-class, after all. I’m sure you can make any of your dreams come true.”

Zack’s face lit up at the encouragement, while Cloud kept his mouth covered as he backed into the bedroom. _I shouldn’t be surprised,_ he thought. _He seems like the type that would be…pretty popular. I mean, he’s handsome and charming, and he likes talking to just about everyone, so…getting a couple girls like that would be easy for him…_

Aerith giggled once Cloud turned around and began scanning the floor for his clothes. “How’re you doing?” she asked.

“G-good,” he muttered.

“You’re pink.”

“Y-yeah, so…?”

She briefly looked behind him to make sure Zack wasn’t right in the doorway, then beckoned him closer. “He’s had that aspiration for a while,” she whispered. “And he thought _he_ wasn’t poly…”

Cloud snickered low in his throat. “S-sure…”

“You know what, though,” she continued, leaning closer. “I think he could have just as much fun with the two of us. Hm~?”

His eyes widened

_(Zack hovering between him and Aerith, fingers deep in both of them with a flushed face and a wild grin)_

as his mind briefly wandered, and he shook his head. “Ah, y-yeah, sure…” he mumbled. _Oh God. Damn it, Cloud. Don’t get worked up right now._ He refused to meet Aerith’s very amused eyes as he swallowed and took a step back. “I-I need to find a clean shirt…”

“Okay,” she replied simply.

From outside, Zack voice filtered through again. “Hey, you can use two towels if you want, if those are too small--”

Tifa’s voice snapped. “Are you staring at my ass?!”

“What! Jeez, no! I’m just sayin’--”

Tifa threw the door open, a towel around her. “Well, _don’t!”_ she shouted before slamming the door behind her. Stringy hair slicked back on her back, she huffed and leaned back against it. “Jesus Christ…”

She stood there for a minute, wet hair dripping down to her feet, clutching her towel to her chest. _Sorry about him,_ Cloud thought, sidetracked once again from finding a shirt. _But, I think if you really didn’t like him, you wouldn’t be hanging around here so much. Or you wouldn’t have said that you were happy for me when we started dating. You’re stronger than just to let it slide._

_So, I think with a little time…_

She opened her eyes and glanced at both of her partners. “Wh-what?” she said, cheeks suddenly flushing.

Aerith also had her eyes on her, and she just giggled and danced over to her. “Nothing, sweetie,” she said, and kissed her cheek. “I know he’s a handful, but he _is_ treating us tonight. So, let’s get dressed.”

* * *

 

In the round booth, Tifa crossed her arms and picked at the collar of her top. “I didn’t know we were just coming to a Dumbapplebee's. I would’ve worn something more casual…”

Aerith nudged her and held her hand under the booth. “Aw, you don’t need a reason to dress up,” she insisted, herself in a loose dress with a ribbon tied around her neck. “Your makeup looks really pretty tonight, babe.”

She bit her lip and stared down at her soda, ice in the glass making it sweat on the table already. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

Squeezed between Aerith and Zack, Cloud stirred his own soda, staring at the carbonation bubbling to the surface. _It’s pretty quiet here tonight,_ he thought, _so that’s kind of nice. No anxiety tonight, please._ He leaned against Zack’s side, head resting on his shoulder. _Although being in the middle right now would help anyway._

“Sorry I couldn’t take y’all someplace nicer,” Zack said at the end of the booth. Although his voice was downcast, there was still a smirk on his lips.

“It’s fine, really,” Aerith interrupted, voice quick. “It’s probably better on your wallet that way…”

“This is the best place we’ve got under the plate,” he grunted, stretching his arm out to wrap around Cloud. He used his other hand to run it through the side of his dark mane of hair. “And it ain’t bad, honestly.”

“Sure,” Tifa replied, glancing around. “A little dreary, but what place _isn’t_ around here…”

The waitress shuffled past the table, hair up in a tousled, messy bun. “You guys ready to order?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah, sure are,” Zack said, sitting up abruptly. He nearly clipped Cloud in the back of the neck as he grabbed the menu. “Let’s see, get me the double glazed baby-back ribs…with a loaded baked potato and the 4-cheese mac & cheese.”

“Jesus Christ, Zack,” Aerith exclaimed. “You had better let Cloud have some of that.”

He slid the menu over to the waitress with a sly smirk. “Maybe,” he said. “I’m a growing boy, I’ve gotta eat up.”

“You’re a grown _man,”_ Tifa huffed. “Anyway…ah, I’ll take the Gaia Standard burger? Medium…”

“Fries okay?” the waitress asked.

“Yes.”

“Ooh, a burger, good choice,” Zack commented. “I was thinkin’ about getting one myself…”

Aerith leaned forward next, pointing at the menu as she ordered. “Okay, I’m going to get an order of mozzerella sticks…an order of chicken tenders…do you have any cheesy bread?”

The waitress shook her head slowly. “Nope. We have quesadillas?”

She scrunched her face, then shook her own head enough so her dangling earrings bounced against her cheeks. “Nope, then I’ll just have the larger order of chicken.”

“B-babe, you can get whatever you want, you know,” Zack assured, reaching across table to pat her hands splayed on the table. “You--”

“I know,” she insisted, keeping an eye on the waitress to make sure she didn’t hesitate. “I want this, though.”

“You haven’t even flipped to the second page of the menu…”

“Too late, I already ordered!” Aerith clapped her hands together and tapped on Cloud’s shoulder. “What are you getting, Cloud?”

Cloud’s heart jumped into his throat. _Shit, I was too absorbed in everyone else…_ “U-um, I was…uh…” His vision tunneled around him, focused on the splayed menu. His voice dropped to a quiver. “I’m…kind of…stuck between a couple things, uh…”

Zack leaned over and perched his chin on his shoulder. “Whatcha got, champ?” he asked.

“Did you just call your boyfriend ‘champ’?” Aerith commented, just loud enough for the booth to hear.

Cloud ignored her and took a deep breath. “Well…I was going between just a chicken tenders platter, or…or something like a small steak…”

“Sure, sure,” Zack tilted his head up. “Hey, what’s the smallest size steak you have?” he asked the waitress.

“6 ounces,” she replied. “And you get two sides.”

_More decisions, great._ He scanned the menu desperately for the list of sides. “Uh…okay…”

Tifa leaned forward. “Hey,” she said. Her eyes were right on him when he looked up, the deep brown a familiar comfort, along with her soft smile. “They have garlic mashed potatoes. You like that, right?”

He nodded, some relief in his chest. “Yeah. I-I’ll have that.”

“Ooh, ooh, get the mac and cheese too!” Zack exclaimed, clapping his back. “It’s _real_ good.”

“A-ah, I’d--”

“He’s not _you,_ he doesn’t need to subsist on carbs and meat,” Tifa huffed.

Zack leaned over the table, both elbows on it. “Hey, he’s SOLDIER too--! Long days and hard training, y’know?”

_Are they…both fussing over me?_ Cloud glanced between them before making eye contact with the waitress. _Ah…_ “I’ll have…some kind of vegetable too, I guess,” he managed.

She raised an eyebrow, thinly masking amusement at the scene. “We have green beans, broccoli…?”

“Green beans,” Cloud replied with a nod. Aerith stuck her tongue out in disgust, but he found she was easy to ignore. Once the waitress spun away from the table, he sunk back into the booth, slipping on the cracked, faux leather seats. _One day,_ he thought with a sigh. _One day…I won’t be a mess._

Zack ruffled his hair. “You good?” he asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Cloud dismissed. It came out in one sigh, and he forced himself to sit up. “I’m good.”

Tifa reached out across Aerith, tapping the table in front of him. “Long day too, I bet,” she said.

“Kind of,” Cloud replied with a nod, resting his hand on top of hers. “I mean, same stuff as usual…I’m still in the advanced training group, so that’s a good sign that…things are going okay…”

“Hey, do you wanna swap seats?” Aerith asked Tifa, shifting under her arm. “I’m sure my boobs make a good cushion, there, but--”

“Hey, I do,” Zack said. He kissed the side of Cloud’s head before slapping the table and sliding out of the booth. “Yo, Tifa, let’s swap.”

She blinked as she watched him walk around the booth, then shrugged and whistled a sigh. “Okay, I guess,” she replied.

“See, it works out,” he continued, spinning around until he plopped in beside Aerith, while Tifa made her way around to Cloud. “That way you can chill with Cloud and don’t hog Aerith all to yourself.”

Aerith giggled and shrugged, immediately leaning against Zack as soon as he sat down. “I’m pretty popular,” she quipped.

Tifa’s brow furrowed. “Like you don’t hog Cloud all the time! You see him every day! You _live_ with him!”

Zack stuck his tongue out. “So did you! Kinda!”

_Hoo boy._ Cloud shook his head. “Guys…”

Within moments, Tifa’s hand laced itself with his beneath the table, and she didn’t challenge Zack again, simply sighing to herself. “Sorry baby,” Zack apologized, tugging on his earlobe. “Honest, I don’t try to pick fights…”

“Uh-huh,” Aerith muttered, barely loud enough to rise above the rumble of the restaurant, but loud enough for Cloud to hear. He stifled a snort. _Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t remember this happening so much before Ti and I were…official. Maybe…she feels more comfortable? Or is it because she feels like she’s still got to compete with him? I dunno…_

Tifa, however, was focused on something else. “Are your ears pierced too?” she asked Zack.

“Huh? Oh, yeah!” He turned his head to show both ears, both with simple, matching studs. “Got ‘em done when I was…oh man, I think I was fifteen?”

Aerith began tapping her fingers against the table, bouncing in her seat. “Ooh, this is a _good_ story,” she said, grinning. “Go on, tell them!”

Zack rolled his shoulders back with a small roll of his eyes, but still chuckled. “Okay, okay. So, the girl I was dating at the time, she invited me over to her place when she was having a sleepover. Awesome, right?”

He leaned forward as he told his story, animating with his hands as he went. Cloud cocked his head with a smirk. _He always gets so excited._ “Obviously I couldn’t stay the night, her mom would’ve _killed_ me, but I got to hang out with the group of girls for a while. And things are cool, just talking over the TV and shit, when…I dunno how it came up, but one of the girls mentioned she didn’t have her ears pierced. And my girlfriend at the time went, ‘oh, we can do it here!’”

“Oh my God?” Tifa exclaimed, staring. “You didn’t--”

“So, she says she’s nervous, so a couple of the others pitch in, including my girl, saying they’ll all do it together. And then she goes ‘Zack, you wanna do it?’” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “And I’m thinking, yo, I _hate_ needles! They were gonna fuckin’…heat up a needle with a lighter, ice the back of your ear, and just _stab_ it in! Like, c’mon…!”

“I-I mean…” Cloud piped up suddenly, tugging on his own earring. “That’s…how I did mine…”

Tifa whipped her head over to him. _“What?”_ she yelped. “Is _that_ why you don’t have both?”

“K-kinda…” He bit his lip and stared at the table. “I had to do it myself, so…”

_(“Hon, those are earrings,” his mother said as they stood in front of the display case. “You won’t be able to wear them.”_

_Cloud stared at the ornate wolf earrings, admiring their shine under the florescent light. “You have earrings, though…” he mumbled._

_She tried to tug him along. “I had to get mine pierced. Let’s go, we have a lot more to do in the city…”_

_“But…”)_

His hand drifted from the face of the earring to slip back through the back of his blond hair. _I got just enough money for Christmas that year, and I bought them myself. Then had the whole needle and ice thing…_

“God, Cloud, that could’ve gotten infected _really_ easily!” Tifa fretted, turning his head so she could examine his ear. “I didn’t know…”

“I mean, I took _care_ of it. Mom heard me yelp wh-when I did it…” He sighed and met her eyes. _And it was years ago, we weren’t even friends yet. But, I’m sure if we were, you would have…_

“Dude, if you did it _yourself,_ you’re tougher than I am,” Zack said. He laced his hands behind his head. “Anyway, I couldn’t tell those girls I was scared of needles, gotta keep up appearances, y’know--”

“Oh sure, big tough guy,” Aerith interjected, poking his stomach.

Zack let out a bray of giggles as he shoved her away. “Yeah! S-so, I did it with all the rest of ‘em…and they wouldn’t let me go without a matching set, so I had to do it twice. Jeez…” He pulled at his earlobes again before scooting back in the booth. “I had to leave in the flower studs she gave me before I could get my own.”

“Really?” Tifa marveled with amusement.

Aerith winked. "He's always been into flower girls~."

“She gave them to me! I couldn’t just throw them out!” he exclaimed. “When we broke up, I gave ‘em back and got these. Surgical steel. I’ve never taken ‘em out since. I'm surprised you didn’t notice earlier."

“Sorry, I don’t stare at your ears,” Tifa muttered.

Zack only chuckled. “Probably because I don’t have anything fancy like this guy,” he said, reaching up and over to ruffle Cloud’s hair.

Aerith tilted her head back and forth. “I’ve had pierced ears ever since I can remember,” she said. “Probably had them since I was a baby.”

“Me too,” Tifa added. “Although I’ve been thinking about getting another one…but I don’t know if I want to deal with the upkeep. All the cleaning and everything.”

“Yeah, it was a pain,” Zack recalled. “My dad wasn’t too impressed, but at least Ma helped me out.”

Cloud squeezed Tifa’s hand. “I could help…if you wanted,” he muttered, close enough so that it was in her ear. “You just have to keep at it, y’know.”

“I-I mean, I’m sure I could handle it,” Tifa insisted, voice dropping as she turned to him. “But, ah…thanks.”

For just a moment, long enough for Cloud to register, it seemed as if the sound around them vanished as he stared into her eyes. For just a moment, it was only the two of them. _Ti. God, I…_

_…I love you._

And then, like rising out from underwater, it was gone.

Beyond them, Aerith kept her eyes on Tifa with a dreamy look, only broken by Zack tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey sweetie,” he said, head perched on her shoulder. “You’re thinking about your girlfriend with more piercings, aren’t you?”

Aerith shook her head. “Huh? I--”

“I didn’t know _you_ were into punk girls.”

It was her turn to bloom pink. Even Cloud found the sight refreshing. “Zack--!” she exclaimed.

“Uh…” The waitress had returned, her arms full of dishes with food. She scanned the group with scrutiny. “You guys…switched around on me, didn’t you?”

* * *

 

“Okay, we’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Zack had his arm around Aerith as he waved with his other one to Cloud and Tifa.

“Oh, Tifa! Remember to come to the band rehearsal room tomorrow afternoon,” Aerith added, hugging Zack’s waist with a wink. “I’m making my big debut~!”

“Awesome,” Tifa replied, hand clasped in Cloud’s. “See you guys.”

As their partners parted ways, Tifa and Cloud rounded the corner of the alley that 7th Heaven was on. “God, I ate too much,” she commented, patting her stomach. “They can take the leftovers, I don’t even know if I want ‘em.”

Cloud chuckled quietly. “They can have them,” he said, “since I managed to grab half the bill from Zack…”

“Did you really?” Tifa said.

“While he wasn’t paying attention. Aerith helped by distracting…”

“You guys are a pretty good team.”

“I think we just know how he works. Or, she does, and I’m getting better.” He looked around them. “Uh, we’re going in the back way…?”

Tifa nodded as they approached the dumpsters, and the corresponding door. “I don’t want to make much of a fuss,” she whispered.

“But doesn’t he need--”

_“Shh,_ just c’mon.”

She held her breath as she dragged Cloud behind her into the bar, through the abandoned kitchen and out to the counter. _I know he needs to know that I’m back, but I don’t want him to go into Dad mode and scowl at Cloud. He’s had a long day as it is, he doesn’t need anything else to spark his anxiety…_

As she shuffled behind Barret, she caught Vincent’s eye at the bar. He blinked, slowly raising his head. In response, she put a finger to her lips and kept Cloud close to her. _Don’t, don’t draw attention--!_ His gaze flickered back, then he simply lifted his glass to his lips and drained the small spot of liquor at the bottom of it. _Thank you. Thank God._

However, their escape was not completely unnoticed, as Cloud stutter-stepped and bumped into her, causing her to lose her footing. The brief commotion was enough to draw Barret’s attention to them as he was about to pour a drink, an eyebrow raised. “You’re back,” he greeted.

_Damn it._ “Y-yeah,” Tifa replied. “We’re just…gonna go upstairs for the night. Unless you need me?”

Barret shook his head, glancing between both her and Cloud. “No,” he said. “Marlene is upstairs, you know.”

_Oh my God, Barret--! You know I know that, you’re just--! Ugh._ She took a very deep breath to keep her annoyance contained. “Do you want me to check on her?” she asked.

It was impossible to keep the challenge out of her voice, and it made Barret raise an eyebrow. Nonetheless, he gestured upstairs with a sigh. “Just go on.”

_Thank you._ Tifa yanked on Cloud’s arm as he dragged him out from behind the bar, beelining for the door and ignoring everything but what was in front of her. _Someday, someday he won’t squint at me for bringing him upstairs, Jesus, he_ never _does it with Aerith! He’s_ got _to know there’s something between us, with how open she is…_

Up the dark stairwell and immediately into her room, Tifa only looked back at Cloud when she managed to flick her bedroom light on. “God,” she muttered. “Sorry about that…”

Cloud gestured with a bow of his head and a couple fingers out. _It’s fine,_ she interpreted while he shuffled off his sneakers. _And by the looks of it…he is. Just seems tired, probably from all the commotion throughout the day. He looked more worn the days after he got sick,_

_(poisoned he was poisoned)_

_but the reasons were…obvious._ Tifa quietly slipped off her own jacket as Cloud took a seat on the couch. _He’s not a social butterfly, not like Zack or Aerith. He likes it when he can spend quiet time just…doing nothing. Those two get antsy--him more than her, although I bet Zack just rubbed off on her a little bit._

_And it’ll be quiet here…_

She grabbed the bottom of her stiff top and heaved it over her head, leaving her only in her bra. _Relief. Next time Zack tries to take us out, I’m_ asking _where we’re going first._ She sighed as she set it aside, then glanced back over to the bed, where Cloud was watching her. “Wh…what?” she asked.

He smirked and shook his head. Cloud was sitting hunched over, hands clasped between his knees, but then began to undress himself, unbuttoning his jeans down to his boxer briefs. _You don’t need my permission to get comfortable, you don’t have to wait for me,_ Tifa thought. _It’s just us._

He tossed them aside, then laid back and rolled over on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He laid an arm over his forehead, just above his eyes, and she could see his chest rise and fall with the evenness of his breathing. _Maybe he is comfortable,_ she thought, changing out of her jeans and rustling through her dresser for a pair of pajama pants. _Maybe he is, and I’m just--_

“Ti.”

She stopped in her search and whipped her head over. Even though she was half-naked, his eyes were still met with hers, and he simply patted the bed. _Ah._ “I-I was…s-sure,” Tifa stumbled, voice still quiet. “J-just…gimme a sec.”

Cloud nodded. Despite this, Tifa still was paused in her tracks. _Does it really matter? Oh, for Christ’s sake, Tifa, if you can do_

_(Cuddled close against her, Aerith stroked her bare back, kissing the side of her neck. “You’re so soft,” she whispered, tracing her fingertips down along her waist, to her hips, around to her rear. Goosebumps prickled over Tifa’s shoulders. “You’re soft everywhere…”)_

_that with her, you can with him, too._ In the end, she abandoned the dresser and rushed over to the bed, plopping down on the creaky mattress next to Cloud. Immediately, he drew her into his arms, wrapping her close to his body, her head tucked near the collar of his t-shirt. “Cloud?” she asked.

“Mm…” He inhaled deep into her hair, and as he let the breath out, he kissed the top of her head, then tilted down to kiss her forehead. The calmness he enveloped, however, was shattered as soon as he tried to speak. “Ah, I…I-I just…wanted to have you…j-just close…”

His voice was low, but still stuttering, and Tifa wrapped his arms around him tighter. “It’s okay,” she reassured. Ear against his chest, she could hear the beat fluctuate in speed. _You’re so soft and kind, in your own quiet way…_

_And I love you for that…_

In silence, Tifa found her hands wandering lower on his shirt, slipping beneath it. As soon as her fingertips touched his waist, he flinched. _“Cripes,_ Ti,” he exclaimed, just keeping his voice down. “Your hands are ice…”

She giggled and squirmed them against herself, right on her chest. “Sorry…”

The motion gave them a little space, and despite her comment, he backed away from her and took his own shirt off, dropping it right off the side of the bed. “J-just…warm them up first,” he muttered, covering her hands with his own. He grasped them and lifted them up to his lips, kissing the edges of her fingertips.

When his eyes met hers, Tifa’s face softened, lips curved into a small smile. _That shouldn’t take long,_ she mused to herself. _You’re warm._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I love these four. It was fun to write a chapter like this with a lot of banter. Also, I bet you all thought I couldn't do any worse than "Vinyl Fantasy". I'm keeping Dumbapplebee's. 
> 
> Somewhere back in 7th Heaven, Vincent is watching that news reel and chuckling "what a shame" to himself. Zack has no boundaries, and Tifa's still getting used to it. Zack also gives Cloud _way_ too much credit. He's a lot more gay than you are, buddy. I got the idea of "Zack has his ears pierced, but is afraid of needles" from Sailor Moon's Mamoru Chiba. A lot of his manga art showcases his pierced ears. Gotta be a cool guy! As far as self-piercing goes, my own mother has done at least half of her piercings herself…so it's not that unusual. A particularly tender moment at the end with Cloud and Tifa…always nice!
> 
> Next chapter, Aerith makes her musical debut! It should be a lot of fun, stay tuned!


	57. Rehearsal (VI)

_ “You know we had no time, _ __   
_ We could not even try. _ _   
_ __ You know we had no time…”

Zack held out the last note as long as he could, before he and Sephiroth were alone in playing the main riff of the song.  _ It’s so repetitive,  _ he thought.  _ And yet-- _

“Hey, don’t speed up!” Sephiroth scolded at Zack. 

“Dude, I’m just following you--!” he retorted. “I think  _ you’re  _ the one speeding up!” 

“How  _ dare  _ you!” 

They continued to play throughout their bickering, including when the drums and bass came in.  _ Wait a sec,  _ Zack thought as he continued the riff along with the rhythm section. He glanced back at Genesis and Angeal.  _ I don’t think it’s us… _

Genesis was facing his amp, but he cocked his head up as he played and listened. As soon as he heard the discrepancy, he whipped around and walked in front of the drumset. “Hey!” he barked. 

Angeal, drenched in sweat, glanced up for a second, then stopped abruptly, tossing his drumsticks down on the snare. “What the hell?” Genesis asked. Annoyed at first, his tone soon dropped. “You okay?”

“Jesus Christ,” Angeal huffed. He reached down for a water bottle by his kit and took a long deep drink. “I’d like to see one of you get back here. I don’t think you guys realize how fucking  _ fast  _ this is.”

“You can play fast,” Sephiroth said, letting his guitar hang at his hips while he crossed his arms. “I’ve heard you before.”

“Sure,” he replied. “But every verse is a fill. And a  _ big _ one at that.”

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes for a moment, then sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to play them…right  _ now.”  _ He flicked his bangs back and turned on Zack. “Besides, we need to walk through some of the bridge.”

“Yeah I wanted to ask, are we doing that whole thing?” Zack asked. “Because--”

“Yes,” Sephiroth affirmed.

“Oh, _what?!”_ Zack stomped his foot and ran a hand back through his hair, pulling his bangs back. “That is _so long!_ And with all that…keyboardy shit in the middle?”

“It can easily be copied,” Sephiroth said.

“Transcribed,” Genesis added. “The word you’re looking for is--”

_ “No one  _ asked you,” he grumbled.

Angeal clapped his hands together. “Great, while you guys figure that out, I’m gonna have a smoke.” He tugged at the collar of his shirt. “And change my shirt…”

_ No dude, don’t leave yet,  _ Zack pleaded, but his thoughts weren’t loud enough to deter him from walking through the group and out past the row of chairs. As he watched him, he glanced down at Cloud, observing close by.  _ Man, I love you, but even you can’t save me. _

Sephiroth cleared his throat to regain Zack’s attention. “Here, if you just…keep your hands up here,” he said, adjusting his fingers high on the fretboard. “See? Up near the 12th fret…you can do it quickly without moving your hands around so much.” 

“U-uh-huh…” Zack squinted and tried to mimic him. Instinctively, he strummed the chord he produced, which was less than pleasant.  _ Not like that, obviously-- _

Sephiroth rolled his eyes.  _ “Not  _ like  _ that.”  _

“Holy shit, dude, I know, I was just--”

“You have to pick, like this.” He picked the middle strings, only lifting one finger as he played a high line slowly and carefully. 

Zack tried to mimic, but he had to play even slower, and his fingers felt like lead over the strings.  _ Damn it, this is the one part that I’ve been having trouble with. It just goes by so fast. If I had a tape player that could play at a lower speed, maybe I could spend more time with it…  _ ”Fuck, I thought you were just going to take it…”

“But it’s  _ harmonized,”  _ Sephiroth insisted. “It  _ needs  _ the other line.”

“Can’t you do it?” 

“Well, of  _ course… _ it will take a little more time.” He stuck his nose in the air. “Oh, I just thought I would be generous enough to give you some spotlight. Hmph.” 

“Gee, thanks,” Zack sighed, shaking his head. “Ugh…”

“I could do it,” Genesis commented from behind a book. 

“No!” Sephiroth snapped. “You will not. Especially if Angeal gets tired playing, then you will need to be the one to solidify time.” 

Genesis flicked his eyes up with a raised eyebrow. Even though his book covered his mouth, Zack imagined him to be smirking. “Gee, I’m pretty important, aren’t I?”

Sephiroth’s eyes flashed with electric fury. “Don’t you--”

The door whipped open again, and it drew all of the SOLDIERs’ attention. 

Instead of Angeal coming back through, however, Aerith stood in the doorway, hands on the doorframe, hips cocked to the side. She wore a long, pink dress that was thin enough to fold and cling to her body, and a chiffon shawl over her shoulders.  _ Oh shit,  _ Zack thought, biting his lip so his jaw didn’t fall open.  _ That’s right, it’s her debut… _

“Hello, boys,” she greeted, winking at Zack. “Hey, Cloud.”

Cloud nodded to her while she sauntered in, taking her time and swinging her hips as she walked. Tifa slipped in behind her, not even sparing a glance to the band.  _ Holy shit, baby, you’ve got the whole room watching you,  _ Zack mused.  _ Fuck, man… _

Suddenly, Genesis pointed at Tifa. “Hey,” he snapped. “You’re not coming up to play, are you?” 

_ “Gen,”  _ Sephiroth hissed through clenched teeth. 

Tifa was jarred back to reality. “H-huh? No, I’m just…uh, I’m here to watch,” she said, taking a seat beside Cloud. She held a hand up and waved it once before letting it fall in her lap. “Where’s Angeal?” 

Genesis backed off to his amp, while Sephiroth continued to watch Aerith as she slowly made her way up to the amps. “Taking a smoke break,” he muttered. “You…what are  _ you  _ doing up here?” 

She ignored him for a moment, making her way to the closest mic and fussing with the adjustment knobs. “Jeez, how do you make this thing shorter?” she muttered. “You guys are all so freaking tall…”

“I  _ asked you a question,”  _ Sephiroth pronounced, looming over. “Are you--”

“Cool your jets, mister,” she said, whirling so her dress fluttered around her feet. She poked his chest with one finger, then crossed her arms. “You guys said I could do a song, so I’m here! I’m ready to sing.”

Sephiroth stared at her with an open mouth, before gradually turning on one heel to Zack. “Today? You didn’t tell me she was coming today.” 

_ Nope, nope, don’t put this on me.  _ “Mmmnnhmm,” Zack muttered, shrugging as his tone drifted up and down.  _ I ain’t taking this heat.  _

Sephiroth strode forward and squinted at him. “You knew! You knew she was coming today, and you didn’t  _ tell  _ me?!” 

“Mmnhmm! Mm-mmn…” Zack continued to make incoherent noises, waving his hands up and backing into his own amp. 

“Oh, this was a  _ great  _ idea,” Genesis muttered, smirking. “And she hasn’t even started singing yet.”

“You!” Sephiroth jabbed his finger out toward him, nearly clipping Zack’s nose as he did so. “Shut your mouth!” Genesis only chuckled further.  _ Well, your spirits sure jumped back up, you son of a bitch. _

He didn’t get too much time to dwell on it, for Sephiroth was quick to come back around to glare at Zack. “And you! You can talk, use your fucking words! You should have  _ told me!”  _

_ “Seriously,”  _ Aerith groaned. “Are you always like this? I gave you enough time to learn the song, and I’ve learned it…so here I am!” The mic stand abruptly slid down, and she caught it just in time before it slammed down on the siding pole. “Spontaneity is the spice of life~!” 

_ You are a firecracker tonight,  _ Zack thought, glancing between Sephiroth and Aerith.  _ That is some sass…but if I know Seph… _

Sephiroth inhaled deeply, held it in for about a second, then let it out slowly, closing his eyes. Then, he gestured to the mic. “Fine,” he muttered with a click of his tongue. “Fine…”

Angeal returned, shutting the door behind him in a fresh shirt, and perked up. “Oh, hey!” he greeted. He saluted to Tifa, then grinned at Aerith. “Are you gonna sing for us today?” 

“You bet!” She shot him a finger gun. “At least  _ someone’s  _ happy to see me.”

_ I was happy too, believe me,  _ Zack thought, finally daring to step away from his amp and hover behind his girlfriend. He ghosted a hand on her back.  _ Oh, this is that soft dress… _

“Well, at least you picked the right microphone,” Sephiroth said. “Stay on Zack’s, there aren’t any harmonies in this song…”

“Hey, you got a metronome?” Genesis asked Angeal. 

Angeal ducked down behind his kit and rummaged through his bag. Soon, a sharp clicking noise echoed up. “Got it,” he said, holding it out. “Why?” 

“I want it,” he replied. He leaned over the cymbals to snatch it out of Angeal’s hand and set it on his own amp. “What’s that one at, 80 or something?”

“No, not that slow. More like 100,” Angeal corrected. 

“We don’t need a metronome,” Sephiroth scoffed. “That’s child’s play.” 

“Well  _ I  _ don’t want you bitching at  _ me  _ for speeding up,” Genesis retorted, curling his lip. “Christ…this isn’t a gig, this is still rehearsal, not a big fucking deal…”

_ Oh yeah, the rhythm section is pretty steady and simple,  _ Zack recalled. He played with the guitar effects pedals at his feet, but his eyes kept wandering to Aerith’s rear just in his peripheral.  _ Translation: it’s not exciting enough for him. So he gets bored. And he speeds up.  _ He puffed out his cheeks.  _ I remember from the last couple times we played it.  _

Genesis reset the dial on the metronome and let it click before he started playing the one note riff. Angeal watched him, nodding his head and tapping on the hi-hat. “Seph’s--well, no, he  _ doesn’t  _ have a point, but…” he started, shaking his head. “The song has some flux in it. You don’t have to be so--”

“Again, not for me,” Genesis interrupted. He stopped playing with a slide of his finger, and jerked his head over to Sephiroth. “It’s for Princess over there.”

Sephiroth huffed, adjusting his guitar on his shoulder. “Do whatever,” he grumbled. “Do what-fucking-ever…”

Aerith spun around and rested her head against Zack’s chest. “One song,” she said into his shirt. “Just one…”

“I know, babe,” Zack murmured, kissing her head. “Hang in there.”

Sephiroth cleared his throat. “All right, enough of this. Are you ready, Aerith?”

_ “Yes,  _ God, yes.” She bounced back up, held the mic with one hand, and the stand with the other. “I’m ready.”

“Do you know the form?” he asked. 

“Yes!” She bounced on her toes. “We’re keeping our audience waiting.” 

She beamed at the “crowd”--Cloud chuckled, easing back in his seat, while Tifa smiled into her hand.  _ She’s ready,  _ Zack thought, just as Genesis turned off the metronome.  _ From that devilish little look she had going on earlier, she’s got a performance up her sleeve…I’ve barely heard her practice, too. Probably does it while I’m at work.  _

Angeal continued to keep time on the hi-hat. “It’s all you, Seph,” he stated, picking up his sticks. “Lead it in, and we’ll be there.” He nodded to Zack. “Just watch me.” 

Sephiroth nodded to himself, then closed his eyes and nodded in time to himself. He blinked, then bent a single long note on his guitar. Zack turned to Angeal--he mouthed “three, four” before rolling on the snare into the main groove. Sephiroth began to solo, while the three in the rhythm kept their eyes on Angeal’s kit, gently bobbing their heads to the beat.  _ This has always been…kinda hypnotic,  _ Zack thought, drifting back and forth. As the beats passed, he managed to look back up to the front. Aerith was weaving herself, before she took a deep breath and addressed the mic:

_ “A cold late night, so long ago,  _ _   
_ _ When I was not so strong, you know…” _

She shifted around the mic to look right at Zack while she sang, a smirk on her glossed lips.  _ “A pretty man came to me, never seen eyes so blue…”  _

A flutter of her emerald eyes, along with the lilt of her voice sent a chill down Zack’s spine and his heart plummeting to the pit of his stomach.  _ Fuck,  _ he cursed to himself, swallowing hard.  _ She…stay focused, stay focused… _

_ “You know I could not run away it seems we’d seen each other in a dream, _ _   
_ _ It seemed like he knew me, he looked right through me…” _

She bent into the note, and it seemed to undulate through her whole body.  _ I’m gonna die,  _ Zack thought, trying to keep the rhythm straight in his head. To help with this, he redirected his focus.  _ And it looks like I’m not the only one.  _

Tifa had slumped far down in her seat, still with a hand over her mouth. Except now, her face was flushed a deep shade of red, brown eyes wide. Even Cloud, while not as obviously entranced, was watching intently, tapping his foot.  _ Yeah, she’s got us wrapped around her finger,  _ he thought.  _ Isn’t that how it’s always been?  _

_ (She sat up on her knees, wavy, bushy hair falling over her naked shoulders and bust, with a smirk on her face. “You seem ready to play,” she purred. _

_ Zack laced his hands behind the back of his head with a chuckle. “Oh, I’m ready baby,” he replied. “I’m readyy _ yyy…”)

_ “‘Come on home, girl,’ he said with a smile, _ __   
_ You don’t have to love me yet, let’s get high awhile _ __   
_ Try to understand, try to understand,  _ _   
_ __ Try try try to understand, I’m a magic man.” 

The band filled into the next verse, with Aerith continuing to croon at her stand on the mic. Sephiroth played long, lazy guitar fills in the background, his attention completely on his own guitar. Genesis was more attentive to Angeal, keeping their rhythm locked, although he did steal looks between the group. Every time he caught Zack’s eye, it seemed to be right after Zack was staring at Aerith, and he just shook his head.  _ Dude,  _ Zack thought, frowning.  _ I’m allowed to appreciate my girlfriend. As if you don’t do the same shit with Seph, whatever that is… _

_ “Winter nights, we sang in tune, played inside the months of moon, _ _   
_ _ Never think of never, let this spell last forever…” _

While she sang, Zack felt settled enough to wander around her, a grin plastered on his face.  _ You sound great,  _ he thought.  _ Really, really good…if the rest of the band didn’t give  _ me  _ a headache, I’d work a little harder to make you sing a few more songs for us. Like Seph could even stand that.  _

_ “Try try try to understand…”  _ Aerith belted at the mic, leaning into every word.  _ “He’s a magic man, mama…aaah, he’s a magic man…”  _

Sephiroth flicked the volume knob with a twist of his finger while he hammered back and forth on one string, a trill that rose out of Aerith’s hold and led smoothly into his own solo.  _ Dude, this is all good though.  _ Zack wandered around the stage, soaked in the groove he was helping to make. The metronome lay abandoned on Genesis’ amp, while the one who requested it kept his eyes fixated on Sephiroth’s fingers, head lolled over on his shoulder. 

Even Aerith was beginning to gesture more, taking the mic off the stand and stepping forward to sing toward the small audience. Particularly, to Tifa.  _ “I cast my spell of love on you, a woman from a child…”  _

Tifa inhaled sharp and fidgeted in her seat, while Cloud sat back, amusement dancing in his eyes.  _ Aerith’s gonna ravish her tonight,  _ Zack thought with a chuckle, almost missing the bridge into the next solo section.  _ I might be able to get a little something, but…lucky you, Tifa… _

Aerith set the mic back up on the stand and rejoined the group, just as the guitarists began to circle around the drum kit. Sephiroth relaxed his guitar playing to survey the entire group. “You remember how we do this, right?” he asked over the crunch of the amp.

“Huh?” Zack said.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “The break section. We’ll trade before going into your solo.”

“Oh, yeah.”  _ Right, I get the keyboard solo, again.  _ “I don’t have to--”

“No, do whatever you want,” Sephiroth finished for him. “Now shut up and let me jam…”

Zack bit his tongue.  _ You’re the one who started talking! For fuck’s sake.  _ He backed up to nudge into Aerith while Sephiroth took his solo.  _ We might play great together, but the instant someone opens their mouth…  _ He sighed to himself and closed his eyes, letting the music wash over him again.  _ Stay cool, stay cool. You’re going to get your chance to shine here, soon-- _

As soon as he thought that, the cymbals from Angeal’s kit rang louder, leading into a fill to halt the rhythm section. In the space that was created, Sephiroth let loose a blistering line, loud and fast. Zack refused to watch it, instead keeping his eyes on Angeal to signal for the next fill. It was well telegraphed with the lift of his hand, leading into another solo. Zack’s heart thudded in his chest.  _ Almost.  _

Another couple hits, then silence.  _ This is me.  _ Zack swallowed and spun his fingers on the fretboard, not quite as elaborately as the lead guitarist’s, but smooth enough to counteract the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Playing another line, confidence rose through him again to take his eyes off his guitar and up to Aerith, who was admiring him from the mic. He grinned and bent down to play to her, creeping on his toes. 

As soon as the groove kicked back in, and Zack continued to solo over the form, Sephiroth tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey. No flirting.” 

Zack stood back up straight, bending a note long and loud.  _ Kiss my ass.  _ He shook his head and continued to solo, not letting his comment interrupt him.  _ Despite what your ego makes you think, I’ve got the most admirers in this room, so I’ll do what I damn want.  _ He side-eyed the audience and gave Cloud a wink.  _ Let me play… _

Thankfully, it was the only stray comment Sephiroth had to offer, as the band sunk into a trance once again. As Zack felt the flow of his solo gradually dip to a close, he glanced over to Sephiroth, and he took over the lead once again. His style lead to a ramping of energy throughout--Angeal added a couple extra cymbals to his groove, and Genesis filled every other line to add further movement. Zack was content to keep the rhythm going, steady and strong.  _ God, this groove feels so good,  _ he thought.  _ Kinda like that one time… _

_ (The amps hissed and cymbals rang as they finally ended the tune. Otherwise, it was quiet.  _

_ When Angeal broke the silence, it was by a whisper. “Shit,” he said. “We were jamming for almost forty-five minutes straight…” _

_ Genesis smiled a lazy grin as he used the amp to keep himself upright. “What time is it?” Sephiroth asked.  _

_ “It’s past 8,” Angeal said, glancing around to all of them. “I guess we should…call it a day.” _

_ He said this, but none of them could move…) _

At long last, Sephiroth seemed content with his solo, and made a point to make eye contact with everyone on the make-shift stage. “Let’s go,” he said, coming to Aerith last. “Take it out.”

She nodded and returned to her microphone, while Angeal filled the group into the final chorus:

_ “‘Come on home, girl,’ he said with a smile, _ __   
_ You don’t have to love me yet, let’s get high awhile _ __   
_ Try to understand, try to understand,  _ _   
_ __ Try try try to understand, I’m a magic man…” 

Aerith belted the last lines at full force, enough so she ducked off mic to cough while Sephiroth and Zack played the ending riff together. Angeal ended it off with two kicks, then stretched up over the kit to check in. “Aerith, you need some water?” he asked.

She shook her head and waved her hand, still coughing. Zack rubbed her back. “Take it easy,” he said. “Damn, babe, that sounded  _ awesome!”  _

She finally caught her breath and stood up straight, just as Cloud and Tifa started to clap. Both of them were slightly pink and clapping, and Zack took their attention as opportunity to take a long, deep bow. “Thank you!” he said. “Aerith Gainsburough, ladies and gentlemen!” 

Aerith grinned and took a little bow herself.  _ From sexy to cute in ten seconds flat. _ Zack kissed her temple, but Aerith’s eyes kept going back to Sephiroth. “Well? Was it good?” she asked him.

Sephiroth pursed his lips, then turned around to fiddle with his amp. “It was…satisfactory,” he mumbled.

“Oh, come  _ on!”  _ Zack groaned. “Even  _ you’ve  _ got to admit that was pretty sweet! With our groove and everything?”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Fine, Jesus…” He turned back to Aerith and nodded. “It was. You sounded good.” 

Aerith laced her hands behind her back and swung her hips. “Thank you,” she replied, a little too sweetly. 

“See? I knew she’d be good,” Genesis commented. “Hey Aerith, c’mere a sec…”

Belated clapping emerged from the doorway, and everyone turned their attention over. A blonde woman with side swept bangs in a Turk uniform stepped in as soon as she was noticed, a clipboard in hand. “Cissnei and the others were right,” she commented. “You guys are good.”

Sephiroth puffed out his chest. “Of course we are,” he said, then studied her further. “But, what are you doing here? What is it?” 

Angeal sighed, standing up and shoving his sticks into his back pocket. “Elena, right?” he asked. “What can we do for you?”

“Er…” She hesitated at Sephiroth’s forwardness, and used her clipboard to reorient herself.  _ Only Sephiroth would order around a Turk like that,  _ Zack thought.  _ They technically have the same authority as 1sts do, but while we have the highest rank, we don’t have the intel that they do. They know everything about this place, and everything about us, whether we like it or not. So, technically…they have the upper hand.  _ Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Aerith returning to his side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  _ But according to what I’ve heard, Sephiroth’s never followed the rules like that… _

Elena finally regained her footing. “Well, sorry to break up the party…” she started. “But…you guys…are being dispatched.”

“What?  _ All  _ of us?” Sephiroth snapped. 

She ran her finger down the paper on the clipboard. “Cetra?” 

Sephiroth nodded, and she continued. “Rhapsodos?” 

“Yup,” Genesis said. 

“Hewley?” 

“Right here,” Angeal muttered.

“And Fair.”

“Yeah. That’s all of us,” Zack said. “Sheesh…what kind of mission is this?” 

“There’s been rumors of a resistance group building on the outskirts of Wutai,” Elena briefed. “The president wants to snuff it out before it causes trouble.”

“Sending  _ all  _ of us seems a little overkill,” Sephiroth said, flipping his hair back. “I could handle it myself. The sight of me would send them running…”

“W-well, we’re thin on 1sts out that way, until we get new ones trained,” she continued. “Besides, looks like it’s only going to be a couple days out there.”

“Still, unnecessary--”

Angeal cut him off before he could continue. “When do you need us?” he asked. 

“Transport is taking off at midnight. They want you to meet at the docking bay at 2300.”

_ “Tonight?”  _ Zack exclaimed. “Well, shit…” 

“Just us?” Genesis asked. “No other crew?” 

“Looks like it,” she replied. “Notes say if any one of you wants to take a 2nd for training, you can sign them out. Other than that…Tseng is your intelligence transport.”

“Holy shit, they’re getting  _ him _ out of the office,” Genesis snickered. He glanced back at Angeal, and lightly punched his arm as he walked around the kit. “I think they’re making sure we don’t get bored and try and mutiny.”

“Shut up, Gen,” Angeal grunted. He sighed heavily before addressing Elena. “Thanks. Go ahead and tell ‘em we’ll be there.”

“All right,” she said. “I’ll…let HQ know.”

She hovered in the door, before giving an awkward salute and rushing back down the hall. “She’s green,” Genesis said, taking his bass off from his shoulder. “Probably one of the first things she’s had to do besides coffee runs--”

“I can’t  _ believe  _ this,” Sephiroth muttered, pacing in front of the amps. “After all this time, they decide to put us on something  _ now--” _

“C’mon, Seph, you’ve been complaining about something to do for weeks now,” Angeal huffed. “Now we’ve got it. If they’re sending all four of us, it’ll be a short tour. Like she said, a couple days at most…”

“Right, not like those month long slogs,” Zack said. He squeezed Aerith’s shoulder before letting her go and taking off his own guitar.  _ Still, I was getting used to hanging around here, being close to everyone. Sure, this is only going to be a weekend gig, but still… _

“So…you’re leaving tonight?” Aerith asked. 

There was a quiet quality in her voice, one that Zack recognized instantly.  _ That voice that says “will you be home soon?” and “please come back in one piece”. The cons of dating a military rat.  _ Even the look in her eyes was downcast, as much as she kept her chin up. Zack nodded to her. “Yeah. What time is it, just past 7 or so?” he said. “So…we’ve got a few hours beforehand.”

“Zack,” Angeal said. “She said we could take a 2nd.”

_ Oh, yeah.  _ He peered around to catch Cloud’s eye. “You want in?” 

Cloud and Tifa were holding hands, and even he could see that she tensed at the suggestion.  _ You got used to it too, huh?  _ Cloud chewed his lip for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. I-if it’s okay.”

“Sure it is,” Zack said with a chuckle. 

“Zack was practically  _ begging  _ me to take him with me any chance he got,” Angeal snorted. “You were getting cabin fever from patrol.”

“Dude, patrol is the most boring thing,” Zack retorted. “I wanted to see some action!” 

Sephiroth clicked his tongue. “Well, at any rate, this rehearsal is over. I’m going home in the meantime, while we still have a few hours.”

“Same here,” Genesis said, flicking off his amp. “Gotta stock up.”

“Do  _ not  _ stock up,” Angeal insisted, rubbing his forehead. “Jesus…I’m going to see if I can catch some sleep in one of the nap rooms…”

Zack took Aerith by the hand and strode over to Cloud and Tifa, still seated in the audience. “Well, that’s a change of plans,” he said. “Guess it’s never dull around here, one way or another…”

“You think it’ll really be short?” Tifa asked.

“Oh yeah,” Zack replied quickly. “Four 1sts is  _ overkill  _ for something like this. We’ll probably be staring at a desert for 24, 36 hours and then be done.”

Aerith nodded. “Right,” she muttered, as if reassuring herself, then brightened. “Besides, I won’t be left all alone this time.” She reached out for Tifa’s hand and clasped it with her own. “We’ll be together!” 

Tifa smirked in response, but apprehension was still drawn on her face. Cloud noticed it immediately, studying her before offering her a small kiss to her cheek. “Hey,” he muttered. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know, I know…” Tifa insisted, tapping her foot. “Just--”

“Imagine how  _ I  _ felt the first time Zack went out on duty…at least, the first time after we started dating,” Aerith said. “He was gone for like…two weeks? Three weeks?”

“Yeah, a lot of clean-up type missions going on then,” Zack said. “This won’t be even half as bad.” He looked up around them, and realized the other three had packed up and left without them. “Besides, we’ve got some time. We can make the most of it before we’ve gotta blast on out.” 

“Uh-huh.” Aerith plucked a string on his guitar, and it rang out from the amp behind him. “So put your stuff away, puppy, so we can go do that!”

“Oh yeah. Whoops.” Zack laughed and stuck his tongue out. Aerith shook her head, then tugged on his shirt to pull him down for a quick kiss.  _ Yeah, it’s just a little trip. And Cloud will be with me too, so…it won’t be so bad.  _

He patted Aerith on the back before unplugging his guitar and wandering back to his case. Aerith immediately jumped into conversation with the others--“So, let’s go get something to eat before you guys go! My treat!" "Your treat?" "Genesis gave me a little something extra for the trouble." "Oh my God…"--giving him a background hum besides his own thoughts.  _ It’ll be all right. Tifa will be there for her. We’re all there for each other. That’s what this whole gig is all about, isn’t it?  _

Zack smirked to himself.  _ Yeah. Sure is.  _ He pulled out his pager to check the time.  _ Almost 7:30. Plenty of time. Let’s see if we can make the most of it before we’re stuffed in a transport van for a few hours… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup: the gang starts out with ["Burn" by Deep Purple](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCnebZnysmI), and the song Aerith sings is ["Magic Man" by Heart.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vlAdMeZSfw)
> 
> A timely update, what a surprise! Band shenanigans are always a joy to write. Aerith really sells her song, and makes both of her partners sweat. It's good. 
> 
> Next chapter, we'll see the SOLDIERs off on their mission at the very least (something that may seem familiar to those who read the [meta blog](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com)), maybe check in with the girls, depending on how long things get…stay tuned!


	58. Tour of Duty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While there's no explicit content in this chapter, there is some heavy petting a little later down the line. Just a heads up!

Cloud clutched his stomach as the van jostled down the dirt road. “Ugh...” he groaned.  _ We’ve been riding for hours, seems like, and only had one stop. And that’s because Zack asked.  _ He glanced out the window, stars twinkling in the bright, clear sky, but soon squeezed his eyes shut as his head churned.  _ And I thought this was going to be fun…somehow. _

Beside him, Zack bumped his head against his. “Hey, you okay?” he murmured.

“No...” Cloud groaned.

Angeal sat in the corner near the window, and glanced over with some sympathy. “Still sick, huh?” he asked. “Here, let me crack this...”

“It’s going to be noisy,” Sephiroth grumbled from the opposite corner. Genesis was dozing beside him, arms crossed.

“Tough shit,” Angeal sighed, and shoved the window open. Fresh, cool air rushed in, and Cloud inhaled deep.  _ A little better...  _ The breeze chilled his forehead, tacky with sweat, and he pulled the turtleneck of his 2nd-class uniform down to invite more down his chest.

“Yo, Tseng,” Zack called, glancing up at the front of the van. There was only a small window there, but he could still catch the eye of the Turk driving in the rear-view mirror. “How much longer we got ‘til we get to the drop point?”

“About another hour,” he replied. “And we’re  _ not  _ taking anymore stops. We’re running late as it is.”

Zack sighed through his nose. “All right.” He scooted closer to Cloud, patting his thigh. “Sorry, bud. You’ll have to tough this one out.”

“Mm...” Cloud leaned into his shoulder, as soon as Tseng’s eyes were back on the road.  _ Yeah, I guess I will. If you’re here, I can do it... _

“Don’t know  _ why  _ they sent all of us,” Sephiroth complained. “Why on earth do they need all the 1sts in Midgar? I could’ve come alone.”

“You’re still bitching about that?” Genesis mumbled. “What, you wanna hog all the glory?”

Sephiroth sneered at him before glancing at Zack. “You didn’t even  _ need  _ to bring him along. Unnecessary.”

Cloud’s eyes flicked up at this comment, and was only met with a cold look from Sephiroth.  _ He sure isn’t afraid to speak his mind,  _ he thought, recoiling back.

“I  _ wanted  _ to,” Zack insisted. He sat up, and his voice grew sharp. “They said I could bring a 2nd, Angeal suggested Cloud. If you were gonna be that pissy about it, you should’ve said something at rehearsal.”

“Well  _ I  _ just thought--”

“We’ve gotten used to having each other’s backs,” Angeal interrupted, also giving Sephiroth a hard look. “Gen and I, then Gen had you, then I had Zack. We all shadow each other.”

“Yeah,” Zack agreed. “That’s right.”

“Be nice to the kid, all right?” Angeal said. “He’s been through enough, least you could do is give him a little respect.”

Sephiroth stared between Angeal, then Zack, then Cloud last. Cloud bit the inside of his cheek hard.  _ He has before,  _ he thought, thumb fiddling with the feather dangling from his glove.  _ I think he’s just in a bad mood. I mean, when isn’t he…  _ With a heavy sigh, Sephiroth then got up and began to rummage through their gear. “I’m sure Cloud will join our ranks soon enough,” he remarked. “Though I thought that near  _ lethal _ dosage of mako would’ve taken care of something like motion sickness...”

A murmur ran through the group, but it soon mellowed out to silence.  _ Right, they know about what happened to me. Of course they do. I don’t remember...anything from the time I was out. Even the week right after it is a little fuzzy. But I remember the song Zack played for me and Aerith. _

_ And I remember the first kiss he gave me... _

Snaps of latches resounded through the back, and Sephiroth trucked back to his perch with a black acoustic guitar in his hand. “Dude, you brought your guitar?” Zack exclaimed. “We’re only going to be gone like…two days--”

“I don’t want to stare at the desert with nothing to do,” Sephiroth replied curtly. 

Zack shook his head with a dry chuckle. “I didn’t even know you had an acoustic. Doesn’t seem like your style.”

“Second thing I bought with my 1st-class paycheck,” he replied. “The first thing was a dinner out for my mother.” He strummed a chord with a heavy sigh, the sound of the strings bright against the low rumble of the engine. 

“What are you going to play for us, 1st-class Cetra?” Tseng asked from the front seat.

“Yeah, play us a song, piano man,” Genesis mumbled, snickering to himself.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes, hands wandering over the fretboard, playing miscellaneous riffs that only loosely fit together.  _ Being 1st-class is like some elite club. They all play instruments...  _ Cloud’s eyes fell on the necklace that hung at Zack’s chest--a single feather, white with black at the tip.  _ They all have some kind of feather jewelry...well, I guess I do too, now.  _

_ (“Even if not in rank, I believe it’s fitting that you become one of us.”) _

_ I still feel like...I’m going to be the odd one out, even if I do get there.  _ He tried holding his breath to quell his spinning head, but it provided him no relief.  _ These guys are all tough and strong, they’ve seen war, and here I am, just some-- _

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud strum--Sephiroth had clearly found a song to play, as his hand fell into a steady rhythm. After a few chords, his low tenor rang out in the cabin:

_ “Sitting on my own, chewing on a bone _ __   
_ A thousand million miles from home _ _   
_ __ When something hit me...”

_ “Somewhere right between the eyes,” _ Zack sung quietly along with him, prompting Cloud to sit up. Even in the dark, the spark in Zack’s deep blue eyes was palpable, combined with a soft smile.  _ Ah...  _ Cloud felt Zack’s hand fumble for his own, and they laced their fingers together, hiding their hands in the space between them.

Sephiroth continued to sing, looking pointedly out the window:

_ “Sleeping on a plane, you know you can’t complain _ __   
_ You took your last chance once again _ _   
_ __ I landed, stranded, hardly even knew your name...”

Angeal, with his arm hanging out the window, began to tap the beat against the side of the van with a smirk on his face. Genesis appeared to be sleeping, his head lolling onto Sephiroth’s shoulder. The latter ignored it as he continued into the chorus.  _ “I wanna talk tonight...” _

Zack joined him in unison.  _ “Until the morning light, ‘bout how you saved my life...” _

Cloud felt the resonance of his voice through his body, and he desperately tried to keep himself from smiling.  _ I love his voice, so much.  _ Oddly enough, Sephiroth didn’t appear disturbed that Zack was singing with him, still staring out the window.  _ “You and me, see how we are... _

_ “You and me, see how we are...” _

He strummed and began finger-picking the strings as well, a moody, mixed solo that used the entire instrument. “Didn’t know you cared for Oasis that much,” Angeal commented. “Besides our closer.”

“Yeah, well...” he replied, squinting as he focused on the fretboard. “I know a couple ballads. Just to...broaden my repertoire.”

“Sure.”

After a moment of drinking in the guitar, Sephiroth nodded to Zack. “Go on,” he said. “Take it.”

“Huh?” Zack shook his head, blinking. “Oh, sure.” He squeezed Cloud’s hand, giving him a quick kiss on the temple, before diving in:

_ “All your dreams are made of strawberry lemonade, _ __   
_ And you make sure I eat today. _ _   
_ __ You take me walking to where you played when you were young...”

Zack closed his eyes as he sang, head weaving back and forth with a gentle smirk on his face the whole time.  _ “I’ll never say that I won’t ever make you cry, _

_ “And this I’ll say, I don’t know why, _ _   
_ _ I know I’m leaving...” _

Sephiroth finally joined back in, this time in harmony.  _ “But I’ll be back another day.” _

Zack weaved considerably, bumping up against Cloud and forcing him into it as well.  _ At least I don’t feel so sick anymore,  _ he thought. Angeal looked back at the two of them, then shook his head and returned his gaze out the window. Cloud felt his face grow hot.  _ Ah... _

Zack and Sephiroth’s voices boomed in the van:

_ “I wanna talk tonight, until the morning light, _ _   
_ _ About how you saved my life...” _

_ “I wanna talk tonight,” _ Genesis echoed in a quiet mumble, adjusting himself on Sephiroth’s shoulder. His head shot down to him, and he shrugged him off, still continuing to sing even as Genesis grinned and settled back on his own.

_ “I wanna talk tonight, about how you saved my life...” _

Zack paused again, nudging Cloud’s head with his own until he could look directly at him.  _ “I wanna talk tonight,” _ he sang right to Cloud.  _ “About how you saved my life...” _

Cloud’s eyes grew huge, especially as he grinned down at him.  _ Zack.  _ He was even more surprised when he tilted his head and kissed him, lips slightly parted, gentle, gentle. Looking around, either everyone chose to ignore their moment, or simply didn’t see it, and Cloud’s chest was flooded with relief, enough to make way for the warmth from the kiss.

_ “I wanna talk tonight, about how you saved my life...” _

Zack continued to sing along, until Sephiroth dropped out himself, focusing on his guitar. He soon followed suit, until all that was left was the twang of the strings, ending on a low chord.

“Nice,” Angeal muttered, rolling his fingers against the side of the van.

“That  _ was _ nice,” Genesis repeated, leaning back on Sephiroth’s shoulder again.

“Christ, are you  _ sure  _ you didn’t sneak in a hit when we stopped?” Sephiroth hissed, pushing him away more aggressively this time, enough to twang his guitar. “I thought you  _ weren’t  _ going to stock up. Get off me...”

Angeal chuckled. “I won’t  _ ever  _ understand you two.”

Genesis opened his eyes just a crack. “Whatever.”

“Sounds good back there,” Tseng said. Cloud froze when he met his eyes in the rear-view, and only breathed when they went back to the road.

Zack squeezed his hand and leaned into his ear. “You’re all right,” he murmured. “It’s too dark to really see.”

“Are you sure?” Cloud replied. Their conversation was covered with Sephiroth playing to himself, a melody known only to him. 

“Yeah,” Zack said with a nod. “Just relax, babe. Are you feeling any better?”

Cloud found himself nodding slowly. “Yeah.”  _ Hearing you sing...always makes me feel better.  _ He sighed deep, fresh air finally reaching his nostrils and keeping him steady.  _ You make me feel better. I can always count on that…  _

“Say,” Zack muttered, low enough for only Cloud to hear. “How do you think the girls are doing?” 

_ Oh yeah. Aerith and Tifa back home.  _ “It’s pretty late, they’re probably asleep,” he whispered in reply. “Or Ti’s finishing up at work…”

“Sounds about right.” Zack rested his head against Cloud’s, eyes facing up and out the window. Then, he yawned. “Good, good…”

“Hey, don’t get too comfortable, there,” Angeal advised. “We’ll be at the drop before you know it.”

“Aw, man…” 

Cloud himself had his eyes half closed, but managed to refocus them on Angeal. He still had his arm out the window, moonlight on his face; and for the first time, Cloud noticed the lines under his eyes, and the drawn look on his lips.  _ He’s been around for a while, hasn’t he? I hardly ever see him off base…and from what Zack’s told me, neither has he, not until recently.  _ He studied him for a hair too long, for Angeal noticed and gave him a quick wink.  _ He works a lot, but yet he’s still so kind. No wonder Zack admires him so much-- _

His thoughts were cut short by a jolt of the van, making him dizzy again.  _ Oy, I just need to get through this ride…and not throw up… _

* * *

 

Aerith twirled around the apartment as the radio blared behind her. Tifa watched as she twirled, tripped over her own feet, but caught herself in a deep bow, keeping eye contact with her the whole time.  _ She’s tipsy,  _ Tifa concluded to herself, taking another sip of her own beer. There were only two empty cans sitting on the table in front of her.  _ But she’s a lightweight too…I mean, if  _ one  _ pot brownie threw her for a loop, then-- _

“Honey, will you dance with me~?” Aerith asked, holding her arms out. 

Tifa shook her head. “Sorry,” she said with a yawn. “I kinda…I’m getting tired, I think…” 

“Aw.” Aerith rushed over and grabbed her by both of her hands and tried to hoist her up. Tifa ended up having to put forward most of the effort, her momentum putting her squarely in Aerith’s arms. “Well, we get the bed tonight…since the boys are gone…”

_ Right.  _ Tifa sighed as she slipped her hand around Aerith’s waist while they sauntered toward the bedroom. With a flick of her wrist, Aerith clumsily turned off the radio on their way over, but left the lights on.  _ It’s not long, and after listening to everyone, sounds like it’s not a very serious mission either.  _

_ Just something to get used to, even if Cloud said he was going to stay stationed in Midgar… _

Aerith patted Tifa’s butt before letting her go. “I’m gonna get some water,” she said. “I feel like I’ve got a headache coming on already…”

“Mmhm.” She hopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling as the faucet ran in the background.  _ He seemed pretty excited to be going. Of course he would be, first mission out, first one with the 1sts, first one with Zack…obviously.  _ She rested her forearm over her eyes.  _ Damn it, I’m never going to get through this weekend if all I’m doing is God damn worrying. He’s going to be fine. Cloud’s going to be fine! _

_ That’s what I said after he passed his SOLDIER exam though, wasn’t it? Didn’t even cross my mind… _

Footsteps pattered on hardwood, circling around the bed, and ended with pressure and the creak of the mattress beside her. “Hey,” Tifa asked. “How many times…has Zack been dispatched since you guys have been together?”

“Hm…” she pondered. Tifa lifted her arm to see Aerith tap a finger to her lips. “I want to say…sssssix?” She cocked her head, reaching up slowly to undo her braid over her shoulder. “Most of them were short, except for that one long one…”

“That’s not…too many,” Tifa murmured in reply. “In, what…two years?”

“Year and a half,” she corrected. She crossed her legs and bounced on her rear. “I mean, Wutai was winding down so…” She trailed off, then chuckled to herself. “Y’know, that one long dispatch, it was the first one, after we first started seeing each other. I remember thinking to myself that it was a good thing that he was going away. I mean, he was a military boy, traveling places, with plenty of pretty girls. I said, ‘well, this’ll make it easier’. I really only thought we were going to be a summer fling.”

Aerith bit her lip and turned her head toward Tifa, quick enough to bounce her bangs. “And he still told me to write,” she continued. “So…I did.” 

Tifa blinked. “Did he write back?”

She shook her head. “No. See, I told myself that we were only going to be a summer fling, but I still wrote him so much. Twenty-three letters. God, maybe he was gone more than a month…” Aerith stuck her tongue out. “Nope, but he comes to the church after he was done his tour, all the letters in a big rubber-banded bundle, with a big, dopey smile on his face…”

She leaned back and flopped next to Tifa, one hand on her stomach. “Apparently one of the Turks was holding on to them, so he didn’t get to see them all ‘til the end. Who knows why. But…” A dreamy look crossed her face. “He stuck around.” 

She rolled over and hugged Tifa close to her, a leg wrapped around her hip. “You’re worried about Cloud, aren’t you?” she said. 

“Y-yeah…” Tifa sighed, tucking her face into the crook of Aerith’s shoulder. “I know, it’s not a big deal–”

“You’re right. It’s totally not.” Aerith peppered kisses on her head. “They’ll come back in one piece. And they’ll be back before you know it.” She nuzzled her face until Tifa lifted her head enough to make eye contact. “Besides, you know Zack would die before letting Cloud get hurt.”

“Mm…”  _ You’re saying that to make me feel better, but what about Zack, then? You’re not worried about him?  _ Her hands twisted against her waist.  _ You’ve had more time, you’re more used to this. Hell, I’m the one who followed him out to Midgar, and no matter how many times I tell myself I did it for me, I also did it to make sure he was going to be okay… _

“Tifa,” Aerith whispered. “Here, come kiss me…”

Before she could protest, she was drawn into a soft, deep kiss, melting into the sensation of her lips.  _ I shouldn’t, shouldn’t dwell on it so much,  _ she thought, drawing each preceding kiss out as long as she could.  _ They’ll be fine, and we’ll be able to get some time together… _

_ Without interruptions, we can just be… _

Aerith moaned gently into Tifa’s mouth, opening hers just enough to tease her tongue in. Willingly, they continued the open mouthed kiss, keeping as close together as they could. Heat prickled at the back of her neck, especially after Aerith’s hands slipped beneath her shirt, snaking over the curve of her waist and around to her back.  _ “Mmn…”  _

Her fingers snuck under the band of her bra and released the clasps, and once free, she began stroking and fondling her chest. As soon as she skated over her nipple, Tifa gasped. “A-ah--!” 

Aerith chuckled into her mouth and tugged on her bottom lip gently with her teeth. “Mm~?” she inquired, ending it with a kiss. “Do you like that?”

_ I do, of course, you already know that,  _ Tifa thought as she nodded, already out of breath.  _ You’re just teasing me…  _

Her thighs twitched.  _ I don’t mind it…and you know that too.  _

As soon as she had backed up a little, Aerith was quick to pull her shirt and bra off in one sweeping motion, leaving her topless on her back. She straddled on top of her, keeping her dress around her knees so she could lift the whole thing up and off her.  _ What’s it like, to wear something and not need a bra?  _ Tifa thought idly, hands fidgeting at her sides as Aerith grinned above her.  _ To have tits that small and perky… _

“You’re already thinking dirty, aren’t you~?” Aerith teased as she swooped down on her. “Let’s make something of it, baby…”

_ Gladly,  _ Tifa thought. She wrapped her arms around Aerith’s neck as they began to kiss again, deep and full.  _ Gladly, beautiful… _

* * *

 

As dawn crept over the desert horizon, Cloud finally allowed himself to relax the death grip he had on his sword. The lookout perch was just off a short ledge--tall enough for Cloud’s legs to dangle off the rock, but short enough for Sephiroth beside him to keep his feet on the ground.  _ Of course, my first watch had to be with Sephiroth,  _ Cloud thought, chewing at his lips.  _ I relieved Angeal, he looked like he needed it, but… _

He allowed himself to glance at Sephiroth out of the corner of his eye. The 1st-class SOLDIER was still standing tall, hair braided back, long sword fixed on his back and his eyes fixated on the landscape beyond them.  _ He’s barely said three sentences over the last five hours.  _ Cloud sighed, then flinched for his pager.  _ Has it…has it been that long? If it has, then there should be a switch soon… _

Sephiroth caught him flinching, and sighed through his nose. “What is it?” he muttered.

“N-nothing,” Cloud replied. “Just…ch-checking the time.”

“Mmhm.” He rolled his shoulders back--he was wearing a long, black jacket over his standard uniform, a contrast to the sleeveless tunic he was used to seeing him in. He reached into one of the pockets and pulled out a cigarette. He put it between his lips, but didn’t light it. “Sunrise…”

“Huh?” Cloud shifted, and figured he was allowed to look at him. 

But he took his time conveying his thought, as the sun’s orange faded to pale yellow, up into shades of blue above them. “It’s…beautiful,” he said. “Even though I am up at the crack of dawn most days, I don’t take time to appreciate it.” His brow furrowed. “Only on boring missions like this, I suppose…”

_ I feel like he always finds something to complain about,  _ Cloud mused. But, he nodded. “Y-yeah.” He held his breath, and yet somehow found himself talking again. “When I was growing up, ah, some days in the fall, used to…go up to the mountain, watch the sunrise from there, it was…p-pretty cool.”

Silence fell between them.  _ Crap. Why’d I keep talking again?  _ He fiddled with the feather on his wrist, constantly smoothing the delicate down against the palm of his glove.  _ Who’s the relief, again? I don’t know if I can do much more of this…I don’t know when he’s going to randomly snap at me… _

_ (“Unnecessary.”) _

_ He’s wicked temperamental… _

In the fog of his thoughts, Sephiroth said something Cloud didn’t catch, while looking right at him. “H-huh?” Cloud jerked, then shook his head, clenching his fists. “S-sorry…what was that?” 

Sephiroth’s lip twitched. In annoyance or vague amusement, Cloud couldn’t tell. “Where are you from?” he asked.

“Oh. Nibelheim.” 

“Ah.” His gaze shifted away from him, and Cloud breathed again. “I have been there before. Sleepy town. But…pleasant, I guess.”

_ I know, I remember,  _ Cloud thought.  _ You did recruiting there once. I wanted to get a poster signed, but…I was too nervous to. I just grabbed the forms that were there and scurried away. That was…right after I graduated. And I still failed the entrance exam… _

He stared down at his boots.  _ No, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter now. Because now I  _ am  _ SOLDIER. I made it. 2nd-class, even. And I’ll work as long as it takes to get to 1st… _

Suddenly, Sephiroth glanced at his own pager, then craned his neck behind them to their camp. “Christ, where  _ is  _ he?” he muttered, then rolled his eyes. “Bastard…” 

“Who’s your relief?” Cloud asked. 

“Guess,” Sephiroth grunted. “I  _ knew  _ he was too eager to go sleep. He’s probably sleeping off that buzz he got before we left…”

_ So…Genesis,  _ Cloud sighed. “Um, I…do you want me to go get him?” 

Sephiroth mulled over this, then nodded. “Yes, actually. Make him get out here, and you’re done for now.”

“Wh-what?” Cloud scooted back to hoist himself up, stiff legs making him wobble as he rose. “But, you’re the one being--”

“Do you think I cannot handle this?” Sephiroth challenged, although not directly at him. “During the end of my Wutai tour, I was forced to stay up for three days straight. I am more than capable.” 

_ Of course you are,  _ Cloud thought, surprised at the sarcasm in his own inner voice.  _ Man, I thought Sephiroth was  _ the  _ epitome of SOLDIER…but he’s kind of an asshole. Sometimes, anyway.  _ As Cloud stared at him, Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. “What are you staring at me for? Go. You’re dismissed.”

“E-er, y-yes. Sir.”  _ He could still rip me right in half. He can probably hear what I’m thinking. I should go.  _ Cloud nodded vigorously, grabbed his sword, and scurried back off the lookout and back to the base. 

Stumbling in the dirt, he ran to the caravan, clumsily holstering his sword on his back.  _ Wait. Zack and Angeal are still sleeping. I don’t need to wake  _ everyone  _ up. Stupid, stupid…  _ He skidded to a halt before he opened the door, taking a deep breath.  _ Okay. Get Genesis.  _

The windows were completely blocked, making it pitch dark inside, except for the light from the door. Zack was sleeping in the far corner, followed by an empty sleeping bag, then Angeal, then Genesis. Angeal stirred at the sound of the door, but soon rolled over and fell back into his light doze. Cloud tiptoed to Genesis’ cot while he snored, a book over his face. It was a crinkled, weathered paperback, with “LOVELESS” on the front cover. Gingerly, while keeping the place in the book, Cloud lifted it off his face. “A-ah…1st-class Rhapsodos…”

Genesis only groaned, rolling over to his side. Cloud set the book down at his feet, and tried again. “1st-class Rhapsodos…i-it’s your watch shift…”

Nothing still.  _ Okay. You have to wake up your superior officer somehow, or else your other, _ more  _ superior officer will grill you.  _ After five more minutes of waiting, he finally crouched down and shook him by the shoulder.  _ “Genesis.”  _

At last, Genesis jerked awake. “What, what?” he groaned, pushing his bangs back out of his face. “Strife, what do you want?” 

“I-it’s…” Cloud hesitated as Genesis pawed around for his book, eventually snatching it back and dog-earing the page he was on. “Y-your turn for watch duty.”

“What? Fuck,” he cursed. He fumbled around beside him and squinted at his pager. “Shit. You’re right. Who’s out there? Seph?” He grinned as Cloud nodded. “Uh-huh. He’s staying, ain’t he? To ream me out in private…” 

He laughed as he rocked back and forth, until he had enough momentum to lift himself off his feet. As soon as he was up, he twisted his back to crack it, then ran his fingers up through his suspenders and snapped them against his shoulders. “Later,” Genesis said, lazily flicking a finger up before leaving the caravan. 

_ Well, that’s done,  _ Cloud thought, making his way back to his thin sleeping bag.  _ This means my whole schedule’s a little messed up.  _ He unlaced his boots and pulled off his gloves, keeping them in a neat pile.  _ I’ll get to sleep more, but…I’ll sleep forever if someone doesn’t wake me up, or unless I set an alarm… _

As soon as he slipped his suspenders off his shoulders, he felt a warm arm around his waist. “Zack…” Cloud murmured, glancing down. “Go back to sleep…”

“Mm-mmn…” Zack groaned, rolling over further so he was nestled right against Cloud’s side. His hair was matted right into his pillow, and even in the dark, Cloud could spot a gentle smirk on his lips. “You’re back early…”

Cloud scooted down so they were face to face. “Yeah. Sephiroth let me off early…”

“Cool.” Zack grunted and opened up his sleeping bag, gesturing to himself. “C’mere.”

Cloud glanced back at Angeal. “I-is…is that…”

“Shh.” With one arm, Zack grappled him by the waist and hoisted him into his sleeping bag, immediately cuddling up to him and nuzzling his nose into his hair. “Chocobo…”

“Z-Zack…” Cloud giggled in spite of himself.  _ You’re so affectionate when you’re sleepy… _

“Man, I’m so glad you decided to come with,” he murmured, kissing his head. His kisses continued through the side of his face, continuing even as he talked. “It just gets so lonely out here, y’know? I mean, usually all the guys aren’t here, so it’s just me and pictures of Aerith…”

_ Pictures, huh?  _ Cloud thought.

_ (His hand kept twitching on the shoebox, pictures of Zack and Aerith peeking out of it, and it drew his attention. He grinned out of the side of his mouth. “Ah, see you found our secret little stash, huh?” Zack said, sauntering over and squatting beside him. _

_ “I didn’t mean to,” Cloud apologized, talking too fast. “I was looking for my shirt, then I kicked it over and–” _

_ “Hey, no big deal,” he said, then winked. “Find anything you like?”) _

He blinked hard.  _ Wonder what kind of pictures… _

Zack stroked the side of Cloud’s face with his thumb. “But you’re here…” he murmured, and kissed the side of his cheek. It was soft and warm, and made Cloud’s heart skip. Then, he kissed his mouth. Once.

Then twice. And again. Each kiss seemed to last longer than the next, and Cloud let them, melting into the warmth of his chest. Eventually, he managed to break the kiss, breathless still. “Hey, should…is this…uh…”

“Hey, don’t worry. He’s asleep. We’ve got a couple hours,” Zack assured, running his hand back through Cloud’s fluffy blond hair. Then, his voice dropped. “If you wanna do something more, y’know, we can--”

_ “No,”  _ Cloud affirmed, anxiety seizing him.  _ This feels risky enough as it is, Jesus, Zack.  _ He fidgeted with Zack’s tunic at his hips.  _ I just don’t want to get in trouble… _

“Hey, relax, babe.” Zack’s voice was deep and soothing. “It’s nothing…”

He chained this right into another, deep kiss to his mouth. Cloud leaned into it, still fidgeting at his tunic, until he slid a hand underneath it against Zack’s bare hip. He was warm all over, as he felt across his stomach and his chest.  _ He’s so strong,  _ Cloud thought, head growing hazy from the contact and the warmth.  _ Mm, Zack… _

Zack moaned quiet in the back of his throat, and took Cloud’s face in both of his hands. “Oh…” he sighed, then pulled the turtleneck of his uniform down and dove on his neck, kissing and licking.  _ “Mmn…” _

“S-shh--!” Cloud let out a hiss as he instinctively lifted his neck up to let Zack have easier access. “D-don’t leave a mark…!”

“Hey, that’s what this is for,” Zack replied, pulling on his uniform. “Can’t see nothin’.”

“Y-yeah, but Ti will see…”

“Your girlfriend can give you matching ones.”

“God, she’d never…b-besides, Aerith would probably be pissed too…”

“Oh yeah…”

Zack trailed off as he continued to kiss Cloud, his hands wandering along his back and his waist.  _ You’d better not,  _ Cloud thought, eyes fluttering closed.  _ Even if the uniform does cover it, it can slouch, and if the others see, I’m dead… _

_ But this…is nice, so… _

Even in his drowsy state, Cloud clung to Zack, offering lazy, quiet kisses in the early dawn.  _ Some mission this is…but I’ll take it.  _

He smiled into his hair.

* * *

 

Genesis sauntered out to the lookout with a cup of instant coffee steaming in his hand. “Morning,” he said.

“You’re late,” Sephiroth growled. “Sleeping off your high?” 

“Maybe,” he replied, plopping down beside him. “So, you sent Strife off instead of giving yourself a break, huh?”

Sephiroth stuck his nose in the air. “Yes. He’s only 2nd-class, so he’s technically training. He doesn’t need a ten hour watch shift. You get that enough on base.”

Genesis nodded idly. “You left him in there alone with Fair.” 

“So?”

“Seems kind of irresponsible, don’t you think?” Genesis chuckled, a smirk on his lips as he took a sip of coffee.

“Genesis,” Sephiroth sighed through clenched teeth, “I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth ever again, for as long as I live.”

He snorted, which turned into a full blown cackle, seeming to echo across the desert. Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Shut up, imbecile,” he scolded. He rolled his eyes and reached over to snatch the coffee mug out of his hands. “And give me some of that…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the first section seems familiar, that's because it is! It's a retooled version of ["En Route",](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/144873599351/en-route) which was initially an extra one shot. It's been tweaked to fit the flow of the story!
> 
> The song featured is ["Talk Tonight" by Oasis.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycaocta_OCw)
> 
> Happy 20th anniversary, FF7, I'm celebrating by queer makeouts, how about you? Angeal is probably only lightly asleep during Zack and Cloud's affair…luckily, they just make out for a while, so no troubles. Aerith and Tifa have a little more fun than just that off-screen. Sephiroth's mood swings a lot in this chapter, huh…he's a bit testy because of the boring work. The little flashback Cloud has about, well, _pictures_ , is from another flash. [You can see where that goes here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/149416386536/flash-time-40)
> 
> Let's see, looks like we're for really getting ready for the gang's roadtrip. Exciting! Next time--some "bonding" with Zack and Tifa, via motorcycle riding. Stay tuned!


	59. Driving Lessons

“So…okay,” Aerith said, hair-tie between her teeth. “We’re going to do a trip to Gongaga… _ and  _ Nibelheim…on a  _ motorcycle?”  _

“Hey now--!” Zack said, eyes still on the TV as he tapped buttons on the game controller. Cloud sat curled up in his side, while Tifa sat flush against his hip, drumsticks in her hand. “First of all, we’ve done it before, babe…”

“Yeah, well it was just the two of us, then,” Aerith replied. She snapped her hair into place and leaned over the couch, scratching through Zack’s thick, dark hair with her fingertips. “This is double the trip  _ and  _ double the passengers. That is  _ not _ going to be comfortable.”

He paused the game to reach up and cup her face. “Listen, these are like… _top notch_ bikes. They’re huge, for one, and they have a cool integrated sidecar--”

Tifa snorted. “A sidecar? Really?”

“I  _ promise  _ it’s not dorky, it looks cool! It’s like this big bucket seat. Shinra uses it for cargo, mostly…” He gestured a curve with his hand. “Wicked comfy, I tell ya. Fit two in there, someone drives, and someone’s on the back. And the bitch seat is actually a  _ seat, _ too.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call it that…” Aerith muttered, slouching.

Zack winced, but continued. “So yeah, you ladies can ease back, and Cloud and I can swap off and on, to ease the load.”

Cloud shifted between Zack and Tifa, then sat up and fluffed the back of his hair, matted from lying down. “Yeah, just…probably shouldn’t put me in the sidecar too much. I’ll…probably get sick.”

“Aw, you get motion sick?” Aerith asked.

Cloud nodded, but Zack was quick to wrap an arm around him and kiss his head. “Yeah, but he’s a trooper! You did great on the caravan.”

_ That ain’t saying much,  _ Cloud thought, smirking in spite of himself. “S-sure,” he muttered. “‘Sides, Ti can drive too--”

“What? Really?” Zack abandoned the controller on the coffee table and leaned forward to address Tifa. “I’ll be damned.”

Tifa glared daggers over at Zack, and Cloud took the cue to get up from between them, unraveling himself from Zack’s shoulder.  _ Here we go,  _ Cloud thought, exchanging a look with Aerith.  _ The more this happens, the more I think Tifa will take anything as an excuse to start something with him… _

“What?” Tifa said, rattling the sticks on her thighs. “I _swear_ I already told you.”

“Sorry, I forget stuff,” Zack said with a shrug. Then, he leaned back and grinned. “You know, you  _ do  _ seem more like the type.” He waggled his finger at her while she frowned. “I can see you fixing a bike up yourself in a garage…”

“Oh yeah?” she said. She opened her mouth to protest, then sighed to herself and shrugged. “Actually, I would’ve rather been doing that than wearing a tight skirt that barely covers my ass, showing tourists around ‘scenic Nibelheim’…”

Zack got up and flicked off the Genesis, trailing Cloud to the kitchen. “Lemme guess, not much to see?” he commented. 

“Except you, I bet,” Aerith replied with a grin. “Do you still have it?”

Tifa burned bright red. “Not here! God, I’d rather--”

Before Zack could make it to Cloud, he spun around and bounced back to the couch, an arm around Aerith. “Yeah, you gotta show us!” he teased. “I bet Cloud’s seen it, you can’t let him have all the fun!”

Cloud bit his lip and shook his head as he ran the kitchen faucet for a glass of water.  _ I’ve seen her tourist garb before, sure,  _ he thought.  _ I never really had the guts to go visit her at work, her boss was kind of a dick. But, there  _ was  _ that one time… _

_ (“Next group leaves in ten minutes!” Tifa called, in a voice artificially higher than Cloud remembered it being. She stepped out from behind the counter--in a brown leather mini-skirt, heeled cowboy boots, and a frilled vest over her white tanktop. A cowboy hat completed the outfit, her bangs hidden beneath the brim. Her cleavage hung out of the top, and she paused to try and pull up the tanktop so it wasn’t so revealing, but to no avail. _

_ Cloud fidgeted in place with the book in his hand until she noticed him in the doorway. “Oh, Jesus, Cloud--!” She glanced behind her, then pulled her skirt down and sped over to him. He took note of how she tried to keep her thigh movement to a minimum to keep her skirt in place. “Wh-what are you doing here?”  _

_ He wasn’t quite sure where to look, as every part of her seemed like a bad move, so he chose the creaky, wooden floor at his feet. “J-just dropping…you left this at my place,” he mumbled, offering the book. _

_ With a sigh, she took it back, hugging it against her chest. “Thanks.” _

_ At last, Cloud managed to meet her eyes. “I-it’s…it’s March.” His new item to fidget with was the ends of his sweatshirt. “Aren’t you cold?”) _

_ “Zack--!  _ I swear to God--”

Tifa’s shout jerked him out of his thoughts, and he pulled his overflowing water glass out from the sink to check on the commotion. Tifa and Zack were squared up in front of each other--although her eyes were narrowed, Cloud caught a twitching smirk in her gritted teeth.  _ Oh? _

“I’m just saying,” Zack replied, hands out. “Maybe you’re a bit rusty! It’s a company bike, and I’ve already got one strike on me for, you know, punching Hojo--”

“Hojo’s _dead,_ honey,” Aerith interjected. She glanced quickly behind her, then gestured below where the others could see for Cloud to come closer. “I think you’re in the clear there.”

“Not the point!” Tifa huffed. “I can  _ drive.”  _

“I know! I didn’t say you couldn’t!” 

“So…will you let me test drive  _ your  _ bike?”

“I don’t want you to ding up the old girl.”

“It’s  _ already  _ dinged up!” She pointed at Aerith. “And I bet I’m a hell of a lot more careful than you!” 

“Hey, I’m careful!” 

“You don’t wear a helmet! Ever! I don’t think you own one!”

“He’s got one,” Aerith said, and lifted a finger up.  _ “One.” _

“I-it gets hot?” Zack protested, but it was weak, and he fluffed the back of his hair. “Sorry, but if you’re gonna take my bike for a spin, I’m gonna have to come with you.” 

_ He let me take his bike out on my own,  _ Cloud mused.  _ I shouldn’t probably bring that up now, though.  _

Tifa rolled her head back. “Ugh, can’t I just take Cloud? Or Aerith? They can vouch for me. Cloud especially, we used to ride bikes together anyway!” She spun toward him. “Yeah?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh hoho, you just wanna make a  _ date  _ out of it,” Zack chuckled, wandering over and lightly punching her arm. “I feel you, I feel you, wanting them all tucked up close to y-- _ whoooooa--!”  _

_ “All right, buddy--!”  _ Tifa hollered, and in a swift motion, grabbed Zack by the waist, squatted, and hurled him backwards onto the couch. He landed with a grunt, and the couch made an equally exhausted crunching sound.

_ “Sh-shit!”  _ Cloud yelped, jumping back.  

“Oh, no, no! Baby, not the couch--!” Aerith jumped to life, scurrying around. “If you guys are going to wrestle, do it on the bed, or go outside--”

“The bed?” Zack replied, a muffled groan from his head between the cushions. He coughed as he tried to dislodge himself from the couch, which seemed to have a bow to it in the middle. “Babe, I think that’s for a whole different kind of wrestling…ah  _ ha!”  _

Tifa rested a foot squarely on his ass, keeping him in place while she crossed her arms. “I  _ will  _ kick your ass,” she taunted, eyes full of fire as she panted from exertion. 

“Please don’t,” Zack whimpered. 

_ Please don’t,  _ Cloud thought, keeping his mouth covered with one hand, masking his intimidation and amusement in one fell swoop.

Aerith tip-toed behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “You can come kick  _ my  _ ass anytime,” she purred with a giggle. “If you know what I mean~.” 

Tifa burned red and squirmed in her grip, stumbling back and freeing Zack from the couch cushions. He sputtered and spit, shaking his messy mane out. “Christ, we should clean that someday,” he huffed. Then, he tapped Tifa’s shoulder. “Listen, girl, come prove that you can ride, and I’ll stop buggin’ you.”

She frowned, whirling on him even as Aerith clung to her.  _ “You’re  _ buggin’!” she snapped back, following him to the kitchen. “Promise you’ll let it go?” 

Zack grabbed his baseball hat and keys off the table. “SOLDIER’s honor,” he said, tossing his hat up to spin it before catching it and mashing it backwards on his head. He clicked his tongue and pointed at both Aerith and Cloud. “Our friends here as my witness!”

“I’ll hold you to it, hotshot.” Aerith ran her hands over Tifa’s hips before slipping away to examine the couch. 

“Yeah…” Cloud said. He took Aerith’s place behind Tifa, only offering a hand on the small of her back as he watched Zack pace out of the kitchen. “Take it easy…both of you, okay?”

“You betcha,” Zack quipped, bending down to kiss Cloud’s cheek.

_ “Really,”  _ he emphasized. He glanced at Tifa out of the corner of his eye.  _ She’s barely cooled down, and I know you guys…must have fun jabbing at each other like this, but sometimes you make me nervous.  _ “C-come back in one piece.”

Zack snorted and waved his hand. “Oh, we’ll be fine! No sweat.” He waved at Tifa. “You comin’? Let’s go see what’s going on above plate.”

Tifa sighed and nodded, waving to her partners. “We’ll be back in a bit, I guess.” 

Zack held the door open for her as she walked out, then winked at the others before letting the door shut behind him. Cloud caught a glimpse of Zack racing up the stairs to get ahead of her.  _ Oh boy.  _

“They’re just having fun, you know that,” Aerith commented, staring at the couch. Her green eyes flicked up to him, and she smirked behind her hand. “Relax, Cloud.”

He didn’t realize he was furrowing his brow until she mentioned that, and he sighed. “I know,” he said. “I know…”

“There were a couple of brothers at the church who used to do that. Mess with each other, play-fight, but then they’d always hug it out afterwards.” She patted the dip in the couch, and it creaked. “Same difference.”

Cloud nodded and wandered beside her. “I guess,” he mumbled. “Poor couch.”

“Poor couch is right,” Aerith snorted. “Let’s give it a break for right now.”

She tapped her finger against her lips, then grinned. “Wanna help me with my closet again before they get home?” 

Cloud’s heart jerked.  _ Right.  _ He bit his own lip while her face spread into a grin, a spark in her eyes.  _ Wouldn’t hurt…right?  _

* * *

 

“All right, so the clutch is right there--”

“I know.”

“Uh-huh. You’ve got a break up on the handles, and one down by your feet--”

“I  _ know,  _ Zack.” She adjusted herself on the seat of his bike, toes barely scraping the ground. “Ey, watch your hands!”

Immediately, the touch on her hips disappeared. “Sorry, sorry. Just wanna make sure you’re steady. I know it’s a little tall for you.” 

Tifa kept her vision straight ahead while he wandered around the bike, opening up the seat right behind her. “I’m not a fucking beanstalk like you,” she muttered.  _ Zack means well. Zack means well. He’s just…an annoying little puppy sometimes. Most of the time.  _

He chuckled. “Few are,” he remarked, then handed her a pair of sunglasses. “You’re gonna need these.”

“No helmet?” she asked as she took them. The lenses fit a little too close to her eyes, and made her blink. “Oh, let me guess. You’re ‘too cool’ for a helmet.”

“Hey now,” he retorted. The motorcycle jostled as Zack hopped on the back, gripping the grab bars. “Well, the one I _do_ have is in my locker at work, so…”

Tifa wrinkled her nose as she twisted the key in the engine. “I was  _ right.”  _

“Yes. Well, no!” Zack bounced on the back of the seat. “Look, you know how much helmets cost? Fuckin’ a thou’ gil a pop! Don’t have that kind of money just lying around--”

Tifa groaned.  _ God, I’ll fucking buy one. A full set for everyone, so that if Aerith or Cloud want to ride with you, their heads don’t go rolling on the pavement either. Barret’s been paying me enough.  _ She revved the bike, and it came to life more immediately than she expected.  _ Okay. Time to show this sucker that I can drive. It’s been so long, but… _

_ Just like riding a bike, you never  _ really  _ forget.  _

With a deep breath out, she pushed off the ground and lifted her feet to the pedals, easing on the gas to roll them out of the alley. “All right, I can give you directions ‘round here,” Zack said over her shoulder. “Take a left out of the alley, okay?” 

Without a word, only a look to traffic, she turned into the street. With her eyes on the road, she kept her focus on the rhythm of the motorcycle beneath her.  _ Where does it want to shift gears…  _ She listened to it whine up, and up, and right as it crescendoed, she pulled in the clutch and shifted up, jerking the bike just barely.  _ Not bad for not having been on a bike in a few years… _

The wind snaked through her hair, blowing her bangs back and whipping her ponytail against her back. When they came to a traffic light, after she eased to a halt, Zack tapped her shoulder. “All right, next light, you’re gonna take the lane that leads to the ramp, to get up for some fresh air,” he said. “How’re you hangin’?” 

“Good,” she replied, even as her calves strained to keep her upright.  _ It’s easy to forget that motorcycles are so heavy…and this one’s pretty tall… _

Zack seemed to sense her strain. “The company bikes sit a lot lower, so you don’t have to worry about that,” he assured. “They’re meant for long trips, not speed, so-- _ whoa--”  _

The light turned green, and Tifa was quick on the throttle, jerking him out of his sentence.  _ Well, that’s a relief,  _ she thought, easing her grip on the handlebars.  _ Just makes it a little hard to stop sometimes…like I’m going to ride his bike any other time soon, this is just a test drive to cool his ego.  _ Her eye twitched as she took the ramp above the plate. Sunlight streamed through the tunnel, blinding her with blew as soon as they broke into the city. She winced as they ascended, riding along the bridge that lined Midgar from above.  _ Usually I’m on foot when I come through here…don’t usually see this highway view.  _

“Keep left.” Zack had to shout in order to be heard over the wind whistling around them. “We’ll cruise around the perimeter…”

As the rhythm of the road became more steady, Tifa allowed herself a little room to admire the view in the corner of her eye.  _ For a while, this was all I knew about Midgar, this scenery above the plate. Like a modern utopia, with Shinra right smack in the middle. It’s where everyone  _ had  _ to go, or else you were a nobody.  _

_ (She winced as the bully kicked him in the shins. “Pansy pussy Cloud, who has a fuckin’ name like that?”  _

_ He tried to jab at him, tiny ponytail swinging at the back of his neck. “Shut up!” he cried, voice cracking.  _

_ He was answered with a sock to the jaw that sent him crumbling to the ground. “Take a seat, wimp,” he taunted, spitting on Cloud’s head. “You big fat nobody.” _

_ “I’m  _ not a nobody!”  _ he screamed, even after the bully and his friends jeered and walked away. “I’m gonna be SOLDIER! You’ll see!” _

_ “Yeah, keep dreaming…!”)  _

Tifa sighed to herself.  _ Cloud… _

“Hey, hey!” Zack patted her waist. “Let’s pull over, over here by the 2nds training area.”

Startled from her thoughts, she geared down, creeping to a halt before letting the bike roll as close to the curb as she would let it. “Whew,” she sighed, flexing her hands. “What, did you need something?” 

“Turn her off, let’s stretch.”

Tifa killed the engine and dropped the kickstand, leaning the bike to one side. As soon as she tilted her borrowed sunglasses to the top of her head, she spotted the meter she parked beside. “Oh, shit,” she cursed, patting her pockets. “Gil for the meter…”

“Ey, don’t worry about it,” Zack remarked, adjusting his hat as he hopped up to the sidewalk. “If a parking guy comes by, we’ll just tell them we’re just leaving.” 

_ Whatever you say, buddy,  _ Tifa grumbled internally. She tightened her ponytail and meandered to the chain-link fence. A couple 2nd-class SOLDIER were sparring in the center of the arena, the clinking of their swords ringing even over the mull of traffic behind them. 

Zack chuckled, hands in his back pockets. “That was me once,” he said. “I used to come out here on weekends like this, fight anyone who’d face me.”

“I believe it,” Tifa replied, crossing her arms. 

“You sure you don’t wanna join?” He gave her arm a small punch without any real force. “You’d be a great fit…”

“How many times do I have to tell you ‘no’?!” Tifa groaned, rolling her eyes. “I’m not about that life.”

Zack snickered and shook his head. “Good,” he said. His voice dropped, smirk soured. “Good.”

Tifa glanced at him at his shift in tone. “What?” she asked.

He sighed. “You know what they say,” he said. “SOLDIER’s a den of monsters. Don’t go inside.” At Tifa’s silence, he continued. “Just wanted to make sure you didn’t change your mind. Now that Angeal’s training you up for the band ‘n stuff…”

“Oh,  _ that?”  _ Tifa snorted. “What makes you think  _ that _ would make me want a career in the military?” 

“I dunno…!” he exclaimed, shrugged big. His hands went up and out of his pockets, and when they came down, he gripped the chain link fence with one hand. Tifa kept the quiet between them.  _ For talking a mile a minute most of the time…I can feel like he’s stewing on something for once.  _

_ What is it…? Because let me tell you something, you don’t have to tell me SOLDIER is nasty, or that Shinra’s a hellhole. I already… _

_ …I already know.  _

Zack sighed heavily. “Still can’t…believe Cloud wants to get to 1st. Don’t mention this to him, by the way,” he suggested, side-eying her. “He’ll probably think I’m treating him like a little kid. ‘What’s the deal, Zack, you were cheering me on to join the whole time…!’” 

His eyes grew distant, dark blue reflecting the sky above with odd clarity. “Y’know what they have you do for 1st? Well, first of all, 2nd-class makes you learn all this technical mumbo-jumbo. So that weeds out a hell of a lot of people. But, you can opt for the 1st training as soon as you pass into 2nd-class. Then you’ve gotta get recommended by a superior.”

“Who recommended you?” Tifa asked. “Angeal?”

He snapped his fingers. “You got it. You can probably tell knowing that gang of 1sts that they’re stingy with rec’s. I don’t think Sephiroth’s  _ ever  _ recommended anyone. Gen’s only put up for a handful. Same with Angeal. Usually Turks scout ‘em out, especially if they need people abroad.” 

He whistled and let go of the fence, only to pace in front of it. He kept his eyes on the still sparring SOLDIER on the field. “Then, you have a meeting with the President. Lotta formal shit, how you’re about to be Shinra’s finest, that you’re representing the company and its scope, blah blah… _ then  _ you have a closed door meeting with  _ the  _ 1st-class SOLDIER.”

“S…Sephiroth?” Tifa asked with a squint. 

Zack barked out a laugh. “Nah, he wishes,” he remarked. “No, it’s this ancient guy…the first 1st-class  _ ever.  _ This guy is  _ old… _ for real, he’s like…130?” 

“Bullshit--!” Tifa called, jumping back. “There’s no fucking way--!” 

Zack’s wide eyes told her otherwise. “Mako will do shit to you, let me tell you,” he said, tugging on the brim of his hat near the back of his neck. “Making you live longer is one of those perks, and they've upped the dosage since then…a-anyway, this dude sits you down and tells you about a million war stories. Some real sobering stuff.” He shook his head. “This guy doesn’t have a family, no kids, no spouse, nothing. But he still looks strong, like he could match you any second…the whole stereotype about 1sts is that they're all lone wolves…”

He blinked at the ground. “Then…there’s the actual…the actual exam.”

Zack paused in his pacing, glancing at Tifa for a second, then started up again. His shoulders tensed as he walked. “They have you just…run for twelve hours straight. You bench for another three hours, weights up to a ton. Some other…other endurance shit. You get your head dunked into a tank of ice cold water for five minutes.” He swallowed hard, hands balled into fists. “You’ve gotta stay there, the 1st overseeing it holds you down. All in one go, then you have to match a 1st-class in a spar. Fifteen minutes, you either beat them or draw to pass. If you lose, you’ve gotta do the whole thing all over--”

_ “Zack.”  _ Tifa grabbed him by the arm to stop him. “Why…why are you telling me this? Why bother?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. His jaw stayed tight, and his eyes shook, unsteady, even though they stayed on her. “I…” he started. 

With a bite of his lip, his casual sheen draped over him again, and he chuckled to himself. “Not sure,” he said.  _ You look relaxed,  _ Tifa thought,  _ but your voice doesn’t sound it.  _ “Guess I…well, y’know I never told Aerith this, and I sure as hell don’t plan on telling Cloud ‘til…well, ‘til his time comes.”

“That…that sounds like hell,” Tifa replied quietly, letting his arm go. “Why? Why go through all that…?”

“Honor? Pride? And when you’ve come so far…” He sighed to himself. “Angeal even said himself, ‘you don’t have to go all the way’ to me. Was I gonna listen? Hell no. And my journey up through was  _ smooth.  _ Christ almighty, Cloud nearly fuckin’  _ died  _ and he still--!” 

He laughed, but it was strained as he backed against the fence, the chain-link jingling from his weight. “I worry about him, Ti,” he said. His voice turned into a whine. “Damn it, I don’t want to see him get hurt again, or get that cold, jaded look that some of the others have--”

“I don’t think so,” Tifa interjected. “Cloud’s just…not like that. You know that already. He’s got a lot of heart.”

He nodded slowly, then chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. He took his hat off to smooth back his hair, only to plop it back home again. “Fuck, man. I don’t know why I get so worried…”

“You love him.” It came out of her mouth automatically, but already far enough, she found herself following it up. “I get it. I worry about him, too.”  _ Because I love him.  _ Cloud’s image blinked in the back of her mind, in a 1st-class uniform--a stern look in his eyes, but still with a gentle smile on his lips. “He’s tough.”

“That he is,” Zack remarked. “I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he does.”

In the moment of quiet, the SOLDIER on the training field appeared to finally wrap up their training, clapping each other on the back as they headed in.  _ He…worries a lot more than he lets on,  _ she mused.  _ I think…we all have that in common. We just…want to look out for each other. I get it.  _

_ Zack, I don’t think…I don’t think I ever gave you enough credit. Not for the stuff that matters… _

Zack shook his head. “Thanks for listening,” he muttered. “Never really…talked about that shit with anyone, ‘cept Angeal. I don’t wanna…make them worry, y’know?”

Tifa smirked. “They will anyway. You know it.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.” He shrugged. “It’s my job to protect them though.”

“Is it?” She stood tall and moved her hands to her hips. “You’re not the only one they’re dating.”

Zack’s face spread into a grin. “That’s right,” he replied with a chuckle. He reached out to jab her again, but she was quick to block this time, and he retreated. Then, he held his fist out. “We’re in it together, yeah?”

_ You’re so corny sometimes.  _ Nonetheless, Tifa bumped it with her own. “Yeah,” she said.  _ You’re not so bad.  _ “We are.”

He beamed, then patted her on the back before pacing around the bike. “A-anyway,” Zack said, clearing his throat. “How’re you feeling on the bike? Wanna take another tool?”

_ Trying to brush all that heavy stuff away, huh? Sounds about right.  _ “I remember how to drive, like I’ve been telling you,” she replied.  _ “You’re  _ the one who wanted to see.”

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “Well, I think you’re fine.”

_ Really!?  _ Tifa threw her hands up in the air. “Ohh, my  _ God,”  _ she groaned. “We ride around for like, fifteen minutes, maybe? And you’re just ‘hey, you’re good’?!” 

“Dude!”

“Don't 'dude' me! Why’d you make such a big  _ fuss  _ over it!?” 

“I just--”

“You’re impossible!” Tifa huffed, jabbing him in the gut. “We _totally_ did not have to go do this.”

“I haven’t seen you ride! I just wanted to be sure!” He gestured to the bike. “What, you wanna ride it home and smoke me out on the pavement here?”

“Well, no! I just…” She huffed and began fidgeting in her pockets. “I want a cigarette.”

He cocked his head. “Weren’t you quitting?”

“Yes! But I still want one!” She patted herself down. “Damn, and I don’t have any gum…”

“We can pick some up?” he offered.

“No, I’ll live--”

“No, no, we can go pick some up. Here, I wanted to drive anyway.” He jogged over to the bike and nearly leaped onto it from the curb.  _ He makes it look so small. I probably look like a gnome on that thing.  _ He patted the back seat as he started the engine. “We’ll ride for a little while. I’m gonna need those shades, though.”

_ Shades? Oh.  _ She pulled them off her head and handed them over. “You don’t have more than one pair stowed away?” she asked.

“Well, I used to keep my old riding goggles around, but Cloud’s got ‘em now.” He waved his hand. “No biggie. C’mon, let’s cruise!”

“Just a sec! Jesus…”  _ Impatient, impatient.  _ She made an effort to hurl her leg over the body of the bike and settle herself on the back, adjusting so she had decent cushion while not being flush against his back. 

“Cool, cool.” He lifted the kickstand up. “Now, the wind’s gonna be a bitch for a bit, so just keep behind my back.”

“Not too hard,” Tifa replied. 

With a jerk, he rolled off the curb and made a U-turn, easing back onto the road, with smoother gear changes than Tifa could manage.  _ This was a bit of a pointless trip,  _ she thought. The wind combed through her ponytail more freely, now that there wasn’t anyone behind her to keep it in place.  _ But, at the same time…not quite. I can’t believe that he wouldn’t tell even Aerith about some of that stuff…why me, though? _

_ (“We’re in this together, yeah?”)  _

_ I…guess so. And maybe…since we are “in this together”, he wants to try and get a little closer, or something. We don’t have to date (like hell I would anyway), but…we can be friends. And that’s all right.  _

She blinked and tried to look around him. “Hey, are you taking us out of town?” she shouted in his ear. “I thought we were just going to stop at the store!”

“Yeah, well…” he said. He leaned back and gestured with one hand off the handlebars. “Just a little detour…”

Tifa rolled her eyes. “Zack…!” 

_ Oh well, oh well.  _ She gripped the grab bars and readjusted her feet on the pegs.  _ At this rate, it’ll be dark before we get home. Jesus…hopefully Cloud and Aerith have found something to do… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, some Zack and Tifa bonding time! Zack really does want to be friends with Tifa, in his own way. He kinda treats her like "one of the guys"…and at the same time, he also gets a little vulnerable with her, too. It works out for the both of them, I think. I totally just made up a bunch of shit for the 1st-class rigamarole, hope it doesn't sound like too much bullshit!
> 
> Next chapter, we'll see what Aerith and Cloud are up to!


	60. Dolled Up

Aerith sat cross-legged on the bed while Cloud held up a pair of her denim shorts in front of him. His eyebrow twitched as he eyed the waistband, himself wearing  nothing but his boxer briefs.  _ Cloud Strife has a cute butt,  _ she thought idly.  _ Not quite as shapely and firm as Zack's, or round as Tifa’s, but it’s still good. I’d give it my seal of approval.  _ “What’s up?” she asked.

“These…” he muttered, then held the shorts against his waist. “…seem short.”

“They’re  _ shorts,”  _ Aerith reiterated with a chuckle. “Also, you’re putting them up too high. You wear those at your hips. See?”

She guided his hands down to line them up properly. The waistband of the shorts were below where his boxer briefs sat on his hips, which kept the small frown on his face. “M-my underwear’s going to show. Probably,” he said. “Ah…”

“You want different ones?” Aerith suggested. She pushed the shorts back into his hands and rushed over to her dresser, rummaging through the top drawer.  _ “Mm mmhmm on and on, and the sea that divides us is a temporary one…”  _ She hummed along with the tape playing loud from the living room. “God, this tape was  _ so  _ worth going to Genesis’ weed den.” 

Cloud snorted. “That bad?” he remarked.

“Well, you know how it is…” She glanced behind her.  _ Maybe he doesn’t.  _ “Well, like he didn’t smoke while we were there that time, but the whole place smells like incense just to cover up the weed.” She rolled her eyes and picked through the underwear.  _ Let’s see, what’s something modest…I don’t think he’s going to be thrilled about a thong. At least not yet. I mean…he was okay with me putting some eyeshadow on today, so… _

In the end, she settled on a pair of purple panties--the back was lace, but the front was a simple brief.  _ Plenty of coverage.  _ “Here, how about these?” 

He cocked his head.  _ God, he looks so good in mascara. I don’t think he even realizes when he flutters his lashes like that.  _ He bit his lip, then took a deep breath. “Okay. Guess it, ah…it’ll complete the look?” 

Cloud met her eyes, to which Aerith nodded with a grin. He bit back a smile as he took them, then turned around to get dressed. As she watched, Cloud moved slower and slower. “A-ah…j-just a sec,” he mumbled. Even from his profile, his cheeks were flushed. 

“Aw, I’ve seen you naked before,” Aerith commented. “It’s okay.”

“I-I know but…” Cloud floundered. “J-just a sec…”

“We’re all friends,” she reiterated, but still occupied with arranging her underwear drawer, smoothing out the top and sliding it back closed.  _ Yeah, like that one time… _

_ (“Aaahn, aah…hooooohh my  _ God--!” 

_ “How’s that feel, baby?” Aerith crooned, on Zack’s lap while he sat in Cloud’s. She caught Cloud’s eye and winked--and much to her surprise, he winked back before continuing to kiss his neck. “Having fun~?” _

_ Zack’s blue eyes were wide as soon as he could get them open, panting with pink cheeks. “Oh yeah,” he breathed, lips parted. “This is…mmnn…” _

_ Aerith licked her own lips before swooping down on Zack’s, feeling him moan against her tongue and touch…) _

She swallowed and smirked to herself.  _ I haven’t heard him that loud in ages. That was nice.  _

By the time she returned her attention to Cloud, he had already found his way into the underwear and was one leg into the shorts. Even though he had his eyes on her, he still jumped when she looked over. “Do those fit okay?” she asked.

“Mm,” he replied. “Little loose, but…guess that’s better, huh?” 

“Loose?” Aerith thought for a moment, then it dawned on her as she watched him button the shorts. “Oh, yeah. We might be the same size, but your hips are still smaller. Just by virtue of anatomy.” She peered over the edge of the bed, pushing through a pile of discarded clothes with her foot. “Let me see if I can find you a belt, you’ll probably need it.”

“Yeah…” Cloud trailed off. “Um, could I…wear one of your…one of your bras too?”

_ Now you’re getting into it.  _ “Sure thing.” Aerith quickly discovered a belt in the pile, plain dark black.  _ This one looks more like Zack’s…how’d it get in with my things?  _ She held it out and wrapped it around the smallest part of her waist, squinting at the holes.  _ Well, it should fit anyway. If I can fit into it on my waist…  _ She looped it over her shoulder and went back to her underwear drawer for a bra, and picked the topmost one. “There. Can you put it on yourself?”

Cloud nodded as he took it and the belt. Sure enough, the shorts hung very low on his hips, but they soon sat back into place as he fastened the belt through the loops. “Zack’s?” he asked. 

“You can tell, huh? I don’t actually wear belts too often…I think I just have one.”  _ I’m sure you’ve taken his off plenty of times before to recognize it.  _ Aerith shrugged, and couldn’t suppress a smirk, despite her thoughts staying caged behind her lips. She watched as he clipped the bra on with surprising ease, shuffling it around his ribcage and hoisting the straps over his shoulders.  _ God, you make such a pretty girl,  _ she thought, hand over her mouth. 

He sighed, smoothing his hands over the cups of the bra, all the way down through his waist and hips. “Ho’okay,” he muttered. “So…a top?”

It took her a second to respond. “Oh! Right! A top, yes.” She whirled around back to the dresser, sliding open two drawers at once. “Let’s see…do you think a crop top would be too much? You’re already showing off a lot of leg, there.”

Cloud glanced down. “Yeah…shit, I should’ve…probably shaved, right?” 

“Don’t worry about that,” Aerith insisted. She hiked up her dress to show off her legs, prickled with short, auburn hair. “Besides, your hair’s so fine and blonde, no one’s going to notice.”

“‘Notice’?” He coughed. “W-we’re…I-I ain’t going out like this.”

“Aww, why not?”  _ Damn.  _ “No, it’s okay. You  _ do  _ look good, though…” She bit her lip. "You'd catch _my_ eye on the street."  


Cloud shook his head, hugging across his chest. With the bra on, it gave him the illusion of pushing up cleavage. “N-not…” he mumbled. “Not everyone’s as nice as you…”

“Oh, honey…” Aerith rushed over to him with a couple shirts over her arm, and she placed her unburdened hand on his shoulder. “I just think you look so pretty, and--”

“Y-yeah?” Cloud’s lips turned up into a quiet smile. 

For a moment, she had nothing to say.  _ You are. You like being called that, don’t you?  _ She chuckled to herself as the two shared a small look.  _ Times like these makes it really easy why they fell in love with you. If they could see you now… _

_ …I bet they’d be smitten all over again. If Zack isn’t every time he sees you.  _

Aerith cleared her throat and brought up a sheer pink top, thrusting it into Cloud’s arms. “Yeah,” she finished finally. “Here, try this on. Let’s complete the look.”

He slipped the top on--it wasn’t fitted, flowing over his chest. It was barely opaque enough to mask his bra, but the swooping backline showcased it anyway. The straps were covered in chunky, fabric flowers that also lined the neckline, reaching his collarbone. The fabric was slightly shimmery, especially when he turned in the light. “I like this one,” he said.

“Good!” Aerith clapped her hands together. “It really looks good on you.” She paced around him, plucking at the shirt to allow it to billow. “See, if we get you like…a choker, maybe? Or a long necklace? Maybe both? Some chunky heels--”

“Heels?” 

“Too much?” She cocked her head. “I dunno, I think it would complete it. After all, if we’re going to show off your legs, might as well go  _ all  _ out.” 

Cloud crossed his arms and stared at Aerith’s feet. “Let me know if I’m wrong, but…” He pointed at her currently bare feet, voice starting to drawl. “I reckon you don't _own_ a pair of heels.”

She barked out a laugh and doubled over. “Oh my God!”  _ He always gets me when he gets sassy. Always comes out of nowhere from such a quiet guy.  _ “How else am I going to let girls know that I’m on the market if I don’t wear boots with my dresses?” 

Cloud snorted, then started to laugh as well, covering his mouth. “Like that one?” She watched him for a second longer, then wandered back to her dresser to sort through the modest mound of jewelry.  _ Tifa probably has more jewelry, but I’ve got a couple things.  _ “To be fair, I own  _ one  _ pair of heels, but I only--”

Suddenly, with a clatter, the front door flew open. “Hey! Watch it, Zack Fair!” Tifa hollered from the hallway. “I should’ve made  _ you  _ ride on the back!”

Aerith and Cloud froze in place. _Shit. I didn’t even hear them pull in. Was the music that loud?_ The apartment felt deafeningly silent, even with the others making a ruckus in their entrance. _I didn't even notice the tape stopping…_ The bedroom door was wide open, and even with Cloud standing in front of it facing her, Aerith saw Zack and Tifa whirl through, albeit heading straight for the kitchen first. _Damn it. I thought they’d be longer. How long has it been? We lost track of time._

“Just something you’ll have to get used to!” Zack retorted. “A sore ass is just part of--”

“Oh, as if you don’t get a sore ass from something else!”

“Hey!” Zack coughed from the kitchen, although his voice drifted closer. “I’m warming up to it, to be honest. Aerith’s into pegging, and it ain’t bad--”

_ “Too much!”  _

“How is that 'too much'? You’re fucking her too!”

_ “Too! Much! Information!”  _

Cloud’s hands began to shake, diluting the effect of the background conversation. Aerith opened her mouth and closed it again as he pleaded silently to her.  _ I don’t know!  _ She clenched her fists in the pile of chains.  _ It’s too sudden to try and hide, and stripping you down would take too long, not to mention all your makeup…not to  _ also  _ mention if I slam the door and ask them to wait a sec-- _

“Hey, anybody home?” Zack called. “Babe?”

“H-hey, sweetie!” Aerith replied, a crack in her voice. Cloud’s throat bobbed as he mouthed  _ “what the fuck?”  _ to her.  _ Sorry! God, I’m sorry, but we were going to tell them sooner or later, right? I know, not ideal, but--  
_

Zack wandered backwards into the doorframe, looking out to the living room. “Really, it ain’t so bad!” he said, idly reaching his hand out.  _ How has he not looked in here? Holy shit, Zack.  _ “Ain’t that right?”

Tifa’s voice still came for a distance. “Why are we still talking about this?!” 

His hand reached Cloud’s rear, and he squeezed it. Cloud swallowed a squeak. Aerith held her breath.  _ Here we go.  _ At last, Zack turned profile. “Hey, baby,” he murmured, then leaned down to kiss Cloud’s hair. “Cute ou--”

At the last second, he realized who he was kissing, just as he met Aerith’s eyes.  _ Yeah. Not the “baby” you were expecting, huh?  _ Aerith forced herself to breathe evenly. “Isn’t it?” she sighed. “Cute?”

“Ah…!” Zack straightened up and spun Cloud around, fully looking him over. “This is…this is new,” he said, eyes scanning all up and down his body. “D-damn…”

“I-I’m…I, ah…” Cloud floundered, staring up at Zack. “W-we…”

_ Don’t you dare say you’re sorry, Cloud Strife,  _ Aerith thought as she found it in her to move again.  _ This isn’t even close to something you should be sorry about.  _ “Zack…” she said slowly.

When he looked up again, his face was flush. “Uh, just give me a sec,” he muttered, running his hands down Cloud’s shoulders and dashing off to the bathroom. The door clattered shut behind him. 

“Fuck,” Cloud whispered, his voice shaking. “Fuck…”

Aerith rushed to his side. “It’s okay, just give him a minute.”  _ It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine. If I know him, he probably saw the look in Cloud’s eyes and doesn’t want to fuck it up. I think. I hope.  _

“Hey, what’s going on?” Tifa paced into the bedroom, nearly running straight into Cloud. “Oh! H-hey.”

“Hey,” Cloud sighed, running his hand back through his hair, pulling it at the base. “I was just…just…”

Tifa cocked her head. “You look good.” 

He blinked up at her. “Huh?”

“I’m guessing Aerith helped. I recognize those shorts.” She chuckled, then took a more serious look at Cloud, cupping his face in her hand. “Are you all right?”

His lip, chewed and flaked, quivered for a moment, then he huffed. “Am I all right? Gee, Ti…”

“Hey, don’t be like that,” she said, withdrawing. “I mean--”

_ Oh no, this could go south fast.  _ “Tifa,” Aerith said carefully. “Cloud’s been--”

“I’ve got it,” he interrupted, swallowing hard. “I’m…well, I like dressing like this, every…every once in awhile…”

Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but refrained when Aerith shook her head, making it subtle enough for Cloud not to notice it beside her.  _ Let him talk. I know you’ve known him forever, but you just saying “yeah I know” is not…it’s not going to help him. Not right now. Just…let him go.  _

Cloud continued after a second. “Just…sometimes, I think…sometimes I’m a girl, and sometimes I’m a guy.” He let out a long breath. “So…y-yeah. That’s it.”

She nodded slowly, then smiled. “Breathe,” she muttered, kissing his cheek. “You’re okay.”

“A-are…is it okay?” Cloud fumbled, fidgeting with his hands. “Y-you don’t…think I’m a freak, do you?”

“Of course not, Cloud,” Tifa said. “I love you.”

_ See, I told you,  _ Aerith thought, smiling to herself.  _ You had nothing to worry about. I get being scared…it’s not always sunshine and roses being queer, especially being trans…but we love you, Cloud.  _ Tifa brought Cloud in for a quiet kiss, just as Aerith heard the faucet run in the bathroom.  _ And the more we know about you, the deeper it can go.  _

They broke the kiss and kept their foreheads touched together. “Well,” Tifa said. “I think…no, I’m  _ definitely  _ more of a lesbian now than when I walked in.”

A hissing laugh escaped from between Cloud’s teeth. “R-really…”

“I’m telling you, it’s a  _ good  _ look,” Aerith reassured. “You’re turning heads already.” Her eyes flicked up as soon as she heard the bathroom door stutter open. “Speaking of which…”

With water still dripping from his chin, Zack made his way into the bedroom and nearly ripped Cloud out of Tifa’s arms. “Hey!” she complained.

Zack ignored her, hoisting Cloud into his arms, holding him up by his rear. “Babe,” he said. “You know how you’re saying you wanna get stronger?”

“Y-yeah?” he replied, tentative. 

He kissed him on the cheek. “You’re already the strongest person I know. Guy or girl.” He peppered a few more kisses on his cheeks, then one to his lips. “And you should wear those shorts more often, ‘cause  _ damn…”  _

He squeezed Cloud’s ass again, and this time, he was more free to let out the instinctive squeak that came to his lips again. “So, did you--”

“Oh, yeah, I heard. You don’t gotta go through it again,” Zack assured, taking him to the bed. He plopped down on the edge, settling Cloud in his lap. As soon as he didn’t need his arms to hold him up, Zack started lightly touching him all over--from his hair, to ghosting his sides, to stroking the small of his back. “So sometimes you’re my boyfriend, and sometimes you’re my girlfriend…”

_ That’s an awfully simple way of putting it,  _ Aerith thought,  _ but maybe it’s better that way. That’s how Cloud kinda put it anyway.  _ “One thing’s for sure,” she said, crossing her arms. “You’ve still got it  _ really  _ bad for him.” She paused. “For her.”

“For her,” Zack repeated, nuzzling the side of Cloud’s face.

Cloud burned a dark red. “Ah…”

A smirk crept back to Aerith’s lips while Tifa stood flush beside her. “Too much?” she asked.

He cocked his head back and forth. “Well…I dunno,” he muttered. “I-I don’t  _ think  _ I mind, but…maybe just once in awhile. Wh-when I look the part?”

“Like now?” Tifa remarked. 

Cloud’s muttering became incoherent, and he chose to rest his chin on Zack’s shoulder rather than answer anyone. “Okay, that’s enough questions,” Zack said, clumsily kicking off his shoes. He hoisted Cloud into his arms and flipped them both onto the bed, spooning behind him. “Anything else for the pretty chocobo is gonna have to wait…”

“H-hey! Don’t hog her!” Tifa fled from Aerith’s side to jump onto the bed, nestling right on Cloud’s other side. “I’m dating him too!” 

“Yeah…” Zack propped himself up with one elbow, chin in hand while his other hand stroked Cloud’s head. His grin turned devious. “We could talk about pegging again.”

Tifa’s reflexes were like lightning as she jabbed out to knock Zack’s hat off his head.  _ “No!  _ Fuck you!” she snapped.

“Guys, don’t mess up her makeup--! I worked hard on that,” Aerith chuckled, watching them squeeze Cloud between them. 

“Oops--!” Zack immediately withdrew, offering Cloud a kiss to the back of his neck. “Here, turn towards me, I want to get a better look…”

Aerith backed up toward the door.  _ Well, my job’s done here.  _ Just as she turned, a hand caught her own--Tifa held her back, and she allowed herself to be drawn in.  _ Someday, we’ll have a bigger bed, but for now… _

“Jeez, you’re pretty,” Zack whispered in awe. “And I think those lashes could put Sephiroth to shame. Y’know, when he does his.”

“Y-you think so?” Cloud replied. “I-I don’t, ah…”

Aerith squeezed into the sliver of bed that was leftover beside Tifa, and hugged around her waist.  _ This is perfect.  _ She buried her face into Tifa’s hair, then tried to run her fingers through her long ponytail. Instantly, she found a snag. “Oh, honey, did you go out riding like this?” she asked.

“Huh? Yeah…” Tifa replied.

Aerith sighed, puffing out her cheeks. “This is going to be hell to comb out. I hope you’re prepared.” She sat up a little to try and catch Zack’s eye. “You too! Your mane is a nightmare, too…”

His doe eyes came back into focus as soon as he was addressed. “H-hey, you know I look silly with a ponytail,” Zack replied. He ran his hand back through his hair. “And besides, it’s not that-- _ ow.”  _

“Mmmhm.” Aerith raised an eyebrow, then settled back down into the bed. “We don’t have to right now.”

“Cozy?” Zack asked.

“Cozy as I can be, with like…a half a leg of bed.”

From somewhere in the middle of all their bodies, Cloud’s voice piped up. “I’m cozy…”

After a chuckle, Zack, Tifa, and Aerith concurred in unision.  _ “Good.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to definitely exhaust "The Dance" by the end of this fic--Aerith has the tape on once again, and is humming ["Temporary One".](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Ey7x5e6cw)
> 
> And just like that, Cloud is out to the rest of his partners! Not ideal, but like Aerith anticipated, they love him, so everything's okay. It's clear that the Cloud/Aerith dynamic is quite different than the Zack/Tifa dynamic. You could probably go as far as to say they're QPP's…but anyway. You'll notice that at times like these, the gang will swap pronouns for Cloud--using she/her and he/his interchangeably, but the narration will continue to use he/his. Either are fine for him, but especially in public, he'll keep using he/his for obvious reasons. 
> 
> Once again, if anything here seems stilted or out of place, please let me know! 
> 
> Next chapter, we'll begin the greatly anticipated road-trip! The gang heads to Gongaga first, so stay tuned!


	61. Road Trip

The sun was high in the sky at the headquarters' garage when Zack rolled out the company motorcycle. “Here she is!” he called. “Check it out!”

“Ooh, that _is_ nice!” Aerith exclaimed, bouncing up to admire it. It was huge and bulky, with a gunmetal blue body, shining in the early fall sun. Flecks of iridescence shimmered, even amongst the occasional scratches, especially on the sidecar. It had two enormous rear tires, with one fat tire at the front, along with a wide windshield and a full monitoring system between the handlebars.

Cloud circled around slowly, hands in his pockets. _Sure is nice,_ he thought. _Even the sidecar looks pretty roomy._ Peering in, he saw the leather padded seat had a latch on it, and he flicked it open to reveal a compartment below. _Plenty of storage too._ He glanced back at their modest luggage--two Shinra branded duffle bags stuffed to the brim; one with “FAIR” embroidered on it, the other “STRIFE”. _I thought we might not have enough room, even packing light for four…_

“Check it out! It’s even got a radio!” Zack exclaimed, pointing to the speakers on the far sides of the console. “But you’ve got to blast the damn thing, so it’s not really worth it.”

“What does Shinra even use these for? Transport?” Tifa asked, snapping her gum. “Seems pretty cushy…”

“There are like…oh shit, I dunno how many of them, but it’s enough for one company to be dispatched out,” Zack said. “Usually if the president’s got somewhere to be, these surround his limo. They’ve seen a little combat, but riding them is wicked comfy…”

Aerith skirted around Zack and stood on her toes to kiss him. “We’d better get going, babe,” she said. “Otherwise it’s gonna get late. You told your parents we’d be there for dinner, right?”

“That’s right. We’re having casserole!” He rubbed his stomach, making Cloud snort. “God, I’ve been _dying_ for some shepherd’s pie…”

“Well, stop dreaming, and let’s get ready,” Tifa sighed, hoisting each duffle bag in one arm and tossing them into the sidecar. While one could fit snug, the other bulged out from the bottom--no matter how hard she stuffed, she couldn’t get the seat to latch. “Shit…”

“That’s no big deal,” Aerith said. “We’ll just sit with it.”

“Oh, are you calling the sidecar first?” Zack asked, sticking his tongue out.

“Of course!” Aerith chirped, lifting the extra duffle into her arms. She kicked the seat down with her foot and hopped in, stuffing the bag as far down by her feet as she could. “Aaand Tifa’s sitting with me!”

 _As expected,_ Cloud thought, watching Aerith pat her thighs, beckoning Tifa to come to her lap. She bit her lip, then feigned exasperation. “I _guess_ I can,” she replied with a smirk. “Besides, didn’t you say you might get sick if you were in the sidecar, Cloud?”

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah…”

“So, it’s settled!” Aerith said. “You guys figure out who’s gonna drive, and let’s go~!”

“Lucky for you…” Zack already had his sunglasses on, and was attempting to pull back his unruly spikes into some semblance of a ponytail. “I wanna taste of that luxury seat for now. I’m driving.”

“Sounds good,” Cloud replied.

Zack managed a small ponytail at the back of his neck and tightened it up before mounting the bike. “God, this sits like a dream,” he remarked, bouncing on the seat. “Betcha it drives like a big ol’ boat, like those old huge cars…”

“I bet,” Cloud murmured. He pulled riding goggles out of his jacket pocket and adjusted them on his face. _Zack’s goggles. I never did give them back, did I?_ He smirked to himself as he smoothed down his company jacket. _Looks like I don’t have to._

“Hey, do you ladies have sunglasses or something?” Zack asked while Cloud settled himself behind him. “Wind’s gonna still be harsh, especially since this sidecar doesn’t have a windshield.”

Aerith held up a couple pairs of sunglasses, draping an arm over Tifa’s shoulder to hand her a pair. Tifa was already settled in her lap, unraveling her headphones on her Walkman. “We’re set!” Aerith replied. “Tifa’s got tunes, and I snagged some earplugs from your drawer, too. Cloud, do you want some? I brought a bunch…”

She waggled a plastic bag full of fluorescent orange earplugs, but Cloud waved his hand. “No thanks,” he said. _I don’t mind the sound of the wind. I usually just let my mind wander, and I could never get those earplugs to fit me when we had to use them out on the shooting range._

Cloud settled in on the back seat and wrapped his arms around Zack’s waist. He hardly needed to--the seat itself was large enough for him to sit comfortably, and had a backrest and grab-bars on the side. _I’d have to try to fall off. These grab-bars are more like cages._ Still, he leaned his head on Zack’s back with a sigh. _If the back seat’s this comfy, the front must be like a recliner…_

“All right, let’s rock ‘n roll!” Zack exclaimed, turning the key. The engine revved with a sputter, but soon died down to a low purr. “Let’s see, we’ve got enough gas to get us so far…”

“I _hope_ that means we have a full tank,” Tifa muttered, headphones already on. “It’s nothing but _nothing_ from here ‘til Nibelheim, and I don’t expect the road to Gongaga to be any better.”

“Hey now, there’s a gas station,” Zack said. “Er… _one_ gas station…”

“Uh-huh.” The distinct click of the tape mechanism could be heard over the low rumble of the engine while she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t worry, honey, they boys are SOLDIER! They can just push us the rest of the way,” Aerith suggested, winking at Cloud.

“Oh _God.”_ Zack chuckled as he rolled the bike out of the garage. Despite it being so bulky, he pushed off with ease, and Cloud quickly adjusted his grip around Zack’s waist. “I mean, sure we could do it. I’ve got the stamina, but--”

“You sure do, baby,” Aerith interjected.

Zack bit his lip before shifting into gear. “Uh, yeah…it’d be a drag. And that sun would burn me to a crisp…”

 _But you’re already tan,_ Cloud thought, wind whistling in his ears. _You’d probably just get even more brown. Me, on the other hand…I’m so pale, and I always used to get burned growing up. Maybe I should’ve put sunscreen on my face…_

With Shinra HQ behind them, they turned onto the ramp that lead out of the city. The bike seemed to glide over the pavement, unlike the constant rumble of Zack’s motorcycle. _This is super comfortable. Maybe I could be okay in the sidecar…maybe._ He found himself relaxing against Zack’s back, idly glancing back at the girls in the sidecar. Tifa was watching the scenery fly by, but caught Cloud’s eye, and offered him a small wave. He returned it with a smile. _This’ll be fun._

_I hope._

* * *

 

After an hour of riding, the four made a pitstop at a gas station in the middle of the desert. The only thing to be seen was the long, lonely road, Midgar in the distance behind them, and the mountains ahead. _I didn’t realize everything was spaced so far apart,_ Cloud thought, resting his goggles on the top of his forehead and fluffing his spikes. When he pulled his hand out of his hair, he found it was dusted with light sand. _Shows how much I get around._

Zack was at the pump refilling the bike. “See, I told you we’d make it! We still had a quarter of a tank!”

“That’s great,” Tifa replied. She stood on her toes as she paced around the bike, stretching her legs. “God, how much longer?”

“Not too long. Straight stretch from here, then it’s one turn and you head right up to the mountains,” Zack said. He twisted his back just as the gas nozzle rattled, prompting him to pull it out. Holding his hand underneath it to catch the excess, he rested it back into the holder and immediately pulled out his wallet. “Lemme go pay for this…”

Cloud watched as he jogged over to the storefront, until he felt Tifa leaning into his side. “How’re you doing?” she asked quietly.

“Fine,” he replied.

“Not feeling sick?”

“No, I don’t get sick riding on the back like that.”

Tifa’s weight on him increased as Aerith leaned into her as well. “It’s a bit long, but it’s not a _bad_ ride,” Aerith commented, hugging Tifa’s arm. “Scenery will get a little less…barren once you get closer to the mountains. There are a bunch of fields out there too! Fields with flowers…”

“Like that picture you guys have?” Cloud asked.

“Yeah! The sunflower field!” She bounced on her feet. “We’ll take you there! It’s really pretty.”

“I bet,” Tifa said, then twisted her neck to kiss Cloud’s cheek before slipping out from between him and Aerith. “I’m gonna go in and see if they have any snacks.”

She jogged away, patting the back pocket of her jeans for her wallet, leaving Cloud and Aerith to loiter by the gas pump. “Hey,” Cloud said.

Aerith spun around, pushing her sunglasses up into her bangs. “Hm?”

 _Right, right._ He repeated the question in his mind five times over in rapid succession before he asked it. “Uh, what…what are Zack’s parents like?”

She giggled. “Worried about meeting them?” she asked with a wink. “His mom’s a sweetheart. Dad’s a bit gruff, but he’s nice too. They doted over me when I visited before, I’m sure they’ll do the same to you.”

Cloud raised an eyebrow, but nodded. _You sure about that? You’re his girlfriend, and I’m his boyfriend. Not that it’ll come up at all, he’ll probably just--_

“Just as long as he doesn’t get _too_ gushy,” Aerith sighed. “He adores you, y’know. I’m sure if he could, he’d just blurt ‘look at my cute boyfriend’ all the time…”

“Mm.” Cloud’s stomach lurched. “I-I just…y’know, I-I don’t _mind,_ I just…I just…” _I just don’t want to get yelled at, or to cause something bad with his folks…first queer to date him, and I…_

“Oh, don’t worry about that, hon,” Aerith reassured, running her hand down his arm. Cloud found that with a deep breath, his shoulders eased down, and blood began to flood back into his hands once again. “We’ll keep things under wraps for those guys. Don’t forget--we’re _all_ dating, and that’s…well, that’s not exactly _normal.”_

She paused, then a smile crept on her face, and she stuck out her tongue. “Not so bad, though, huh?” she said.

“Nope,” Cloud replied, a small smile on his own lips. _Not at all._

At the service station, Zack and Tifa emerged simultaneously, Zack with a rope of beef jerky already in his mouth. “All right, who wants to drive?” he asked with his mouth full.

“How can you eat that?! That’s _disgusting,”_ Tifa exclaimed, keeping her distance while she unwrapped her candy bar. She wrinkled her nose and curled her lip. “Even the God damned _smell…”_

“Oh boy,” Aerith muttered, leaning closer to Cloud to speak more confidentially. “You know, when we were first dating, he used to _live_ off that. Cigarettes and jerky is the _worst_ taste. I don’t know why I kept dating him…”

Cloud snorted while Zack jogged over, scarfing down the jerky in his mouth. _They have it in the vending machines at work, so I bet._ He kissed both Aerith and Cloud on the head in turn, giving Cloud an extra ruffle of his hair. “Whatcha think? You wanna take her for a spin?” he asked.

“Uh, I-I guess,” he replied. “Unless you want to, Ti…”

Tifa had just caught up, halfway into her candy bar. She stared at the seat of the motorcycle, then shook her head. “Hm, I don’t think so. Not right now,” she replied.

“I’ve got it, then,” Cloud said, rolling his shoulders back. He ran his hand over the seat, scanning the dashboard console. _Shouldn’t be too different than anything else I’ve driven._ Nodding to himself, he swung his leg over and settled in on the bike. _Oh, this is…_

“Comfy, ain’t it?” Zack remarked, immediately hopping on behind him. “It’s a really smooth ride.”

He muttered an affirmative while Zack snuck his hands around his waist, squeezing his hips. _A-ah!_ “This’ll be nice,” he said, perching his chin on Cloud’s shoulder. His lips were close to his ear, and as soon as Cloud registered it, Zack pressed his lips against his neck, giving it a small kiss. “Won’t it…?”

“Hey, hey,” Aerith scolded gently, waggling her finger. “Don’t get too excited up there, hot shot.”

“Oh, as if you don’t do the same thing when you’re riding behind,” Zack retorted with a wink. “You get even _more_ handsy, too! Tryin’ to feel me up and all…”

She squinted at him, nose scrunched, before flicking her glasses back down over her eyes and crossing her arms. Tifa, already in the sidecar, only shook her head. “You guys are awful,” she muttered.

 _Yeah,_ Cloud agreed silently as he started the engine. _I think if he tried feeling me up while driving, I’d have a heart attack._ Aerith settled herself in Tifa’s lap while pulled his riding goggles back over his face. _Though maybe…he’s got a better handle on things, so I could…_

_Maybe. Maybe someday. Someday when I know it won’t throw us off road somewhere…_

Zack patted his thigh, and Cloud was prompted to lift his feet off the ground, pushing the bike forward and on its way. Easing on the throttle, he rode off onto the main road, letting the wind brush back his hair at an easy pace. _Yeah, I remember why I liked riding. Just me and the open road…_

_…this time, with warmth at my back…_

“Hey, so you’re just going to keep going straight on this road here,” Zack instructed, having to raise his voice over the wind. “Once you get to the next route junction--it’s a fork--just slow down and I’ll tell you where from there.”

Cloud nodded in reply. The road ahead seemed to fade into a tiny line on the horizon, with no end in sight--but instead of dread, Cloud was filled with a quiet ease, a calm that flooded him through to his feet. _Finally._ He shifted smoothly into the next gear, and kept riding.

* * *

 

_Almost there, almost…_

As soon as the desert faded into wide fields on the next route, the pavement faded with it, making the ride much rockier than when they initially started. Fields turned into hillsides, turned into mountains, cliff faces looming above them on both sides. _Who on Earth decided to carve a road through a mountain?_ Cloud marveled. _Nibelheim’s right on the edge of the biggest mountain this side of Gaia and it still doesn’t have roads like this…_

While Cloud focused on keeping steady on the barely paved road ahead of him, a whistle from above caught his attention. _“Yo! Hey!”_

Instinctively, his arms wobbled on the handlebars as he eased the bike to a stop. “Take it easy,” Zack murmured right into his ear. “We’re on a company bike, so it’s…” He trailed off, then as he looked up to the source, drew back and shouted with a laugh. “Oh, hey!”

The bike crawled to a halt at the base between two slopes of the road, right where the mountains around them started to dwindle. At the top of one of these was a man in a 1st-class uniform, and he jumped all the way down, flipping halfway and landing crouched on his feet. Dog tags jingling on his chest, his brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail, bangs swept out of his blue-green eyes. _SOLDIER, out here?_ Cloud thought. _I mean, sure, there’s a reactor out this way…can almost see it from here. Other than that, no_ real _reason to need a patrol…is there?_

“Damn, you sure do make an entrance.” Zack hopped off the bike and jogged over to the SOLDIER. “Hey, Loire! Been awhile, hasn’t it?”

“Could say the same for you, 2nd-class,” he replied with a grin. They drew in for a quick handshake and a hug.

 _“1st-class_ now,” Zack clarified, beaming.

“No shit!” he exclaimed, then clapped him on the back. “I’ll be damned. Surprised they didn’t plunk you out here, family being out here and all…”

Zack chuckled, although it had a nervous edge to it. “Well…it’s a long story,” he said, then turned to face the rest of the group. “Guys, this is 1st-class Laguna Loire--dude’s been 1st since I came up through.”

 _Another 1st,_ Cloud thought, leaning back in the seat. _They’re said to be few and far between, the_ true _elite. Wonder how many of them really are out there. And if I can still make it._ Zack gestured over to Cloud first. “Laguna, this is 2nd-class Cloud Strife, my, ah…”

He hesitated, and although it was only momentary, Cloud felt the beat. A sideways glance to Aerith proved that she could feel it too, biting her lip in. “…A really good buddy of mine. Works hard, heh…” He cleared his throat. “Then Tifa over here, his girlfriend, and…you’ve met Aerith right? My girl?”

“I don’t think so _this_ time, baby,” Aerith replied, letting out a long breath. She still offered him a bright look. “Good to meet you.”

“Yeah, all of you as well!” Laguna saluted to them, then wrapped his arm around Zack’s neck, forcing him down to his height. “I trained this kid back during his BASIC rounds, when he was just a pup!”

 _Puppy,_ Cloud mused, holding back a grin as Zack struggled away. _That really does follow you everywhere, doesn’t it?_ Aerith didn’t hold back, on the other hand, and let her giggle carry over until Zack began to frown. “Hey, hey…” he pouted.

“Nah, you’ve done good,” Laguna said, releasing him. “So, what’s with the bike then? Besides the extra cargo.” Cloud noticed his uniform was worn and dusty in places, gloves almost threadbare. _He must be out here all the time. All the uniforms back on base look like they’ve barely been worn, with how nicely they’re kept…_

“Oh, we’re heading up to see my folks!” he replied. “It’s been a little while, I think…almost a year, hasn’t it?”

He looked to Aerith for clarification, and she nodded. “Last summer, you took me,” she said. “We figured it was about time for a little mini vacation.”

“Sure, sure.” He stretched his arms up, standing on his toes, then sighed long. “Not too much happening up here these days…like usual.”

“Surprised they even have anyone on guard,” Tifa remarked. “Nibelheim doesn’t have--”

“Nibelheim? Oh, sure they do,” he interjected. “Anyplace with a reactor’s got a guard, even the sleepiest towns…”

Cloud and Tifa exchanged a look. _We’ve never seen anyone before,_ he thought. _Unless they stay well hidden. Or up by the reactor--it’s pretty gated off, and a hike from town._

Zack put one hand on his hip and used the other to tip up his sunglasses. “So, how’s it been going for you? Besides holding up the fort here in scenic nowhere.”

“Not bad, ah…” Laguna sighed through his teeth. “My kid flunked out of military school, so now he’s working someplace in the city. Boy, was Raine pissed…she went all ‘well, maybe you should’ve been around more often’ on me…”

“Ouch.” Zack scrunched his face. “How are you and her doing?”

He wiggled his hand, revealing a gold wedding band. “It’s tough…” He looked off toward the line of mountains. “Barely get a rest from doing all this, even with things being quiet. We might be SOLDIER, but we’re not invincible.”

 _Yeah, that’s for sure,_ Cloud thought. Zack nodded as well, and caught his eye for a second before glancing down at the ground.   _I’m glad I was allowed to stay in Midgar. Although…_

_(a cool night on a cliffside, sword at my side, gazing out across the land under the glow of moonlight…)_

_…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, to patrol alone…_

_(but you’d miss them, you’d miss them, wouldn’t you? No more nights cuddled next to him, or his bright smile…or her quiet reassurance, the simple comfort of being by her side, after so long…)_

Cloud blinked, bringing himself back into focus. _Ah…I take that back. I could do it, sure, but…it’d be lonely, after all. I could’ve done it when I started, when I first got off the truck and headed into the building, but now…_

At last, Laguna shook his head. “Hey, don’t let me hold you up,” he dismissed. “I’m sure your folks are expecting you…!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zack said. “W-we should get going.” He walked backwards to the motorcycle, leaning against the seat. “Hey, I can put in a good word for you up at HQ, if you want. See if it’ll get _you_ a vacation.”

Laguna laughed. “Hey, whatever works,” he said. “Oh, you guys live right in Midgar, right?”

“Right in the lap of luxury,” Aerith quipped.

Tifa rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like a basement apartment in the slums is ‘luxury’. Or the upstairs of a bar, for that matter…”

He ignored their comments. “Well, my kid works at a record store near Sector 5, so be nice to him if you see him, ‘kay?”

Aerith sat up in the sidecar. “Record store…? What’s his name?”

“Squall,” he replied. “Although lately, he’s made a fuss about being called that…”

Aerith leaned forward to glance at Tifa with a half-smirk. “All right. We’ll keep an eye out for him.”

Zack mounted the bike, sliding right back in place behind Cloud. “Later, Loire! Take it easy, won’t ya?”

“You bet,” he replied, waltzing backwards toward the cliff face. “This little perch has got a great view…almost worth the long days. Almost.”

He laughed, then turned back, and in one, two, _three_ timed leaps, he was back up on his spot at the cliff, marked by a large gun sitting upright on the grass. _Jesus,_ Cloud remarked, twisting the key in the ignition as he stared. _That’s a hell of a jump…as if it weren’t enough that he backflipped down…_

“He’s showin’ off,” Zack sighed, “although he probably doesn’t get to that often. I could do that.”

“Sure you could, babe,” Aerith said, reaching out to pat his arm. She then kissed Tifa’s head. “Sweetie, we should go tell Leon that his dad says hi.”

“Maybe _you_ can,” Tifa muttered, putting her headphones back on. “You’re always making new friends at every corner…”

“You could too!”

“Yeah, well…”

Zack patted his side as the girls continued to bicker. “Let’s roll,” he said, close to his ear once again. “It’s not too far to the center of town…see, once we get up over this hill, it’ll be right at the bottom…”

Cloud nodded. _Sounds good._ With a deep breath, he shifted back into gear and pushed the bike off, easing on the throttle. _Just a little further, and I’ll be meeting Zack’s parents. Seeing where he grew up._ His heart stopped, only to restart with abrupt thumping in his chest. Adrenaline pierced through to his hands, causing him to jerk. _Oh, shit. It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay…Aerith said they’re nice, so…_

He adjusted his grip on the handlebars. _Doesn’t stop me from being nervous, though._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Bit of a filler chapter while we get on the road. Here's another FF cameo--Laguna from FF8! We'll meet the other 1st-class SOLDIER at Nibelheim in a little bit. And of course, we've already met Squalleon. Don't have too much to say about this one--trying to wade through my ideas since I didn't web out this section very well, but I think I have it under control.
> 
> Next chapter, we'll meet Zack's folks and take a small tour of Gongaga. Stay tuned!


	62. Gongaga

The moment Cloud stepped into the small, ranch-style house that was the Fair’s, he could see the family resemblance near immediately. Mrs. Fair was a tall, spry woman, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. “Zack, welcome home!” she greeted, embracing her son in her arms.

 _“Oof,_ hi, Mom!” Zack replied, bending down to kiss her cheek. He was still a head taller than her, but she was easily taller than the rest of the group, who was trailing behind on the porch. “Is Dad inside?”

“Yes, he’s just finishing dinner,” she said, then turned her attention to Aerith, arms open. “Oh, sweetie, how’ve you been? How was the ride up?”

Aerith bounded up, past Cloud, and squeezed her tight. “Good, good! It was nice, we borrowed a company bike this time!”

Mrs. Fair peered around her to study it. “Went through all that trouble and still couldn’t get a car?” she chuckled.

Zack scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish look. “Well, y’know…I like the open air, riding’s fun!”

She shook her head and patted his side. “I swear, you’re just like your father,” she remarked. “If I hadn’t married him, he’d be riding off in the countryside all the time, too…” Mrs. Fair put her hands on her hips and glanced at Zack from his shoulders to the top of his head. “Goodness, have you gotten _taller_ since I last saw you?”

“No, Ma…” He winked over at Cloud as he backed toward the front door. “She asks that every time.”

“You’re like a beanpole, hon,” she remarked. “We could barely keep you clothed for more than a month when you were growing up--!”

Zack waved his hand, then slipped through the front door. Cloud heard a faint, deep rolling voice call “Zack!” before he disappeared into the house. As soon as he was gone, Mrs. Fair turned his attention to him with a growing smile. “Now, you…you must be Cloud,” she said.

 _She knows me already?_ he thought, blinking. “Y-yes, ma’am,” he replied, his hand out to shake.

Mrs. Fair ignored it completely and brought him into a tight hug. “Zack told me about you!” she exclaimed, then gently patted the back of his hair. “He said it was just like a chocobo’s…”

 _Hoo boy._ Cloud’s cheeks burned red as she released him, but Tifa was quick to come to his side, even if she was chuckling. “It’s always been that way, even since he was a kid,” she said. “I’m Tifa, Cloud’s girlfriend.”

 _Thank you, thank you,_ Cloud chanted while they hugged briefly. _Easy for you to just swoop in and interject like that._ He fluffed the back of his hair and stared down at the porch. _Seriously, why does everyone do that? I guess this is how Zack must feel when everyone calls him a puppy._ “Well, this is a big trip for you, isn’t it?” Mrs. Fair said, letting Tifa go and putting her hand at Aerith’s back. “C’mon in, Danny’s got dinner ready… _honey!”_

She led them inside, through the small living room and into the somehow smaller kitchen. The round table in the center of it seemed to fill the entire room. _Hard to say if this is much bigger than ours,_ Cloud thought, glancing at the seven places set, crammed around the perimeter. _It has to be, though, our place is just an apartment._ Zack was already seated, looking comically cramped in the small chair he took, but still patted the seat next to him. Cloud smiled, but Aerith was a step ahead of him, ready to take it. As soon as Zack cocked his head, she whirled back. “Oh, right,” she muttered.

Cloud bit his lip. _Yeah, right. Two partners._ “Y-you can go ahead,” he said quietly.

“No, no, I’ll take the other side,” she replied, patting his shoulder and moving around him. She spoke louder as she circled the table. “Besides, I need to say hi to Dad, too…!”

At the stove, Mr. Fair turned around with a casserole dish, steaming and full to the brim with meat, potatoes, and corn. “Careful, this is still hot,” he said before setting it down in the center of the table. Then, he tossed the potholders aside and hugged Aerith with strong arms. He was stockier than his son, but even tanner, with straight, dark hair and a groomed beard to match. _He kind of reminds me of Angeal,_ Cloud thought. _Only older, and a different face, more like Zack’s._ He patted her shoulder. “How’s the flower shop? Have you been promoted yet?”

“Well…” she laughed as she took a seat on the other side of Zack. “I mean, I _think_ I might be the only one working there now, besides the owner. So…”

Mr. Fair laughed, deep and hearty. “You could call yourself assistant manager if you wanted.”

“Only if it comes with a pay bump.” She waggled her finger and stuck her tongue out.

Cloud suddenly remembered he was still standing at the edge of the table, and silently slipped into his place. Before he could sit down, however, Mr. Fair had his hand out for him. “Cloud, right?” he said. “Good to meet you. 2nd-class, huh?”

He blinked, breath caught in his throat, until he realized his dog tags were in plain view at his chest. “O-oh, yeah,” he replied as he shook his hand. Mr. Fair had a firm shake, and while Cloud could match it to some degree, he still flexed his hand beneath the table when he sat down. “I just…I, ah--”

“Weren’t you just in Zack’s BASIC group last spring? Gosh, you came up fast, then!” Mrs. Fair interjected. “You must be talented--!”

Cloud’s ears burned, and he found himself unable to look at anything besides his plate of food in front of him. “W-well, it’s…I-I was in a pilot group first, and, ah…”

“It’s kind of a long story, Ma,” Zack interrupted, shoveling food into his mouth. _Thank you, thank you._ He sighed in relief, picking up his fork just as Zack’s free hand rubbed his back. “He’s a hard worker, though!”

“I bet,” Mr. Fair agreed with a nod. “SOLDIER isn’t a walk in the park--though it’s probably a bit different than when I was around, you still only get the most dedicated going up through…”

“Danny was drafted years ago,” Mrs. Fair said, cocking her head with a smile. “That’s when we met, when he was stationed here…”

As soon as the conversation shifted its focus from him, Cloud tuned himself out, picking at the food on his plate. _They sure are his folks. Pretty friendly…_ He sighed deep and took a small bite of potatoes. _That’s good, that’s good…really didn’t have anything to worry about…_

He felt a hand on his thigh. Turning to his left, he found Tifa looking at him with her auburn brown eyes, a quiet concern there that he quickly recognized. _Are you okay?_ they asked. Cloud bit his lip and nodded, placing a hand on top of hers. _Yeah, I’m okay._

* * *

 

After dinner, Zack ushered his guests out the door and off into the quiet streets of Gongaga, just as the sun was beginning to dip at the mountains. “Sorry, I know my mom’s chatty,” he said, mostly to Cloud with a hand on his head. “What can you do, though?”

Cloud sank into his side. “It’s not a big deal,” he mumbled.

“Sure, but…” He whipped his head behind him, then bent over and gave his head a quick kiss. “I know how you are.”

Aerith giggled, arm in arm with Tifa. “What do you think, sunflower,” she asked. “How many people do you think we’re going to run into today that you know?”

“Oh, shit, I dunno,” he replied with a sigh. “We ate early, so _hopefully_ we don’t get stopped too much.”

Tifa leaned forward. “So Aerith knows everyone in Midgar, and you know everyone in Gongaga?” she asked.

“Yup,” he said. “Which one of you two was the popular kid in Nibelheim?”

“Neither of us,” Tifa replied, glancing over to Cloud. “We kept to ourselves.”

Zack laughed, throwing his head back, then pulled ahead of the group, scanning the buildings before they crested over the hill down into the center of town. “All right, all right, let’s see what we’ve got…”

Cloud drifted back to Tifa, and their hands slipped together, fingers entwined. “We’re gonna get the grand tour?” he muttered.

“Oh, yes,” Aerith said. “And if we can all keep up, he’ll have us all over town before the sun sets.”

In fact, Zack was already a ways ahead of them, walking backwards. _“Yo!_ C’mon!” he called, waving his hand. “They call downtown ‘The Bowl’ because there are hills all around it…”

Cloud found himself with a permanent smirk on his face as Zack walked them around the center of town. _Small town, sure,_ he thought, gawking at the houses, _but still bigger than Nibelheim. I think anything would be bigger than that._ Zack had commentary for every other landmark, whether it was the high school (“Gongaga High! I think they’ve redone the front of the school since I was around. I used to keep the VP on his toes…”) the local theater (“This place has been around since forever. No one’s allowed in the balcony seats anymore, they say it’s haunted.”) or even an inconspicuous local shop or two (“This place has _the_ best pizza in town, hands down. You can tell because of how mobbed it is on a Friday night.”).

He was animated, barely able to keep on the sidewalk as he pointed and babbled. _I can’t follow half of his stories,_ Cloud thought, _he keeps assuming we know things about town, when we don’t, but…_ He looked over at the others: Tifa seemed gently disinterested, but Aerith had a soft smirk on her face, one that felt similar to his own. _It’s so endearing…_

“Hey, baby,” Aerith interrupted. They were beginning to walk out of the town center, with the uphill walk and the buildings starting to thin out. “What about the field?”

Zack smacked both hands on the back of his head and pulled at his hair. “Oh, shit! The field!” he exclaimed. “Yeah, yeah, we’re going that way. Besides, that’s where the kennel is!”

He nearly sprinted up the hill, leaving the other three in his wake. “Jesus!” Tifa huffed. “Why’s he gotta _run_ all the time?”

“He’s got places to be,” Aerith replied. “When he did this with me, he just gave me a piggyback ride.”

“Of course he did,” she sighed, then squeezed Cloud’s hand. “Hey hon, do you think you could sprint up this hill?”

Cloud eyed it. “Well, yeah,” he said. “I mean, that’s how they train us--”

“What about with me on your back?” Tifa continued. “Or, maybe both of us…?”

Cloud stared at her, eyes wide while she bit back a smile. “Wh-what?”

“I like the way you think,” Aerith encouraged, bumping her hip against hers. “Cloud, carry us up the hill.”

 _I might be SOLDIER, but I’m not at Zack’s lifting level--!_ Cloud shook his head as the girls exchanged a coy look and gave each other a kiss. _Aerith’s really rubbing off on you, Ti. Besides, we’re almost at the top anyway…_

Tifa put her hand against her forehead to scope up over the hill. “Aaaand we’ve lost him,” she said. “Great.”

“No, he’s not far. Look.” Aerith pointed down the road. At either side of the pavement, the landscape opened up into wide open fields, with only a few farm houses dotting the landscape. At the horizon was an enormous set of mountains, and Cloud could spot huge rigging gear at the sides and top. _Yeah, Shinra’s been here. Drilling away and setting up energy reactors…_

Drawing his attention away from that, however, he followed Aerith’s line of site to a fenced area that Zack was hanging outside of. Inside it were several dogs and puppies, all jumping at the gate for his attention. “Hey, guys, how’s it goin’?” Zack said, grinning as he easily reached over the gate and unlocked it from the inside. “I’m comin’, I’m-- _oof,_ hey, hey!”

The dogs, all of varying breeds and sizes, descended on him, yipping and panting. “Easy, easy, now!” he exclaimed, hands out to keep them at bay while he shuffled around the kennel. Eventually, he was brought to his knees as the dogs barked and licked at his face. “Miss me, did ya?”

Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa caught up to him, staying on the other side of the fence while Zack was mobbed with attention. “He has to catch up with the rest of the pack, y’know,” Aerith teased. She stood on her toes while Zack had his arms around two other dogs, trying to keep them off his lap. “Having fun, sweetie?”

“Oh, yeah!” he replied with a laugh. “Dad knows the guy who owns this place, I used to come here all the time…hell, I got paid a handful of gil to keep an eye on these dogs…” He was quickly distracted by the bark of a black dog with gray around its muzzle. “Who’s a good dog? It’s you, isn’t it? Huh?”

Cloud sighed, shaking his head. _Zack’s so cute. I could watch him laugh for hours._ At his side, he felt Tifa wrap her arm around his waist, and he responded with an arm around her shoulder. _So sweet…_

“Psst, hey, the field’s over across the street,” Aerith whispered. “He’ll catch up when he realizes we aren’t here, c’mon.”

Cloud and Tifa stayed linked together while Aerith led the way across the road, over the ditch and into a grassy field. The tall grass reached Cloud’s waist as they waded through it. “It’s grass for a bit, but there are flowers beyond here. This is the best time to see it, right at sunset…the warm light…”

Crickets had conversations at their feet, aggressive and chatty, but not loud enough to drown out Zack’s heavy footsteps. _“Hey! Wait!”_

Aerith giggled. “See, told you.”

He caught up to them as they reached the edge of the tall grass, revealing a slope of land that blossomed into a huge field of wildflowers. Purple and white lupin were scattered on the hills, while sunflowers took the center stage, all of them facing east, away from the setting sun. “Wow,” Tifa breathed, eyes wide. “This is…beautiful.”

“Sure is, ain’t it?” Zack chuckled, a hand on Aerith and Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud caught Tifa’s eye for just a moment, a moment as the sun hit the auburn peaks and valleys of her irises. _Sure is,_ he thought.

“Everything’s beautiful here,” Aerith murmured, distant as she stared over the horizon. “I mean…I lived in the city all my life, and I thought the parks above the plate were beautiful. I mean, they’re nice, but…it’s nothing…”

She trailed off and hugged Zack’s side, resting her head against his arm. “I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” Zack and Tifa both replied in tandem.

They whipped their heads to each other, and Zack immediately jabbed a finger out. “Jinx! You owe me a soda!” he shouted with a wink.

“Ugh!” Tifa scoffed and frowned at him, while reaffirming her grip on Cloud’s hand. “Way to ruin the moment…!”

“It’s not ruined,” Aerith remarked. “In fact, you guys made it better.”

* * *

 

They made it home just as the last of the light left the sky, and ended their night inside Zack’s bedroom. _There’s so much…stuff,_ Cloud thought as he sat on the floor, gawking at all the posters on the wall. There was a bookshelf that while it had some books on it, most of the shelves were piled with cassette tapes. His eye caught a calendar, abandoned in May 1992, featuring a blonde woman in a string bikini, smiling at the camera. _God._

“I forgot how _small_ your bed is,” Aerith complained, squished against the wall. “Hell, _you_ don’t even fit in it anymore!”

“Shh, keep it down, my folks are probably trying to sleep,” Zack replied, shuffling on the mattress. He dwarfed it, his feet hanging off the edge. “Maybe I should sleep on the floor…”

“Maybe you _should,”_ Tifa remarked, already in an oversized sleeping shirt. “You know, since we’re _guests?”_

“Trust me, this ain’t no picnic,” Zack huffed. He tried to stretch, only to roll over once again with a hand on his head. “This thing is springy and stiff, stiff as _hell.”_

“Stiffer than the cots on base?” Cloud asked.

“Well…maybe not,” he chuckled. “But I’d rather take that than this stupid thing.”

Aerith pushed on his back. “Here, baby, get up, I bet Tifa and I could squeeze on here.”

Zack let himself roll off the bed, flopping on the floor in front of Cloud, and he posed with a grin. Cloud grinned and shook his head, while Tifa stepped over him and onto the bed with Aerith. “Oh, this is only a twin, isn’t it…”

“Yup,” Aerith said. She fluttered her eyelashes. “We’ll have to get _cozy~.”_

“A-ah…”

The mattress creaked, masked by the girls giggling, but Cloud was drawn to shuffling beneath the bed as Zack scooted closer to him. “What’s up?” he asked.

Cloud continued to squint under the bed. “Your parents really haven’t touched your room that much, huh?” he said.

“Oh, yeah. I think Mom likes it that way.” He laced his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. “Well, think of it this way: I was just staying on base for the longest time, maybe she thought I’d be coming home eventually. You technically don’t have to get your own housing until you’re 1st.”

“Right.”

“And sometimes they’ll even provide it for you then. The apartment that Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis live in? That’s Shinra owned. And Edge is too, that new development outside the plate.”

“Uh-huh.” Cloud was drawn to a flash of silver beneath the bed. _Looks like there’s only posters and papers under here, but…is that…?_ He reached over Zack’s torso and flicked his fingers until he could get a grip on the poster under the bed. “What’s this…?”

“What?” Zack blinked as he pulled it out. “Oh…”

Cloud spread out the poster in front of him. It was a glossy, if a little crinkled, full shot of Sephiroth wielding the Masamune in a two-handed pose. In the corner was a small, silver emblem that read “SILVER ELITE”. _Well, well._ “You were part of that fanclub too?” Cloud asked, unable to prevent the grin spreading on his face.

“N-no!” Zack choked, trying to snatch the poster out of his hands. Cloud held it just out of reach while he floundered. “W-well, okay, I had it up from…y’know, before I joined the military…”

Cloud held it up just high enough for Tifa to see, and she held it steady to study it. “Wow, are you telling me you’re secretly a Sephiroth fanboy?” she teased.

_“No!”_

“It used to be up right over there,” Aerith elaborated, pointing to a suspiciously poster shaped empty space on the wall. “I remember--”

“You _guys!”_ It started out as a yelp, but he barely kept it down to a whisper toward the end of its cadence, and covered his mouth.

“Parents are sleeping, remember?” Aerith teased, reaching all the way from her side of the bed and over Aerith to poke his nose.

Zack furrowed his brow, face flush. “Jeez…” he grunted, muffled. “Okay, okay, so I _was_ part of that fanclub…I thought he was cool, okay?”

 _He_ is _pretty cool. In a way,_ Cloud thought. “And then what?” he asked.

“Well, I _met_ him. I fuckin’ joined a band with him in it.” Zack sighed heavily. “Stars in your eyes fade _real_ quick.”

“I bet they do,” Tifa replied. “He seems like a stuck-up asshole.”

“You’re not wrong.”

 _He’s not_ that _bad,_ Cloud thought, returning the poster where he found it and spooned himself next to Zack. _Then again, I don’t work very close with him too often. Guess he’s not so bad to me…or maybe to someone who won’t test his patience. I’ve got anxiety, but otherwise…_

His thoughts were cut off by Zack scooting back into him, wiggling his butt as he got comfortable. “Yeah, this is good. I’ll sleep tonight,” he muttered, reaching back with one long arm to pat Cloud’s hip.

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Tifa asked. “Are we heading right out?”

“Depends on how bored you get,” Zack said, then perked up. “Oh, but Mom’s making pancakes! Blueberry ones!”

 _That sounds good,_ Cloud thought, nose at his back, while Aerith replied with wordless anticipation. _It’s been awhile since I’ve had a home cooked breakfast like that. I wonder if Mom will make corn muffins for us when we get over there. That was her go-to…_

“So we’re _definitely_ staying for breakfast,” Zack continued. “I mean, tomorrow’s only Saturday, so we can take our time heading to Nibelheim. What do you say, Tifa, wanna drive out that way?”

“I’ll drive _part_ of the way,” she replied. “If you can get us out of Gongaga and back on the main route, I can take it from there.”

“Deal.”

Tifa sighed heavily and threw herself back on the bed, prompting Aerith to immediately drape herself over her. “I’m still nervous,” she sighed.

“About what?” Aerith asked.

“About Nibelheim. I don’t want to be _seen.”_ She ran her hands back through her hair, pushing her bangs back. “You think you could stuff me in a helmet and uniform when we walk around town?”

The group chuckled. “Well, who are you looking to avoid?” Zack asked. “Surely you didn’t make _everyone_ your enemy back home. Is this what you meant when you said you weren’t popular?”

Tifa shot him a narrow-eyed look. _“No,”_ she huffed. “I just don’t want to see my Dad. We aren’t on good terms.”

“Well, we don’t have to stay at my place,” Cloud suggested. “We can go camping up there on the mountain.” He poked Zack’s back. “That’s what you wanted to do anyway, right?”

“Oh, yeah! See, we don’t even have to stay in town that long. Problem solved.”

Tifa nodded, catching Cloud’s eye for a second. _I know what you’re thinking,_ Cloud thought. _If someone recognizes you, they might know someone who knows your dad, and then they tell him that you’re around. You don’t think he’s going to drag you back to stay here, do you?_ He stared at her back. _If something happens, I’ll…I’ll fight for you, Ti._

_But it should be smooth sailing._

“Oy, let’s get some shut-eye though,” Zack said. “We’ve got some travel to do tomorrow.”

He got up and flicked the lights, washing them in darkness. Soon, he was back in the bed made of sleeping bags, and hugged Cloud to his chest, kissing his head. “Get some sleep, babe,” he muttered.

“Mm.” _That should be easy,_ he thought, the sound of crickets and frogs filtering in from outside as a last remnant of summer. _Tomorrow…back to Nibelheim._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit of a push, and maybe it shows, but it's all right. It's because this little journey is the calm before what will be the last big arc of the story, and I'm excited to get there. One step at a time, though! Also, I decided to add the "Crisis Core" tag onto this fic, because let's be real, this is more of a CC inspired canon than an OG FF7 one.
> 
> Don't have too many notes, except yes, once upon a time, Zack idolized Sephiroth too. Zack's parents are good people--we might see them again. 
> 
> Next time, we'll make it into Nibelheim. No, Tifa does not get Cloud's FF7 treatment of returning home with a helmet on so that no one recognizes her. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!


	63. Nibelheim

With Tifa at the wheel, the foursome rolled into the mountains of Nibelheim just past noon, enough for the sun to threaten to bake Cloud’s hair on the back of the motorcycle.  _ Everything’s still the same as I left it,  _ he thought, blips of anxiety making his heart jump.  _ Hard to tell what changes when it’s just a bunch of rocks. Won’t know ‘til we get into town. _

Tifa geared down with a jerk as they rounded the downhill corner. “Ooh, are we almost there?” Aerith asked, sitting up in Zack’s lap in the sidecar. The mountains were washed with a tawny brown, in contrast to the granite gray of Gongaga’s mountains. “I’m excited to stretch my legs…”

“You’re not kidding,” Zack grunted, patting his knees. “Yo, Tifa, I’d keep an eye out for someone on watch--”

“Huh?” she said, then jammed on the brakes. "Oh, _shit!"_  


The instant Tifa looked over to him, and then back at the road, a figure flashed out of nowhere and stood in the middle of the road. Tifa yelped and geared down too quickly, jerking the bike.  


“Whoa, easy!” Zack exclaimed, hoisting himself up so he was sitting on the edge of the sidecar. Its pace had slowed to a crawl, so he swung his legs around it and jumped off. “It’s no prob. I've got this again-- _y_ _ o!”  _

The figure was another 1st-class SOLDIER--easily discerned by the black, sleeveless uniform, but unlike most 1sts (or SOLDIER, for that matter) Cloud had come into contact with, this was a woman: with pink hair tied back in a ponytail and long, sideswept bangs. She held a sword--or was it a gun?--out at them, but returned it to her side as soon as Zack hopped out of the sidecar. She didn’t acknowledge Zack’s greeting, only staring at the motorcycle with a stone-faced look. “Military patrol out this way?” she asked. “And out of uniform?” She locked eyes with Tifa. “State your business.”

“A-ah…” Tifa stuttered, immediately twisting her hands in her lap.  _ She’s not wearing her bracelets, nothing to fidget with,  _ Cloud thought, keeping his arms loose around her hips.  _ Don’t worry, Ti, just let Zack handle it.  _ “We, ah…”

“Yo, Lightning!” Zack tried greeting again, walking right up to her. “You remember me, right?”

She cocked her weapon back up with considerable speed, and the sword unfolded to greater length, a gun barrel situated below it.  _ A gunblade?  _ Cloud thought.  _ Those are limited high-class weapons, only a few SOLDIER keep them, and they’re all documented… _

Zack jumped back with his hands up. “E-easy! We’re just--”

With a twist of the blade, she pursed her lips. “That’s 1st-class Farron to  _ you,  _ SOLDIER,” she grunted, using the tip to drag the chain of his dog tags out, taking his feather necklace with it. After a moment, she dropped the blade, and the intensity in her light blue eyes faded. “Zack Fair?” 

“1-1st-class,” he said, eyes squeezed shut. “God, please don’t kill me.”

She holstered her gunblade at her hip and crossed her arms. “Well, well. You climbed up the ladder, didn’t you?” she remarked. “Never thought the puppy from Gongaga would get the clearance to take one of Shinra’s transport bikes out.”

_ This seems to be a common theme,  _ Cloud thought, while Zack shook his head with a grimace.  _ Even if he does get teased like this, he must have made enough of an impression on people for them to remember him.  _ Tifa relaxed a little, prompting him to sit up.  _ Sure did on me… _

Lightning scanned the group--first Tifa, then she lingered on Cloud. “You seem…familiar,” she said. 

He blinked.  _ And somehow I keep getting recognized by people I don’t know! God damn it.  _ “E-er, Cloud Strife, 2nd-class,” he replied, pulling out his dog tags for her to see. “I--well, _we_ grew up here, and, ah…”

He trailed off, and Lighting continued to stare at him for a moment. “Ah,” she said finally. “You must’ve been a part of the recruiting here last spring." She pointed to her own head and made an upwards motion with her finger. "It’s the hair.”

_Ah, of course,_ Cloud thought with a sigh. 

“Yeah, we’re up to visit Cloud’s folks! We just got back from Gongaga, actually…” Zack butted in. “A weekend tour!” 

He winked at Cloud, and he sighed with relief.  _ There, then she won’t ask about how I’m a 2nd already, that long story…it just gets uncomfortable to tell it. I don't mind getting the praise for climbing so quick, but I don't want to relive…  
_

_ (“Hey, Cloud, can you hear me?” Distant, as if called from miles away. “C-c’mon, wake up…”)  _

_…all that._ He shook his head and made himself focus on the conversation at hand.  _Enough of that…_

“Family visiting, huh?” Lightning sighed heavily. “What fun…”

“It’s not so bad,” Zack dismissed, waving his hand.   


“For  _ you,  _ maybe,” she groaned. “Meanwhile, my sister’s getting married, and doesn’t have any clue how to go about it, so she keeps calling  _ me  _ for help…do I look like I know how to plan a wedding?” Lightning gestured to her uniform and dusty boots, then tightened her ponytail. “And her  _ fantastic  _ groom-to-be is  _ also  _ no help…” 

“Weddings are easy!” Aerith chirped with false hope, although her face fell quickly. “You just…fill out the paperwork?” 

She rubbed her temples and paced around the motorcycle, footsteps crunching in the gravel. “If only…if only it were that easy,” she said. “Everything looks like it’s in order…I’ll page HQ just to be sure.”

“Really? C’mon…” Zack huffed, only to have the tip of the gunblade back in his face once again while Lightning pulled her pager from her belt. “L-Loire didn’t page us in! Christ, I signed the damn thing out--”

“1st-class Loire, up in Gongaga?” She flicked through her pager, only raising an eyebrow. “Well, of course he didn’t.” In the end, she sighed and flicked her blade out from his face and back into her holster. “Speaking of which, how’s Angeal Hewley? Haven’t seen him since the summit.”

“Oh! Great!” he replied. “He’s been doing a lot of training lately, for 3rds and 2nds in Midgar.”

“That’s his forte.” She squatted down and inspected the license plates. “He’s not still hanging around that Rhapsodos, is he?”

Zack sighed. “Yup.”

Lightning shook her head as she rose to her feet, stretching her back. “Don’t know why Shinra keeps him around. No, wait--actually, I  _ do. _ But still.” She rolled her eyes. “I never got to battle Mr. Up-And-Coming, but I  _ did  _ spar with Genesis once.”

“How’d that go?”

“Draw,” she replied. “I was faster than he was, but…he’s unpredictable. I’m sure if we kept going, one of us would’ve gotten the upper hand.” She ran her finger along the small windshield, checking the dashboard as she did so. As soon as it reached opposite where it started, her eyes flicked up toward Tifa and Cloud. “But, one of us would’ve been dead.”

Both Cloud and Tifa nodded slowly.  _ Sheesh,  _ he thought, swallowing.  _ SOLDIER really don’t fuck around, do they? Especially 1st-class…word is that in order to pass the exam, you have to battle another 1st. And I have no idea which one I’d have a chance against… _

After another once-over, Lightning seemed satisfied and patted her thigh. “Well, everything checks out. You’re good to go.”

_ “Thank you,  _ sheesh, _ ”  _ Zack groaned, jumping back in the sidecar, although keeping his perch on the back rather than in the seat. “Y’know, you could stand to loosen up…”

She squinted at him. “If I loosened up, no one would bother taking me seriously,” she said, glancing at Tifa and Aerith. “I’m sure others in your party would understand.”

Cloud felt Tifa sigh while she gripped the handlebars of the bike once again. He imagined a thinly controlled smirk on her face.  _ After all that time she worked as a tour guide, yeah.  _ “Well, we’d better get heading down,” Tifa said.

Lightning nodded. “Have a good visit.” She turned around, then with blinding speed, vanished off the road and up the side of the mountain.

_ “Shit,  _ she’s fast,” Zack marveled, tapping his sunglasses back over his face, then leaned over in an attempt to get Tifa’s attention. “See, she’s the one I was trying to tell you about--”

_ “Hey!”  _ Above them, Lightning made herself known again, arms crossed with her pink hair dancing in the wind. “I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but keep out of Shinra Manor. It’s not for sightseeing.” 

_ “What?”  _ Zack shouted back. 

“I’m warning you!” she called, her glare palpable even from the distance. “I’ll drag you all the way to HQ myself!”

_ “What?!”  _ Zack cried again, but Tifa was already moving, easing the motorcycle into gear. He lurched forward, only holding on by Aerith keeping a grip on his calves. Then, he poked Cloud’s back. “Dude, what’s that about? What’s Shinra Manor?”

Cloud shook his head. “Later,” he replied. _Hoo boy._ _ He’s so eager, all the time. Didn’t Aerith say  _ not  _ to tell him about that? Oh, well. _ “Let’s get settled in first.”

* * *

 

Tifa drifted to the back of the group when they got to Cloud’s house, although the sight of Ms. Strife was more welcome than the dirt streets and curious glances of the rest of the residents. She immediately took Cloud into her arms and hugged him tight. “Oh, hon, it’s good to see you,” she greeted. She held him by his shoulders and studied him, gray hair wisping around her face. “Look at you, you almost look like a new man…!”

Cloud sighed heavily, with a bite of his lip, but nodded nonetheless. “Th-they train us hard, Mama,” he mumbled, accent much more pronounced in her presence. 

_ Yeah, they sure do. But why does he look so uncomfortable?  _ Tifa thought.  _ Was it because of all he had to go through to get here? Or…  _ As she caught his eye before they escaped to the ground, it dawned on her.  _ He doesn’t like being called a “man”,  _ Tifa realized, tilting her chin up.  _ I don’t remember ever noticing that before. But… _

“Goodness, aren’t your eyes bright now,” Ms. Strife continued, peering down into them. “That’s that may-ko, isn’t it?”

_ “Mako,”  _ Cloud corrected. “Yeah. H-helps make us stronger. Builds stamina for us.” He lifted his head, then turned toward the others. “Here, m-my friends…”

Zack was quick to take the cue, with Aerith right behind him. “1st-class Zack Fair, ma’am,” he said, hand out. “Pleasure--!” 

“Oh, Cloud’s talked about you before! You’re the one who trained him, a couple times now!” Ms. Strife shook his hand gently, then withdrew her hands to her stomach. “Always 'Zack this, Zack that, Zack showed off this thing today'--”

“M-Mom…” Cloud protested, covering his mouth and part of his reddening cheeks.  _ That’s about right,  _ Tifa thought with amusement. 

Zack beamed with praise, while Aerith whirled on the other side of him, hand outstretched. “He is pretty impressive,” she agreed. “I’m Aerith, Zack’s girlfriend. It’s good to meet you!” 

“Yes, yes,” she replied, holding Aerith’s hand in both of hers for a moment, before turning to Tifa. “Tifa, how’ve you been?” 

“Oh! Good!” She was ushered into a hug by surprise, but returned it tight nonetheless.  _ She’s still wearing that same perfume, that she always has. Funny how no matter how much time passes, there are always things that stay the same. I mean, it’s only been a few months.  _ “Feels like I’ve been gone a lot longer…”

Cloud cleared his throat. “Ah, Zack, Aerith, I can show you guys upstairs, and we can get the camping stuff…”

“All  _ right!”  _ Zack whooped, right on his heels as they walked inside. Aerith trailed behind them, rolling her eyes, but smiling all the same, leaving Ms. Strife and Tifa on the front steps. 

“So, how  _ has  _ everything been?” Ms. Strife asked quietly, a hush in her voice. “Cloud calls on the weekends, but…I’m afraid he hasn’t been telling me everything.”

“Ah, well…” Tifa struggled not to fidget.  _ There’s good reason for that. And Cloud can’t put on that kind of “everything is fine, don’t worry” demeanor that, say, Zack or Aerith could. So, you always wonder.  _

_ (“Hi there--oh, Cloud, honey! What happened to your face?” Ms. Strife rushed over and cupped Cloud’s face in her hand, examining the purple bruise on the side.  _

_ “I-it’s nothing,” he mumbled. “Just got…uh, hit with a ball in P.E.--” _

_ “What  _ kind?  _ You’ve really got to be careful…” _

_ Tifa grit her teeth, but said nothing…) _

“It’s, ah…had our ups and downs,” she finally chose to reply. “But…things have been good overall.”

This answer seemed to satisfy her, as she sighed and hugged her arms against her stomach. “That’s good,” she sighed. “2nd-class already…”

“I know it.”

She peered over at Tifa beneath her thin-rimmed glasses. “How’s the bar?”

“It’s good! I’ve really gotten the hang of things. Busy sometimes…” Tifa smiled to herself. “But, that’s how it is, y’know.”

From upstairs, Zack’s voice trailed to the outside. “See! He has one too!”  _ Ah, he found the Sephiroth poster,  _ Tifa thought with a smirk.  _ I wonder how fast that’s going to come down.  _

Silence settled between them, with only the sound of the wind through the mountains to keep them company.  _ Small talk, small talk. I could’ve just gone up with them, but…nope. I stayed down here. Hopefully she doesn’t ask about my dad. Or comment about how Cloud was hugging me on the motorcycle when we pulled in. Please come back down, guys… _

“Cloud mentioned that you folks were going to camp somewhere?” Ms. Strife asked. “That’s probably a better idea than staying here…there’s only the couch to sleep on--”

“O-oh! Yeah, probably by the lake,” Tifa replied immediately. _The couch I slept on many nights._ We _slept on. But four is three too many, so…_ “It’ll be something to squeeze all of us into a tent, but Zack seems to be into it, so…”

Ms. Strife chuckled. “Well, that’s good. Enjoy the time you’re here.” She stared up at the sky. “I’m just glad to see y’all are doing fine. Midgar’s a big city…it’ll eat you up. Happens to so many…they up and leave the countryside, and we never hear from 'em again…” 

_ Maybe,  _ Tifa thought as footsteps echoed down the stairs behind her.  _ But, we’re a lot tougher than we seem.  _ She turned around to see Zack with his arms full of camping gear--including folding chairs, a box with a folded tent, and even a sleeping bag. “All right, are we ready? Where’re we going?” he asked. 

Cloud came up shortly behind him with another sleeping bag. “We can take the bike up to the lake,” he said, then surveyed the sidecar. “Or…”

Aerith was suspiciously empty handed. “How about one of you ride the bike up to the lake, and the rest of us will walk?” She locked eyes with Tifa. “Maybe you, ba--Tiiiiifa?”

Her face flushed pink.  _ Whoops. Just a little trip up.  _ “S-sure,” she replied.  _ Besides, that means I can just blow through town and not run into anyone. Not my old boss. Not Dad. Not anyone from school.  _

_ I just want this to be me, me and my friends… _

_ Me and my lovers… _

Cloud plopped the sleeping bags he was carrying into the sidecar, then took the stairs two at a time back to his mother’s side. “Want me to stick around for a bit?” he asked. 

“No, you can go with your friends,” she said, although her voice lilted.

With a kiss on her cheek, Cloud nodded to the others. “Y’all go on ahead. I’ll be there in a minute,” he said. 

“Take your time,” Aerith assured, and took Tifa by the arm. She dragged her down the steps, while Tifa refrained from holding her waist in return. “We’ll see you in a bit!”

* * *

 

The lake they set out for was right at the foot of Mt. Nibel, although a mile west from the edge of town. Tentpoles in his hand, Zack wasn’t mesmerized by the lake, but the huge mansion that lie on one of the other shores. “Dude, I can  _ see  _ it!” he exclaimed. “We could walk along the beach and get to it!”

_ “No,”  _ Tifa groaned, pacing over to him and snagging the tentpoles out of his hand. “We’re not going over there! Are you gonna help us, or what?” 

“What’s so  _ bad _ about it! That would be so  _ fun!”  _ Zack trailed behind her, while Cloud and Aerith were holding up opposite ends of the tent to keep it steady. It was barely a frame, but Zack held the remaining poles to complete it, and Tifa snatched them out of his hands. 

“Really,” Cloud sighed. “Don’t…it’s not worth getting reamed out by that 1st-class.”

_ “Pshh.”  _ Zack waved his hand. “You  _ really  _ think she’s watching out there, or was she just bluffing? Using her ‘intimidate factor’…”

“So you  _ are  _ intimidated by her,” Aerith remarked, glancing up. 

“What? I didn’t say that.”

“I think you did.”

“That lady doesn’t seem like she ‘bluffs’,” Tifa added. “She seemed pretty serious about everything, you said so yourself.”

As soon as the poles were secure, Aerith waltzed over to Tifa with a devious look spread across her lips. “Sweetie,” she drawled, wrapping her arms around her from behind. “She was pretty cute, wasn’t she? In that ‘kick my ass’ kind of way, huh?”

“Wh…A-Aerith…!” Tifa wriggled in her arms, face darkening. “Why…”

“Because I like it when you squirm~,” she teased, standing on her toes to kiss her cheek from behind. “And she  _ is  _ hot.” 

“Aw,  _ man,”  _ Zack said, fluffing the back of his hair, then wandered over to Cloud. He pulled him up from tightening the stakes by the collar of his shirt. “Say, while the girls are geeking out about Shinra’s best female officer, why don’t you say you and I check out that manor…?”

To his dismay, Cloud still shook his head.  _ Damn,  _ he thought.  _ “No,”  _ he replied. “A couple teenagers broke in there when Ti and I were kids, and they kept spouting about how they saw some kind of monster in the basement--”

“But that’s  _ perfect!”  _ Zack insisted, wrapping his arm around his shoulder. “What’s better than a little mystery! We can be like Mystery Inc.!”

Cloud snorted. “Like Scooby Doo?” 

_ “Yeah!”  _

His laugh was quiet, but made Zack beam even more, no matter how discouraging it was to his adventure plans. “Y’know, Aerith said you’d be like this,” he remarked.

“‘Course she did.” Zack planted a kiss on his head, and finally turned his attention to the lake. “Pretty little lake, though.” 

Cloud nodded and leaned into him. “Yeah. Great for swimming.”

“Really? Shit, we should’ve brought swimsuits. Given how warm it’s been…” He stared up at the sun, still giving off heat, even though the trees on the mountain were already beginning to turn shades of yellow and orange.  _ Well, you don’t  _ need  _ swimsuits to go swimming, do you?  _ He hid a smile behind his lips.  _ Maybe tonight… _

“Hey, guys!” Aerith called. She was still wrapped around Tifa, although they were waddling over to the tent and luggage. “The tent’s still not done, and we’ve got to cram all our stuff into it--!” 

“Just a sec!” Zack replied. “We’re having a moment!”

“W-we are?” Cloud asked. “Uh…”

He grinned. “We are  _ now.”  _

Zack bent down and kissed him at the lakeside, cupping a hand to his face.  _ Every moment’s a good one, if it’s one I’m spending kissing you.  _ He couldn’t help but smile into it.  _ Every one.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remembered too late that I wanted to pair the song "Omaha" by Counting Crows to this chapter, but now it doesn't quite fit. Lyrics-wise, anyway. You can still go listen to it for the mood!
> 
> Here's the other FF 1st-class cameo--Lightning from FF13! She's very no nonsense, especially compared to someone like Zack. Fastest 1st out there, she could probably best Sephiroth in a test of speed alone…but don't tell him that. I suspect Nibelheim is a sleepy town full of locals, and I understand Tifa's desire to escape unnoticed. And the odd small talk between her and Ms. Strife--their common interest is Cloud, so that's about all they have. 
> 
> Next time, we'll make use of the lake nearby. Stay tuned!


	64. Skinny Dipping

“Cloud. _Cloud.”_

Zack’s voice was hazy through Cloud’s heavy sleep, spooned right against Tifa in a single sleeping bag. “Wh…what…” he grumbled, keeping his eyes closed.

He chuckled and shook his shoulder. “C’mon, get up. We’ve got something to show you.”

“I-it’s…late, _why,”_ he groaned, snuggling further into Tifa. “And cold…”

“That’s ‘cause you’re incubating in there, c’mon! Get up!”

This time, Zack unzipped the side of the sleeping bag and whipped it open, exposing both Cloud and Tifa to the gentle chill of the night. “What in hell…” Tifa muttered, rolling over in Cloud’s arms. She yawned, then squinted at Zack. “What…?”

Zack continued to beam at them. “Aerith’s already outside. You gotta come quick!”

Rubbing his eyes, Cloud sat up in the small tent just as Zack escaped to the outside. He blearily adjusted his eyes to the dark. _God. What time is it, even? I had just gotten to sleep._ Ears straining, he could hear Zack and Aerith giggling outside the tent, bare feet crunching in the cool gravel of the lake shore.

“This had better be good,” Tifa said, yawning loudly. Her hair was in a loose braid, and the static had matted it to a frizzy mess around her face. Cloud reached over and smoothed it back, brushing a group of flyaways away behind her ear. She didn’t react, still coming to bearings with her surroundings, and it endeared him even more. _Ti…_

He slipped his hand down over her shoulder, lifting her tanktop strap back to its proper place as he did so. “Well, let’s go see,” he said quietly, kissing her cheek.

She kissed his back, then lingered for a peck on his lips. Then, with a sigh, she hoisted herself back out of the comfort of the sleeping bag, swung her legs around, and unzipped the tent. Cloud did the same, close behind. _Oh, shit. I’m only in my underwear,_ he thought briefly, glancing down past his t-shirt to his boxer briefs. _Guess it doesn’t matter. There’s no one around here this late in the season…_

He met Tifa at the edge of the tent in the middle of a stretch--arms in the air, on her tiptoes--but it was cut short as soon as she opened her eyes. _“What!”_ she yelped, jabbing her arm forward to point. _“Zack!”_

Zack was standing at the shoreline, back-to, bare ass in clear view for them to see. He only turned his head and waved. “What do you think?” he said, hands on his hips. “Pretty great, huh?”

 _Yes,_ Cloud thought, covering his mouth. _Yes, it sure is._

Tifa was less impressed. _“No!”_ she shouted--it was more of a half-whisper, half-shout, a vain attempt to preserve the still of the night. She whirled around and squatted at the foot of the tent. _“I’m going back to bed!”_

It took Cloud a moment to realize Aerith was standing right beside him, equally naked--she shoved him away by his middle and beckoned them over. “No, _no!_ He’s just being a jerk, look _up!”_

With a huff, she lifted her head up, then gasped and scrambled to her feet. “Oh, my God! Is that…” she breathed.

Cloud also turned his eyes to the sky. The half-moon was barely on the horizon, but the real draw was the flurry of aquamarine lights lilting in the dark. The colors shimmered, like a hazy filter over the distant stars, and reflected further on the lake water. “Wow,” Cloud sighed, eyes wide. “An aurora…”

“Pretty,” Aerith commented in a hush.

When Cloud looked down to address her voice, she had her arm back around Zack’s waist, and beckoned them over with her free hand. With a gentle hand on Tifa’s back, he guided her over to them, just at the edge of the lake shore, where the sand was still wet.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Tifa said, still staring up. “Not growing up, or anything…”

“Me neither,” Cloud added.

“We must be more north than I thought,” Zack said. “This is wicked cool though…see, aren’t you glad you got up?”

Tifa’s awe was cut off as she squinted at him. “Sure,” she said. “Why are you guys out here naked?”

“Why _wouldn’t_ we be?”

_“Seriously.”_

Aerith giggled. “Okay, okay,” she said. “We came out here because we wanted to take a dip.”

“Swimming? In the dead of night? _Naked?”_ Tifa exclaimed. She circled around with her hands on her hips in front of Aerith, while the latter covered her grin with one hand. “Honestly…”

“What, you’ve never gone skinny dipping before?” Zack asked. “It’s fun…~”

“Yeah, 'fun' if I want to get weeds in my crotch,” she grumbled.

“Oh, c’mon, this isn’t a _pond--_ look, the water’s crystal clear!” Aerith gestured out, then took a couple steps closer to the shore, splashing her bare feet in the shallow water. _“Ooh!”_

“Is it cold?” Zack asked, following behind. He met up with her, and the instant his feet met up with the water, he shuddered and held his arms. _“Shit,_ just a...just a little bit…”

Tifa shook her head and sighed. “Yeah, _no.”_ She sniffed and stared back up at the eerie green lights above them, which were just starting to fade. “I’m going back to bed. C’mon, Cloud.”

Funnily enough, Cloud found himself staying right where he was. _Yeah, it’s cold, and it’s the dead of the night._ Aerith kept taking measured steps further into the water, kicking some water up to Zack’s shins. He yelped, but still laughed, returning the favor. _But…but…_

“Babe, don’t rush me!” Zack whined, using one of his hands to cup his crotch. “I gotta...take my time!”

“Oh my _God,_ you just have to go in all at once!” Aerith retorted. “And get your hand away from your balls, you’re barely up to your knees.”

“But it’s gonna be _cold.”_

“You big whiner!”

“Yeah? Well I don’t see _you_ going in all the way.”

“Oh, _yeah?”_

Aerith took a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks, then dashed out further into the lake, kicking up water as she went. As soon as she was up to the crease of her butt, she spun around and did a magnificent back dive into the water, rippling the calm lake all around her. Bushy hair soaked, she gasped as she emerged to the surface, wiping excess water from around her eyes. “C-c’mon! It’s fine once you’re in!” She stood on her toes. “Cloud! Tifa! Are you guys coming?”

Behind him, Tifa had barely made it a couple paces from where she stood before, staring out at the lake. _Yeah, you’re tempted too, huh?_ Cloud thought, thumb tucked into his boxer briefs. _I don’t think you really want to miss out._

_And frankly, neither do I._

With a shake of his head, Cloud yanked down his underwear in one swoop, kicking it off behind him. Then, he grabbed his shirt from the back to pull it over his head, tossing it into the pile on the sand.

“H-hon? Really?” he heard Tifa ask behind him.

He took a couple steps forward into the water, and flinched when he made contact. It was cold, colder than the wet sand, but not cold enough to be terribly uninviting. It was, however, still enough to raise the hair on his arms on end, and he drew them away from his crotch to hold them. _Okay, so it’s a little chilly…_

“Yo!” Zack called, half in laughter. He had managed to get up to his thighs in the water, just below his ass. “Nice! C’mon out, the water’s-- _aaaah!”_

Aerith jumped up from the water, in an attempt to tackle him down, but he only stumbled backward, and caught her in his arms. “Hey, I see you--!” he yelped, spinning her around. He still kept his eyes on Cloud as he wandered further into the water.

“Cloud, give me a hand,” Aerith said, fidgeting in his grip. “Help me push this pup into the water--hey, _hey!”_

Zack briefly stuck his face right in her chest, snickering. _God._ With a fistful of his hair, she forced him back up, then called out. “Tifaaaa! Come wrestle this asshole!”

Cloud glanced back--Tifa’s pale body stood out against the dark water, as she hugged one arm against her chest while the other was at her crotch. He smirked to himself. _There we go._ She offered him a shy smile, but it was masked by the tone of her voice when she replied. “Christ, you really wanna _swim_ in this?”

“Babe, it’s _fine,”_ Aerith insisted, jumping down off of Zack. She then ducked into the water and swum against the bottom of the lake bed. “And you don’t have to be so modest. We’re all naked here.”

“H-huh?” Tifa replied, watching her hair billow in the water.

“Yeah, we’re all friends!” Zack turned around fully, hands on his hips. “It’s gonna happen eventually--”

“What do you mean by that?” Tifa asked, whipping her head up with a frown. “What ideas do _you_ have in mind?”

“Well…” He chuckled to himself and ran a hand through his hair. “Y’know…”

“Tackle him,” Aerith whispered, rising up from the water right at Tifa’s feet. “Just _tackle him.”_

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, convincing Tifa to relax her own arms, lingering at her hips. “A-ah…” she muttered. “Y-you’re kinda…in the way…”

Aerith grinned, pressing her body against hers. “I know.”

In the meantime, Cloud continued to take one slow step at a time into the lake, keeping his focus on reaching Zack. He was a couple paces from reaching him when his balls reached water level, and he hissed at the sensitive cold. Zack winced with him. “Yeah, that’s what _I’m_ afraid of,” he said.

After a couple short breaths, Cloud continued his pace and bumped his hip against Zack once he reached him. “I-it’s not so bad,” he shivered. “O-once you’re in…”

“Maybe,” Zack replied, taking a deep breath of the night air. “But I’m taking my time, y’know?”

Cloud chuckled. “Sure.”

“Hey hotshot, aren’t you gonna swim?” Aerith teased once again. Her hands were firmly gripping Tifa’s breasts, while Tifa kept her hands low on Aerith’s hips, eyes down.

“Hey, aren’t you?” Zack retorted. “Or are you just gonna grope your girlfriend all night?”

“I’m holding them up!” she insisted, jiggling them in her hands. “Besides, you do it to me all the time!”

Tifa pulled Aerith by her hips closer to her, coaxing her hands away from her chest. “God,” she muttered, then squatted a little and hoisted her legs around her own hips, carrying her out into the water.

“Yay!” she cheered, kissing the side of her head.

“Were you planning this the whole time?” Tifa asked.

“Maaaaybe~?”

Cloud chuckled, then took a deep breath and dropped to his knees, effectively submerging him to almost his neck. _“Haaah!”_ he gasped, then ducked his head in. The cold soaked his head, clearing his senses as soon as he rose up and slicked his hair back. He stayed low in the water, crab-walking further back. _Yeah, it’s not so bad._

“Damn!” Zack marveled. “You’re showing me up, here!”

Still, he stayed right where he was, and Cloud flipped to his front and waded over to Zack’s knees, using his hands on the bottom to propel himself. “Want some help?” he asked with a smirk.

“Oh, _no,_ not you too!” he exclaimed, staggering back. “Let me take my time!”

Tifa and Aerith reached them, the water deep enough that Tifa’s grip on her thighs wasn’t as firm with the buoyancy of water. “I thought you were SOLDIER?” she asked with an eyebrow raised.

 _“Dude!”_ Zack crossed his arms. “I’m off duty! Give a guy a break!”

 _I thought for sure she’d have tackled him by now,_ Cloud thought, staring up at Zack. _Then again, s_ _he’s still tentative being undressed with me when we’re alone, and we’re dating._ He bit his lip. _I think I can do something, though…_

He rose slowly out of the water behind him, running his hands up Zack's hips. “C’mon, babe,” he muttered, as breathy as he could muster. _Oh, God. I can’t do this. I'm not seductive. But, I’ve already started. Oh, well._ He ran his tongue over his teeth before he spoke again. “The…the water’s fine.”

Aerith whipped her head around to stare, clapping a hand over her mouth, while Tifa’s jaw just dropped. “Oh…” she muttered.

 _“Fuck,”_ Zack whispered. Cloud could feel goosebumps prickling on his hips and stomach. He tilted his head back in an attempt to look back at him, but could only manage a peripheral look. “C-Cloud…”

For a moment, Cloud felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach for what he was about to do. He embraced the brief rush of power, the feeling of having his tall, strong boyfriend in the palm of his hand…

…and then, he wrapped both arms around his stomach and yanked him backwards.

He stumbled, trying to keep his ground, but Cloud had gained some strength, from both training and mako, and by staying firm, he managed to topple him over to the side. The two of them created a huge splash, disturbing the lake water more profusely. Zack burst out of the water, hair half in his face, and shook it with a gasp. “God _damn it!”_ he yelled, half laughing. “You little--!”

Cloud couldn’t hold back the grin on his face, especially with the encouragement of laughter from the girls. Aerith had hopped off Tifa’s hips and was doubled over, head right against her chest. “Oh, my _God!”_ she whooped. “That was _awesome!_ You’re so easy, baby--”

Zack grit his teeth and splashed water at Cloud, who shielded himself only in vain. “C’mere, you!” he said, wading through with his arms outstretched. While Cloud shuffled back as fast as he could, given the resistance of the water, Zack had longer legs and more speed, and he was quickly caught. He grabbed him with one arm around his waist and heaved him over his shoulder, giving a quick smack to his ass with his free hand along the way.

“Ow!” Cloud complained, squirming. “I-I was just messing around…!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zack grumbled, kissing the spot where he smacked. “You think you could use that little voice more often when we’re _really_ fooling around?”

Tifa groaned, while Cloud’s face heated up. “S-sure. I can give it a shot.” _Maybe._

Zack squatted and eased him back into the water, while Aerith waded over to his side, hugging him. “You guys are something else,” she sighed, mushing her cheek against him.

“Yeah?” Zack replied, bending down to kiss her head.

“But I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

In regaining his bearings, he backed right into Tifa. “Oops, sorry,” he muttered, sweeping his wet bangs out of his eyes.

She caught him by one hand, clumsily laced together. “It’s okay,” she said. She met his eyes, then bit her lip, obscuring a smile, and returned her look to the stars. _It was worth coming out here, wasn’t it?_ Cloud thought, forgoing her hand to wrap his arm around her soft waist. _It’s not something we would think of. We’d probably--_

“So, are we still going to get up at the crack of dawn to go back to your mom’s place?” Tifa asked quietly. “For breakfast?”

 _Yeah. That._ “I dunno. Maybe, maybe not.”

Zack and Aerith meandered back to them; Aerith with a cheery flush. “We don’t have to blast back home right away. It’s a shorter ride from here to Midgar,” she said. “We can take our time getting up and everything.”

“Yeah, but Mom always has breakfast before eight,” Cloud said.

 _“Always?”_ Zack marveled. “Even on weekends?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well…” Zack cocked his head, arm around Aerith’s shoulder. “I mean, when I was a kid, Mom would leave my breakfast out, then when I got up at the crack of noon--”

“Ah, yes,” Tifa interjected with a snort.

“--it’d already be cold. Delicious, cold pancakes.”

“To you, maybe…”

With a chuckle, Zack gestured to Cloud with his free arm, and he walked himself and Tifa over to nestle himself right beside him, an arm at his back. Quiet settled over the group, and in it, he felt Tifa’s arm slip its way over his stomach. _It’s felt like a whirlwind, but…this little trip has been good. A way to get away from the grind of work._ He sighed to himself. _But soon, it’ll be back to more training, more reading, more patrolling, more--_

“Hey.” Aerith interrupted his thoughts with her wistful tone. “I love you guys. So much.”

“Aw, sunflower,” Zack said, squeezing her against him tight. “We love you too.”

“Love you too,” Tifa echoed.

“Y-yeah,” Cloud agreed, tilting his head to smile at her. “We do.”

She grinned big and hopped in the water, then stared at the sky. “All my life, y’know, I’d…dreamed of something like this. Get away from the big city, have an adventure with the people I love…” She paused to giggle, but when she spoke again, her voice was watery. “I-I’m really happy.”

With a fond look, Zack pushed Aerith so she was in the middle of the group, and the three congregated on her in a big, wet group hug. “O-oh!” she squeaked, laced with laughter.

“You’re cute,” Tifa remarked, kissing her cheek.

“No, _you_ are!” she retorted, replying with a swift kiss on her lips. “You all are…”

Cloud’s cheeks began to ache from smiling; despite this, when Zack winked down at him, his grin grew even more. _This should last forever,_ he thought, arms stretched wide to encompass Aerith with his partners at his side. _But, it won’t. Nothing does…_

_…but, I can try._

* * *

 

"We're wearing nothing, nothing but our shadows,  
Shadows falling down on the beach sand.  
Remembering once out on the beaches we wore pineapple grass bracelets.

_So why would you care to get out of this place?  
You and me, and all our friends, such a happy human race…" _

[ "Tripping Billies", Dave Matthews Band, _Crash_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afsGyGH7EGI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today, March 28th, marks the one year anniversary of posting this fic. We've come a long way, haven't we? Just hit the 4000 hit mark too! Thank you all so much--I'm humbled and honored by my dedicated readers.
> 
> I think I had a different song in mind for this chapter, but I've definitely forgotten what it was. This one's fine for now, although I might change it if I spontaneously remember. Have any of you seen northern lights? They're very pretty. When I was a kid, I had a sleepover for my 13th birthday, and saw one late that night. It was coincidence we even saw it--we were playing truth or dare, and someone dared one of my friends to go streaking. That didn't happen.
> 
> Some sweet fun between the poly! Cloud can be devious when he wants to be, even if his confidence to pull it off wavers.
> 
> We're for really coming in on the last arc of this story, for next chapter, we head back to Midgar for another rehearsal. We can see what the rest of the 1sts have been up to…stay tuned!


	65. Rehearsal (VII)

A couple weeks later, Zack surprised himself by being first into the band room.  _ Nice.  _ He hummed to himself as he unloaded his guitar, unzipping the case and flicking a finger over the strings.  _ “Well she wants to be the queen, then she thinks about her scene…”  _ he sang idly.  _ I’ve been hearing that on the radio a ton, and it’s pretty cool.  _ He hoisted the guitar over his shoulder and tossed the gig back onto one of the empty folding chairs.  _ Kinda reminds me of Aerith.  _

_ (“Nnn…n-nn…” _

_ Zack stirred and rolled over, holding her shoulder. “Baby?” he murmured. “Baby, what’s wrong?”  _

_ Aerith rolled over into his chest, curling up and making herself small. “D-dream…bad dream,” she sighed. “I was thinking about the d-day Mom left, and never…came back.” _

_ He pet her hair and hugged her close. “You’re okay, now…”) _

Zack sighed as he uncoiled the auxiliary cord on the floor to plug into his guitar.  _ Yeah, that happened last time we went to see my folks, too,  _ he thought.  _ She bottles a ton of stuff up. _

He didn’t realize he was still humming until the door opened behind him again, Angeal entering. “Hey!” Zack greeted.  _ Is it just me, or does he look a little pale?  _ “How’s it goin’?” 

“Hm? Ah, good,” he replied, a strained smile on his face. 

Zack cocked his head. “Long day?” 

“You could say that. I think those overnights have been catching up to me,” he replied, resting his backpack behind the drum kit. “Can’t sleep at night, and I can’t nap during the day…”

“Man, that sucks,” Zack sympathized. “I dunno how you’ve been doing it. One night shift throws me  _ way  _ off, every time.” 

“You just have to do it more,” Angeal said, clapping a hand on his back. “It takes some getting used to.” 

Zack nodded, returning the touch with a quick pat on Angeal’s back before plugging into the amp. A flick of the switch, and it hummed to life, prompting him to strum a chord. The output was fuzzy and distorted, and Zack was quick to mute his strings to fuss with the knobs. “So, is Tifa coming to play with us again today?” he asked.

“Should be,” Angeal replied, taking his seat behind his kit. He tapped the bass drum lightly. “She’s been coming in every other day and then some since you guys got back from your little vacation.”

“Nice. She’s sounding good.”

“Yeah. Picked it up really quickly, I’m impressed. But, you know how the others are.” He rolled his eyes.

_ “Oh,  _ yeah.” Zack tweaked the knob labeled “CHORUS” and strummed again.  _ That’s about it. Clean, with some ring.  _ He began finger picking a simple progression, then glanced up just in time to see a shadow pass the rehearsal room window. “Speaking of which…”

Sephiroth was next to enter, hair in a high ponytail and eyes at the ground. “Yo,” Zack said.

He only grunted in reply, immediately unboxing his guitar in front of his amp.  _ Pleasant as usual,  _ Zack thought with a sigh, turning down the volume on his guitar with the palm of his hand, then continuing to play. “I thought we could polish some of our existing songs today,” Sephiroth said.

“Sure,” Angeal replied. 

“Is  _ she  _ going to be here?” 

He sighed heavily. “Yes, Tifa’s coming in.” 

Sephiroth only nodded, rising with his guitar over his body, and silently walked over to his amp.  _ At least he doesn’t make a fuss, like he does with literally everything else. As much, I should say.  _ Zack leaned against his own amp, continuing to lazily pick at his guitar.  _ Small favors.  _

“Zack,” Sephiroth said.

“What?”

“Set the mics up.”

Zack cranked the volume to mute on his guitar and flung it behind him while he dragged the microphone stands to the front of the stage.  _ You’re not even plugged in, you could do this too,  _ he thought bitterly. Instead, Sephiroth was content to stretch his back and carefully remove the pick from his guitar strings, slowly and methodically. “Is your fan club coming?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” Zack replied. “One of ‘em might show up when we’re done but…”

He trailed off, as stomping footsteps echoed in the distance.  _ Let me guess.  _ There was a pause, but it was quickly replaced by aggravated shouting, made incoherent by the echo in the stairwell. “What the fuck?” he muttered.

To his surprise, Angeal chuckled. Zack and Sephiroth turned to him, and he had his pager held up in the palm of his hand. “Wait,” he said. 

The yelling stopped, and footsteps continued stomping through the hall, until Genesis burst through the door. Immediately, he pointed at Angeal with a tape in his hand, teeth mashed together.  _ “You!”  _

Angeal only raised an eyebrow. “Who, me?” he replied. His pager beeped in his hand, and he stared down at it in mock surprise. “Oh, a message! I wonder who it could be from.”

_ “Fuck you!”  _ Genesis spat, and he flung the tape at the back wall with alarming speed. Its aim was above Angeal’s head, whether on purpose or not, and it shattered into a thousand pieces, littering magnetic tape and plastic shards everywhere. 

“Oh, good, you’re sober,” Angeal said. Zack bit his cheek in alarm.  _What would happen if he wasn't? Jesus Christ._ “Let’s see…”

He clicked a couple buttons, then held the pager up for everyone to hear. Genesis' voice distorted through the tiny speaker.  _ “How the  _ fuck  _ did you get that  _ shitty fucking tape  _ in the  _ exact patrol car  _ I was taking?! You mother _ fucker!  _ I’m going to kick your ass!”  _

The message cut off abruptly, while Genesis rushed right up to the front of Angeal’s kit. “Wipe that smirk off your face!” he hissed, eyes darting to the rest of the group. “And  _ you guys!”  _

“I said nothing,” Sephiroth said, although his voice was very thinly controlled. 

Zack shook his head, mouth covered.  _ God, how many times has Angeal pulled this shit? It’s a fucking riot, but how does Gen fall for it every time?  _ Still, he only breathed when Genesis sighed and threw off his bass case, nearly tossing it into his amp. Zack idly rubbed the side of his cheek, tracing his finger along the scar that still had not faded.  _ Jeez. _

“Whatever,” Genesis mumbled, red-brown hair falling into his face as he hooked up his bass. “Destroyed the fuckin’ thing…”

“Sure you did,” Angeal said. “But tapes are a dime a dozen.”

_ “I know.”  _ His lip curled as he slapped the top string of his bass loud enough to reverberate into Zack’s shoes. “Fuck…”

Tifa came in last, glancing up at the clock as she entered. “Sorry, I’m late,” she said, hustling back to an empty chair. She slid off her leather jacket and purse in a heap. “I got caught up at work…”

“Nah, no worries,” Zack said before anyone else could get a word in. “It’s only a couple minutes.”

“Gen’s been later,” Angeal added. “That one time he tried to smoke himself out in a storage closet--”

_ “Shut up,”  _ Genesis growled, not bothering to face the group. 

Sephiroth cocked his head. “You’re moody today.” 

“Yeah?” he replied. He dug a copy of LOVELESS out of the side of his case and slammed it on top of the amp. “Well, the devil came to my apartment last night and tried to fuckin’ skin me alive, so…”

He trailed off, leaving the others to stare at him, and then each other in silence. Tifa looked the most bewildered, while Sephiroth shook his head, and Angeal rolled his eyes.  _ What the fuck?  _ Zack caught Angeal’s eye, and he mouthed to him for clarification: “bad trip”.  _ Ah yes. Drugs. Of course.  _

After a few moments of this, the silence dawned on Genesis, and he finally side-eyed them. “So? What are we doing?” He lingered on Tifa for a moment longer. “Something with you?” 

Tifa narrowed her eyes, but Angeal answered as he rose from the kit. “Yeah, she’s all yours today. Seph wants to do some of our older stuff, right?” 

“That’s right,” Sephiroth said. “It would be nice to run through our line-up that’s more or less straight ahead.”

Angeal handed off his drumsticks to Tifa, who nodded and took a slow seat at the kit.  _ Man, she always looks so nervous. Guess I was too, playing with these guys--but I had Seph to deal with, Sephiroth who is  _ also  _ a guitar player, who had more know-how to fucking critique every single string I plucked. This is a bit different. His nit-picking is less personal for her. But-- _

Sephiroth made his way around the kit, observing Tifa, then turned his attention to Genesis. “Gen.” 

He didn’t move. “What?”

“Are you ready?” 

“Yeah.”

“Then  _ turn around.” _

He sighed and flung his body around, only to lean back against his amp with a sour look. Sephiroth kicked his shin, and he flinched. “Don’t act like a child,” he scolded.

“What? You never bitched about this before,” Genesis retorted.

“Seph’s got a point.” Angeal had taken a seat in front of the group, arms crossed with a stern look that did not waver from Genesis. “You guys have got to keep your eyes on each other, or you’re going to lose time.”

Genesis bit his lip. “But--”

“We’ve been playing together for years, and you haven’t with her.” His voice dropped. “If you’re going to be a decent player, you need to learn how to play with more than just me.”

His jaw edged forward. “Are you--” Suddenly, he cut himself off, and he sighed. “Fine. Okay.”

_ Yeah,  _ Zack thought, letting out a pent up sigh.  _ This is…way more personal. Didn’t know Genesis was so attached.  _

_ (“Ignore him. He’ll get over it.”) _

_ When, though?  _ He looked over his shoulder to Tifa, whose eyes were downcast at the drum heads.  _ She’s been pretty graceful about this bullshit, but for how long… _

“Anyway, let’s get started,” Sephiroth said, booming and commanding, enough for Zack to stand to attention. “What’s something simple…”

“Maybe…Mr. Jones?” Zack suggested. His voice turned up high at the end of his sentence,  _ “pretty please”  _ implied. 

Sephiroth stared at him, blue-green eyes narrowed, then sighed. “Fine.”

Zack grinned and bounced on his toes.  _ I’ll take it.  _ He whirled toward Tifa. “You got it?” he asked.

She sat up straight and nodded. “Yeah,” she replied, readying her sticks. “Go ahead.”

* * *

 

Zack grit his teeth and spun around the makeshift stage as he soloed, fingers racing up the fretboard.  _ We’ve been just jamming for a while,  _ he thought, glancing up at the rest of the group. Sephiroth was gently bobbing his head, soaked into the groove; Genesis was at the drum kit with Tifa for the first time all rehearsal, watching her hits and playing accordingly.  _ Even they’re getting along. Thank God.  _

He wandered over to Angeal, watching with a small smile, and played a line specifically for him in his face. He laughed and batted him away. “Hey, hey…!” 

Zack bounced back with a barking laugh of his own, sliding his hand up in a loud screech.  _ This is the whole reason why I joined this band,  _ he thought. He made his way back around to Tifa, playing a repeated riff right at her side. She glanced up to him, then stared at the body of his guitar for a moment, before hitting the ride symbol in time with him.  _ Yeah, yeah! That’s it!  _ Genesis peered over, and soon joined in, accenting it with a riff of his own.

“Fill!” Angeal called over the music. “Fill back into time!”

Tifa nearly lifted herself off her seat when she rattled on the toms, hitting every drum head she could muster, flourishing the small solo with a loud crash. Zack whooped and held the note he was on.  _ “Hell yeah!”  _ he called out.  _ “Woo!”  _

Sephiroth stepped back up to the mic. “Let’s take it out,” he said. Even back-to, Zack could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Ready?”

Genesis nodded, pedaling a note and holding the neck of his bass up for Tifa. He mouthed a count-off, and although the execution was clumsy, she followed through in time for him to bring his bass down, and for Sephiroth to sing: 

_ “Oooh, I don’t want it no more… _ __  
_ And I’d cry for you, yes I’d die for you, _ _  
_ __ Pain in my heart it is real…” 

Zack wailed on the outro riff, leaning over his guitar with his lips pursed. He hummed along in the back of his throat, even though he was nowhere near the mic.  _ This is why I play, I feel so alive…so good. We’re really gelling… _

_ “Fuck you, it’s for you.”  _

The song ended with a squeal from Sephiroth’s guitar, and another whoop from Zack. “Dude!” he yelled. “That was  _ wicked!”  _

Angeal laughed while clapping, as Zack continued to hop around the stage. He rushed back over to Tifa and held out his hand for a high-five. “That was killer! Great job!” he said.

She slapped his hand. “Thanks,” she replied, then pulled a hairtie from her jeans pocket and pulled her long, brown hair into a ponytail. “Whew, that’s a workout, though…”

“You’re using your whole body,” Angeal commented. “You’ll stay in shape, that’s for sure.”

Sephiroth was distinctly more muted, but still had a smug look on his face. “I think I sounded better today than I did for our performance,” he remarked, clearing his throat. “We should record this again.”

“If Your Greatness wishes it,” Genesis sighed, flicking off his amp. “I will oblige.”

_ Well, at least he’s ripping on Seph and not Tifa,  _ Zack thought as Sephiroth curled his lip toward Genesis. “Well,  _ when  _ you do, let  _ me  _ be in charge of the sound,” he said. “So you are not  _ overzealous  _ on the bass parts.”

Genesis gave him a lazy grin as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jeans. “We’ll see,” he said. He picked one out and tucked it behind his ear.

“Oh, is it time already?” Angeal said, glancing behind him. “I’ve got one quick thing for you guys before you leave…”

“What is it?” Sephiroth asked. 

“Well…” Angeal stood up from his seat and hesitated as he looked over the entire group. Silence fell over them, but after meeting each of their eyes, he took a deep breath. “I’m getting dispatched tonight.”

_ “Tonight?”  _ Genesis exclaimed. “That’s pretty sudden. And alone?” 

“Yeah, just found out this morning,” he replied. “They want to try out that accelerated training program out in Junon, where Shinra’s other big facility is.”

“Why didn’t they ask for me?” Zack asked as he zipped his guitar in his case. “I was the one who did that whole thing.”

“Sorry, champ,” he said. “I’ve got more experience on you, and I’m one of the best trainers they have.” 

“So we have to pick up the slack for training here?” Sephiroth scoffed. “Tch…”

“Life still goes on.”

Genesis hoisted his bass over his shoulder, then snuck up to Sephiroth and bumped his hip. “What, you’re not eager to mold some people into your image?” he said with a shit-eating grin. “All those wide-eyed looks to the great Sephiroth--”

Sephiroth pushed him away. “My talents could be used elsewhere,” he said with a long sigh. “But, I will oblige.”

“So, how long are you gonna be gone?” Zack asked. “I mean, the thing here was a month--”

“Yeah, it’ll be about that long. Maybe a little extra, to settle in or wrap things up,” Angeal replied. He nodded back. “Tifa here will be subbing for me until then.”

A clatter from behind signaled Tifa emerging from the drum kit, making her way to where her things were piled. “Okay,” she said. “I can do that.”

“Well, you had better not be longer,” Sephiroth remarked, clicking the clasps of his guitar case shut. “I have another gig scheduled for us in around that time. And I want you in peak condition.”

Angeal chuckled. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “I’ll keep my chops up, don’t worry.”

Genesis sauntered up to Angeal. “Yeah, you’d better,” he said, oddly quiet. He stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “If you need anything--”

“I know.” He put a hand on his shoulder and patted it twice, letting it linger. “I’ll be back before you know it. Depending on how wasted you spend your time.”

Genesis frowned. “Fuck off.”

Angeal pushed him away with a chuckle. “You know, you used to be so  _ proud  _ of the fact that you spent the entirety of '83 stoned out of your mind.”

“I still am,” he said. Zack barely caught it, but he winked before brushing past Angeal and heading out the door. “Later.”

Angeal watched him as he left, and sighed deeply as soon as he was out of sight. “You…” he muttered, along with something else under his breath that Zack couldn’t quite catch.

“What was that?” Zack asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied. “Just thinking about carrying his ass to school every day that year. And doing half of his homework.” 

Tifa hissed a chuckle behind them. “What an asshole.”

“That’s right,” Angeal concurred. “That’s why I’ve got those tapes.”

Zack snorted, as did Sephiroth, who shifted past them, long legs gliding him to the door. “Well…have a decent trip,” he said. “Page us if anything comes up.”

“Will do.” 

As he exited, a flash of pink flew in his way, and he stumbled back. Without a word, he held the door open for Aerith to flutter in. “Thank you~,” she said, then skipped over to Zack, hugging his side. “Hey, sweetie.”

“Hey, babe…!” he greeted, slipping an arm around her. As soon as he did, she already was making her way over to Tifa, and gave her a hug as well. “I figured it was going to be either you or Cloud coming to get us.”

“Mmhm!” She kissed Tifa’s cheek, causing her to burn red, before noticing Angeal. “Oh! Hey, Angeal!” 

“Hey there,” he said with a chuckle. “Well, I’d better get going myself. Going to see if I can get a nap in before the caravan leaves.”

“Oh, are you being sent off?” Aerith asked, arms still wrapped around Tifa’s waist. 

“Got to train some kids out in Junon,” he repeated, hands on his hips. “The guys here will have to hold down the fort while I’m gone.” He turned to wink at Zack with a small smile. 

“Nice,” Aerith replied with a giggle.

He bent down and shouldered his own guitar, then returned to Angeal and gave him a quick hug. “You take it easy, all right?” Zack said. “Don’t wear yourself out.”

“I’ll be fine, Zack.” Nonetheless, he returned the hug tighter than Zack anticipated, squeezing the air out of his chest.  _ Oof! Even though he looks tired, he’s still strong…  _ He looked him over, deep blue eyes scanning from the top of his spiked hair down to the feather hanging on his chest, then patted his shoulder again. “I’m proud of you, y’know that?” 

“H-huh?” Zack scratched the back of his neck. “Gee, thanks…”

Angeal’s face grew soft. “You’ve really come a long way.” His hand drifted from his shoulder up to his head, where he mussed his hair.

“H-hey, wh-what’s with the sappy shit all of a sudden?” Zack asked, glancing back at Tifa and Aerith looking on. 

“You don’t need rules to be sappy,” Aerith commented, sticking her tongue out. Her head was still rested on Tifa’s shoulder. “You can be sappy whenever you want!” 

“I guess…”

“I just got thinking about you, while you were up there soloing your ass off,” Angeal said. “You’ve changed, but some things haven’t.” 

Zack could only shrug.  _ People say that to me a lot. I’m just me, that’s all I’ve got to give.  _ With a sigh, a thought suddenly came to him, and he perked up. “Say, when you get back, are you gonna be playing with that jazz group again?”

“Probably. School’s back in, so they may not need me as a sub.” He snapped his fingers. “I’ll tell you what--I’ll rig something up with Balthier so I can sit in on a set. I’m guessing you want to watch and bring everyone along?”

“Hell yeah!” 

Angeal chuckled, then rolled his shoulders. “I’ll see what I can do.” He did a two-fingered salute, making eye contact with Tifa, then Aerith, and then Zack last. “See you around.”

“Yeah, see you! Have a good trip!” Zack said with a wave.

With a nod, Angeal’s look kept lingering back until he was out the door, vanishing into the hallway.  _ A month without Angeal,  _ he thought.  _ Well, it’ll be tough, but I’ll live. Maybe Genesis will finally get used to having Tifa as a drummer. Maybe Seph will cool his jets about…well, anything.  _

“Well that’s something,” Aerith said, breaking the silence Angeal left behind. “Is he going to be gone long?”

“About a month, he said,” Tifa answered, finally reciprocating Aerith’s hug by returning it, arms around her waist. “Oy…”

“It won’t be so bad. I’ll be here!” Zack offered, giving a thumbs up.

Tifa snorted, but nodded all the same. “Yeah. I’m getting better, too, so…” She sank her chin into Aerith’s shoulder. “Maybe Genesis won’t be as… _ hostile.”  _

“Is he being a dick to you?” Aerith asked, peppering her head with kisses. “I’ll beat the  _ shit  _ out of him.”

“You should,” Tifa said.

“But you  _ shouldn’t.”  _ Zack pointed to a scar on his face. “Sweetie, even  _ I  _ don’t want to get near Gen and his sword with a ten foot pole. So, you’re  _ definitely  _ not going to.” 

Aerith raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t he just a loser stoner?” she asked. “You make him sound more dangerous than Sephiroth.”

“Like,  _ no,  _ he’s not, but he  _ is…” Genesis is  _ unhinged  _ when he’s not blazed out of his mind, and Sephiroth is just more menacing and calculating--oh, whatever. She’s just bluffing anyway, who cares?  _ He waved his hand. “Look, Cloud’s probably waiting for us outside or something, let’s just go home.”

Aerith slipped from Tifa’s hug and laced her hand with hers, dancing forward to grab Zack’s with her other hand. “There we go,” she said. “What are we having for dinner? I’m starving…”

“We could stop at the bar. I can use that old kitchen and make something,” Tifa suggested. 

“It wouldn’t put Barret out?” Aerith asked.

“No, I don’t think he’ll mind…you might need to buy a drink or something, though.”

“That’s no problem.”

While the girls chatted, Zack kept his eye out in the halls for Cloud.  _ Where are you, my cute chocobo?  _ They mounted the stairs, hands still linked with Zack leading, and he snagged his pager out of his pocket. A couple clicks brought him to “STRIFE”, and he held it to his lips. “Yo, where’re you at? Just got done rehearsal.”

As soon as they reached the smoking area, Cloud was standing there waiting, jumping when the door opened. “Ah, hey,” he said. “I just got here…”

His pager went off, and he jumped again, but Zack bent down to kiss him, delaying the response. “No worries, that was just me,” he said. “We’re going to Tifa’s to get some food.”

“Well,  _ maybe,”  _ Tifa said. She walked up to Cloud and gave him a quick kiss too, before Zack reeled him into his side, lacing his free hand together with his.  _ “If  _ there’s better food selection there than at your place…”

“Which there probably is,” Aerith continued for her, then squeezed Zack’s hand. “Babe, we’ve got to go grocery shopping again.”

_ “Again?”  _ he exclaimed. “We just went, though!”

“Yeah, but we didn’t get enough, clearly. We have three in the house now, remember?” 

“True…fine, we can go tomorrow.” 

Cloud stayed tucked close to Zack’s side while the group walked four wide down the hill that led under the plate. Zack smiled to himself as he squeezed his partners’ hands.  _ Good rehearsal, a good day,  _ he thought.  _ Watch a movie when we get home maybe, see if Cloud or Aerith are in the mood to do anything. Or both of them. Hm.  _

Zack bent down to murmur into Cloud’s hair. “Hey, are you planning on staying at Tifa’s tonight?” he asked.

“Uh, I wasn’t thinking of it,” he replied, then looked up. “Why?” 

Zack fought hard to bite back a grin, but it came through anyway. “Well, I thought we might…do a little something after dinner.” He winked. “Maybe?”  _ Maybe you can use that voice on me again? Maybe?  _

_ (“C’mon, babe…”) _

Cloud’s eyes widened, then he puffed out his cheeks in thought. “Maybe,” he said. “We’ll see.”

On his other side, Aerith bumped his hip. “If he doesn’t want to, I will,” she said, winking and clicking her tongue. 

“Oh--!”  _ You were eavesdropping! Of course you were. Oh, babe…  _ Zack rolled his fingers along the top of her hand. “Well, all right, then. It’s a date.”

“You guys,” Tifa huffed. “Are you making sex plans?”

Zack snorted, but it was Aerith who picked up the slack. “Maaaybe,” she replied, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Do you feel left out? We can play instead if you want.”

“A-ah, well…I-I’ll just…y’know…” She stammered, growing more pink by the second. “I’ll just b-be with whoever’s not with Zack? I dunno…”

“That’s the joy of poly, hon~!” Aerith brayed.  _ “Choices!”  _

The rapture in her voice was enough to get everyone to laugh, and their joy echoed freely within the confines of the plate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was fast! I think I missed writing the 1sts. The lyrics in here are from "You" by Candlebox once again. The weed tape makes yet another appearance, and Tifa's playing with the band! She's doing well for herself, despite adversaries. Angeal will be absent for a while, but we'll see him again. Hopefully Zack and Tifa can survive the shit circus without him…and the poly is still very cute.
> 
> Let me see, what's happening next time…ooh! Looks like we're having some late nights with the crew. Stay tuned!


	66. Last Call

11:28 PM.

Zack hunched over the desk, sifting through the piles and piles of papers on it.  _ SOLDIER head office,  _ he thought, radio playing faintly behind him.  _ What a mess.  _ The only source of light in the room was a dim lamp on the desk, bathing only the immediate area in warm light. The rest of the small office was cloaked in an abandoned dark, even the outside hallway.  _ They shut off the fluorescent lights at around 9, leave the emergency lighting on. And this office is smack between a couple of them, so… _

_ It’s so dark. And lonely. And boring.  _

He sighed loud and attempted to scan through another one of the logs on his desk.  _ All these patrol logs…most of these aren’t even from around here. They all just get…funneled to this desk. God, does Angeal have to sift through  _ all  _ of this?  _ Zack ran a hand back through his hair.  _ Fuck.  _

He kicked back, rolling on the wheels of the office chair, and pulled out one of the desk drawers. Inside was a stress ball, some notebook paper with illegible scrawl, and a silver flask. Picking up the flask proved it to be empty.  _ Maybe it’s not his desk,  _ Zack mused.  _ That’s not his handwriting, and these aren’t his personal things. Must be a Turk running it--who would tie a 1st-class SOLDIER to a desk? _

_ Like me… _

He cracked his neck and flexed his fingers.  _ Okay, okay, back to business. What am I even supposed to be doing again?  _ He picked up the log again, trying to actually read it this time around.  _ Make sure there’s nothing unusual, then file it away… _ His focus soon drifted, admiring the disheveled pile of papers.  _ Oh, God damn it. How am I even-- _

_ “…hair is always a mess, you catch her stealin’, she won’t confess…she’s beautiful…” _

Zack’s ears perked up. “Hey,” he muttered to himself, pushing himself out of the desk and rushing to the radio on top of the filing cabinet. The instant he moved, static clouded the sound, and he winced as he turned up the volume.  _ If I just go back, it’ll clear up.  _ Sure enough, the moment he was back near the desk, the radio came back into focus, if a little thin sounding from the cheap speakers.

_ “…hair back as she screams: ‘I don’t really wanna be the queen’. _ __   
_ Daddy wrestles alligators, mother works on carberators, _ _   
_ __ Her brother is a fine mediator for the president…”

Zack spun around the desk, staring out the back window.  _ “And here she is again on the phone just like me, hates to be alone--!”  _ he belted.  _ Yeah, that reminds me of the old days. Nights when I’d stay on base, and not sneak over to the church to spend the night. I’d yank the phone cord all the way outside the barracks while everyone was sleeping… _

_ (“Aerith?”  _

“Zack? God, it’s late.”  _ Her voice was a hushed whisper, sounding like her hand was cupped over the receiver.  _ “Elmyra almost woke up.” 

_ Zack leaned against the wall, twirling the phone cord in his fingers. “What, are you gonna get in trouble or something? ‘Cause you’re up late talking to a boy~?” _

“Oh, cut it out.”  _ Still she snickered.  _ “So…how was work?”

_ “Eh, okay. Patrol. Pretty boring. You?” _

“Same old, same old. Pushed my cart up above Sector 1…hey, do you think if I came by HQ, I could sell some flowers?”

_ Zack chuckled. “Maybe. I dunno if they like solicitors.” _

“Hey! I’m not a solicitor.” 

_ “I know, I know.” He paused, imagining her face, her bright eyes, her toothy smile, in his mind. “I’d buy one.”) _

The papers on the desk were left abandoned as he continued to sing.  _ “Well she wants to live her life, then she thinks about her life…”  _ He tilted his head back to the ceiling, even if it made him sputter.  _ “Holds her hair back as she screams--”  _

“Zack?” 

_ “I don’t really wanna--”  _ The voice startled him, and he began to cough. “Oh,  _ shit-- _ Tseng!” 

The Turk stood in the now open doorway, arms crossed and tapping his foot. The side of his lip twitched while Zack scrambled to sit back down. “S-sorry! Sorry, man, I was just…” Zack fumbled, hands shaking while his heart pounded in his chest. 

Tseng shook his head. “Working hard?” 

Zack groaned, shoulders slumping as he sunk in his seat. “Sure…”

He walked over, dress shoes clicking on the tile floor, and pushed his fingers around the papers on the desk. “Ah, patrol reports,” he said. “Looks like Reno passed this off.”

_ So, this must be his desk.  _ “Yeah, passed it off to Angeal, and he’s not around, so now it’s on me…”

Tseng nodded and sighed. “Cetra won’t take something like this, and Rhapsodos is too sloppy.” He patted the pile. “So, you’re it.”

“Wonderful.” Zack rubbed his temples. “What am I even supposed to  _ do?”  _

“Make sure it’s in proper order, then sign on the last page.” His dark eyes flicked over the desk. “Honestly, if you can just organize this pile into something more reasonable, that’ll be a job well done.”

“I’ll try,” Zack replied, throwing his hands up.  _ Just a little longer, anyway. Then I can go home.  _

Tseng turned on his heel and took his time back toward the door. “SOLDIER isn’t just waving a sword around and looking good, despite the air Cetra might give off,” he remarked. “There is  _ work  _ involved.”

“I know, I know…” Zack whined. “I’m…I’m workin’ on it.”

“Good.”

Tseng was almost out the door, when Zack raised an eyebrow and sat up. “Hey, what are you still doing here, anyway? Christ, it’s almost midnight.”

“The usual,” he replied. “My work’s never done.”

_ Do you sleep, dude?  _ “Well, take it easy,” Zack said, waving with one hand. “I’ll…do something about this.”

He nodded, then rested his hand on the doorframe. “By the way,” he said. “Cissnei and the others told me about your gig a few weeks ago. Said you guys sounded good.”

“Yeah?”

He offered him a small smile. “I can tell.” 

With that, he showed himself out, shoes clacking down the hall until the radio faded back into focus.  _ “That was ‘Meet Virginia’, off the self-titled debut album by Train, here on Midgar’s home for the hits, from the 70’s, 80’s, and today. Coming up next…”  _

_ Train, Train,  _ Zack chanted to himself, digging back into the desk drawer and ripping out a scrap of notebook paper. He jotted down the song name and band on it, then folded it up and stuffed it in the pocket of his pants, beneath his company belt.  _ Gotta remember that. Man, I think I might cave and just try and hunt for the album myself.  _ He kicked the drawer in with this boot and huffed at the pile at the desk, which magically had not straightened itself out while he hadn’t been paying attention.  _ Oh, damn it. _

Zack twirled the pen between his fingers.  _ I’ll just…sign this thing, then if I can sift through…all this, like Tseng said, then I’ll just…be done with it. God, I… _

_ …I’m not cut out for this.  _

Eyes glazed, he flipped to the back of the report and scrawled his signature on the proper line.  _ Maybe I was stupid, to think that being SOLDIER was all glory and honor. I never fucking wanted a desk job, like this. I wanted to be out in the world, actually  _ doing  _ something, like traveling around, even fighting when I had to. The…those… _

_ (the monsters) _

_ …those weren’t so bad, you just cut them down…I didn’t see much action in Wutai, and even training people around here isn’t so bad. But, this right here?  _ His hands mulled over papers, only shuffling them in circles around the desk.  _ This just feels like busy work. This isn’t me.  _

_ Ugh, just…c’mon, Zack, just put them into piles, make it look neat, do something… _

He winced to himself and began gathering files, one at a time, stacking them on top of each other.  _ Fuck, fuck, just get me out of here…I’d rather eat a whole, raw, unpeeled onion than do this.  _ Zack’s vision slowly waned out of focus. 

_ (His mother rubbed her temples as she scanned his report card at the kitchen table. “Honey, I know you got into the SOLDIER program for after you graduate, but…you have to try a  _ little  _ harder--”  _

_ “Ma,” Zack groaned. “It’s just a D, and it’s only in Algebra II--” _

_ “A D is too close to failing,” she insisted. “And if you fail, you won’t graduate, and then--” _

_ “I know, I know!” he snapped. He glanced behind him as the sound of a car engine rolled up to the driveway. “C-can I go? My friends are here--” _

_ His father’s voice echoed from the living room. “You can’t go just off your brawn alone,” he commented. “You’ve got to be  _ smart  _ too.” _

_ “I’m not stupid!” he huffed.  _

_ “Zack…” _

_ “I’m not! I’m outta here.”) _

The pile had come together in some arrangement of neatness, and Zack slowly rested his head on top of it.  _ I’m not stupid,  _ he repeated to himself.  _ But this sorta shit was never my thing. I can barely focus on it, it’s so boring. That doesn’t…doesn’t mean I’m… _

Three taps on the door seized him, and then he sighed. “I’m workin’, Tseng, I’m workin’,” he mumbled, staying where he was. 

“Uh…i-it’s me, Zack.”

Cloud’s quiet tenor cut through the white noise of Zack’s head efficiently, and he rolled his eyes up to see him at the door. His posture was closed, hanging onto the edge of the door as if he were going to be blown away. He glanced back behind him before he slipped into the office, then slipped his hands in his pockets. “Hey,” he said.

“Cloud,” Zack breathed in relief. He leaned back into his seat and kicked back from the desk with one foot. “You’re in late too, huh?”

“Yeah, night patrol,” he replied. “I didn’t catch you when everyone else was leaving, so I thought maybe…you’d be around somewhere.” 

His voice stayed low, as if he were afraid to disturb the quiet, despite the radio. Zack cocked his head with a smirk on his face.  _ He’s still so shy,  _ he mused.  _ It just must be a part of him. It’s so…so…  _ His heart bobbed in his chest, and his fingers fidgeted under the desk.  _ I don’t know what.  _

“When’s your shift up?” Zack asked, attempting to match his tone. 

“Midnight.” 

His eyes flicked to the clock.  _ 11:50. You know what? Close enough.  _ Zack rolled the office chair back even further and patted his thighs. “Come sit,” he said. 

Cloud glanced behind him once again, then shutting the door behind him, he shuffled around the office over to him.  _ Look at you. How long have we been dating? And you’re still a little pink when I ask you to sit on my lap, the only seat in the house.  _ He answered Cloud’s small smile with one of his own.  _ We’ve done way more…intimate things than this. And yet.  _

Assessing him, Cloud hesitated before sitting himself over Zack’s legs--first across them, but as soon as his uniform pants caused him to slide, he adjusted himself so he was straddling him. He held Zack’s shoulders to steady himself, the feather on his wrist brushing against his neck. Zack scrunched his neck, then leaned up to kiss Cloud on his cheek. “There you go,” he said. “This is good, huh?” 

Cloud nodded, then glanced at all the papers on the desk. “Sheesh. That looks like a mess,” he muttered.

“Yeah, no shit,” Zack sighed, letting himself sink back. He ran his hands over Cloud’s back, rubbing it in slow, circular motions. “Fuckin’…” 

Cloud continued to look over the pile of papers, then returned his look back to Zack. Their eyes locked for a moment as he studied his face.  _ Those eyes. Those bright eyes.  _ “Zack?” Cloud asked quietly. “Are you okay?” 

“Huh? I…” He blinked, mouth opening slightly.  _ Do I look as tired as I feel?  _ he thought.  _ Or is it…or can you just tell? You just walked in, and you just figured it out. ‘Gee, Zack must feel lonely, doing stuff he wasn’t really cut out for, in the middle of the night.’ How’d you know? _

_ How’d you know, babe… _

Zack blinked slow, then reached up and snaked his hand through Cloud’s soft, blond hair. “Could be better, I guess,” he whispered. Then, with a quirk of his lip, he leaned forward and kissed him, memorizing the texture of Cloud’s chewed and dry lips. Cloud responded in kind, kneading his hands on Zack’s shoulders as they kissed.  _ God, I’m so glad, I’m so glad you’re here… _

_ Cloud… _

With a sigh through his nose, Zack broke the kiss and stayed close to Cloud’s face. “But you know what?” he murmured with a smile. “I’m feeling better already.”

Cloud chuckled, low in the back of his throat, and kissed his cheek a couple times. “Good,” he said. 

Hand still playing with his hair, Zack kissed him again, brief this time. “What do you say?” he asked. “Wanna come home with me?” 

“A-as…” Cloud started, then hesitated. With a bite of his lip, however, he averted his eyes and continued. “As if there were anywhere else for me to go…”

Zack’s breath caught in his throat.  _ Ah.  _ He brought Cloud into his arms, close against his chest, and hugged him tight. Tight enough to feel his heart beat against his own chest, while the radio continued to sing in spite of them.

_ “I know who I want to take me home, I know who I want to take me home…” _

* * *

 

_ “Closing time, time for you to go out to the places you will be from. _ _   
_ _ Closing time, this room won’t be open ‘til your brothers or your sisters come…” _

Over the sound of the radio, Barret’s voice boomed in the bar. “Last call, folks, last call,” he said. There were only a few people left sitting as he paced down the aisle, but he specifically patted in front of Vincent’s seat as he made a pass. “Want one more, Vinny?”

Vincent shook his head, while Tifa took his glass away. “I’ll clean up behind the counter,” she said, tossing a towel over her shoulder. “I don’t want to sweep and mop tonight.” 

“If you do that, you’ve gotta count the register,” Barret warned. He patted the side of it, the sound of his prosthetic making a distinct click against it. “Calculator’s right under here.”

“Cool.” She rolled her shoulders back and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.  _ Not a bad night, overall…quiet. Like most weekdays tend to be. And I’ll take that anyday.  _ She pulled the calculator out from underneath the bar and straightened it out beside the register. “Say, I’m going to…”

“Go over to Aerith’s tonight?” Barret finished for her.

Her mouth twisted. “Yup.” 

Barret snickered. “Yeah, yeah,” he said, pouring a beer from the tap. “You’re over there a hell of a lot more, even than before. It’s ‘cause of Carlos, ain’t it?”

“Oh, my  _ God,”  _ Tifa groaned, spinning on one heel to glare at him. “Will you stop that!”  _ Besides, it’s not just Cloud, it’s  _ her  _ too. Oh, but because she’s another  _ girl, _ it doesn’t mean anything, does it? If it’s a boy, if it’s Cloud,  _ oooooh,  _ big deal. And he isn’t even really a boy, but that’s a whole-- _

“I’m just kidding--hey!” His voice turned sharp as he straightened up. “We’re closing up shop, lady.” 

“I’m not just some lady!” Aerith swung the door shut behind her and danced over to the bar, taking the seat right beside Vincent. She wiggled her butt in it to make herself comfortable and leaned over the counter. “Am I in time for last call~?” 

“Jesus,” Barret sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah. Go on, hon, get her whatever she wants…”

Tifa slipped past him, ignoring the adrenaline in her chest by moving with purpose over to her seat. Aerith’s hair was swept up into a messy bun instead of her standard ponytail or braid, and it was held together by a big, pink bow at the center. Even though she was wearing a denim jacket, beneath was a simple camisole, and the lack of straps suggested it was all that was underneath. “Hey,” Tifa said, trying to keep her voice casual. “It’s pretty late.”

“Hi, sweetie,” she replied, wiggling her fingers. “Could you make me a pina colada? Pretty please~? 

She chuckled, then dug into the cupboard behind her for pineapple juice and began mixing the drink.  _ Aerith. I know she comes to visit, and I was going to go over there anyway, but…she rarely comes by this late.  _ Tifa cracked a couple ice cubes from a tray to finish the drink, then slid it out in front of her. “There.” 

“Thank you,” she replied sweetly, ready with a handful of gil. She sighed before taking a sip. “Ooh, nice and sweet.”

“Just for you,” Tifa murmured. She quickly punched in the order and tossed the gil in the register, before making her way back in front of Aerith as if she never left. “So? What’s up?”

“Oh, I’m just…” she started, scrunching her lips to the side. “Well, Zack’s working late tonight, and Cloud isn’t home either. It’s lonely.”

“Aww,” Tifa sympathized. She leaned over enough to graze the tips of Aerith’s fingers on her glass with her own. “You could’ve come over earlier. Y’know, before we close.”

“I know, but I thought they’d be home by now. He’s not working an overnight, so…” She trailed off, then took another sip. “Besides, I can’t bug you  _ all  _ the time, especially at night.”

“It’s not that busy during the week,” Tifa said.  _ She’s usually not like this. She would make up any excuse to come over here.  _ She watched as her bright green eyes stayed downcast at the bar counter, hand glued to her drink.  _ What’s wrong, sweetheart? _

Tifa continued to ease her hand on top of Aerith’s, until their fingers were laced completely over the glass. “Aerith?” she asked.

She kept her eyes down. “Hm?” 

“What’s…i-is something wrong?” 

“What? Oh, no! No, of…” She sounded confident at first, but it fizzled quickly, voice dipping and smile fading. “…Of course not.”

Tifa pursed her lips. “Hon.” 

Finally, she lifted her head up, all the way toward the ceiling and huffed. “Okay…” she sighed, squeezing her hand. “It’s just…after being back and seeing Zack’s folks, and Cloud’s mom…it just reminds me that I don’t really have a family like that to even go back to anymore.”

_ Ah…  _ ”W-well…it’s not--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I have family here. One that I made myself.” Aerith offered her a wink, but then stared off over her shoulder. “But like…I dunno. I just miss it. I was at the church today, too, and Elmyra’s own daughter came by to visit. She’s probably a decade older than me, maybe more…” 

She took another drink of the pina colada. “Elmyra was always really kind to me, and I always thought like she practically adopted me, but seeing her with her  _ own  _ daughter, and how they…how they…” Aerith took a deep breath, then shook her head vigorously, nearly shaking the bow out of her hair. “I-it’s nothing, I-I know it’s different…”

Tifa let go of her hand, only to walk out from around the bar to where the seats were, and hugged her from behind, locking her fingers together around her stomach. “I just…she’s nice to me, she’s  _ always  _ been nice to me, but seeing…” Her thoughts began to break. “And you guys too, everyone’s just…and I’ve always just been on my own--”

_ “Aerith,”  _ Tifa said, gentle, but firm. She perched her head on her shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re not on your own anymore.”

She nodded, then finished off her drink and spun around on the chair, still in Tifa’s arms, in order to hug her fully. “I just got lonely,” she muttered in her ear, in a voice that sounded very, very small. “I don’t…think I like it.”

Tifa kissed the side of her head, as well as her cheek, as the last of the bar’s customers filtered out around them.  _ It’s easy to forget that she’s had a rough time in the past,  _ she thought.  _ She’s always upbeat, and she always has an answer for just about everything. I think that in itself can take a toll sometimes.  _

_ I never thought much of my own family…most of the time, it was me and Dad, and he was just…an asshole. Not just to me, but to my friends too. So…I don’t get that broken up about not having something to go back to. _

Beside them, Vincent cleared his throat, and gingerly patted Aerith’s head. “Um…” he started, voice gravelly as if he hadn’t used it in years. 

Aerith lifted her head and cocked it. “Oh?” 

His eyes darted around the bar. “You…have friends,” he mumbled. “And you have us as well.” He nodded back, and when Tifa followed his gaze, she saw that Barret was quietly eavesdropping. “S-so…”

As his shoulders slumped, Aerith still smiled and reached out to him. “Aw, thanks, Vincent,” she said. “You’re very sweet.”

“Mmm,” he mumbled, continuing to retreat into his trench coat.

Barret walked over, swinging a keyring in his hand to make himself known. “One of those nights, huh?” he asked, patting in front of where the girls were sitting before he circled around the bar. “Vinny’s right, though--y’know, if things go wrong with your SOLDIER boyfriend, or you’ve got no place to go, you can always come by here.”

Aerith began to sniffle. “Y-you guys,” she whined. “Now I’m  _ really  _ gonna cry.”

The three left in the bar chuckled--the sympathetic type of laughter, the kind that is meant to soothe and not ridicule, and even Tifa felt it resonate in her bones.  _ You’re going to be okay, Aerith,  _ she thought, kissing her head again.  _ I’ll be here for you. Always. I love you… _

As Barret locked the door, Aerith leaned up to whisper in Tifa’s ear. “Hey, baby?” she said.

“What?”

“I have a confession.”

“What’s that?”

“I might’ve had some wine  _ before  _ I came here.”

“Oh.” 

“And…I rode the bike over.”

“Uh-huh.” 

“Aaaand I want you to come to our place and sleep with me tonight.”

“Okay.” Tifa paused. Then, she blinked. “Oh,  _ no.”  _

Aerith giggled and hugged her tighter. “It’s not  _ that  _ bad,” she said. “It just squeaks a little.”

Tifa rolled her eyes. “And has no suspension.  _ And  _ looks like it’s going to fall apart at any second.”

“But I’m not gonna be able to ride it home,” she insisted, rocking back and forth on the chair. “Pleeeease…”

“We’re going to  _ walk the bike,”  _ Tifa stated, patting Aerith’s thighs and running her hands down them before she backed up. “And you’ll have to wait ‘til I close out the register before we can go.”

Aerith yawned and turned back to the bar to follow Tifa with her eyes as she walked around. “That’s okay,” she said. “Oh, I’m getting tired…”

Tifa smirked as she opened the register. “Well, maybe you can stay with me tonight, instead?” she asked. “You can go up to my room.”

“Yeah, but…” She yawned again. “I wanna be there when Zack gets home…”

“You’ll probably be asleep already.”

“I know…” Aerith rocked her head in her arms on the bar. “If I stay, will you promise to keep me warm?”

Tifa struggled to repress a giggle, but it came out through her nose and resonated in her throat despite her best efforts. “Yeah, I will.”  _ Of course I will, of course. We’ll spend the night together, and tomorrow will be a new day…we’ll meet up with Cloud and Zack, and it’ll all be okay. Your family, the people you helped bring all together…we’ll all be there. _

_ Our family. _

Aerith smiled at her, eyes half lidded with a dazed gaze. “You’re so…so cute, you know that?” she murmured. As Barret walked behind her, sweeping, she mouthed a phrase.  _ “I love you.”  _

Tifa nodded, heart skipping in her chest.  _ Love you, too.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup! It was alluded to last chapter, but Zack's still on ["Meet Virginia" by Train.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDIFD6for4A) Like "Mr. Jones" before it, this will be another recurring song throughout this last leg of the story. And I'm cheating a little bit for the year, but ["Closing Time" by Semisonic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAS-pvQ06s4) plays into the chapter break, and is a good general mood for the chapter.
> 
> We touch on some of the insecurities of our more upbeat characters this chapter--Zack's got that ADD vibe about him, so getting chained to a desk and doing work like that doesn't feel very good. Just because he can't do that sort of thing well, though, doesn't mean he's useless or stupid. The first section was taken from [a flash I wrote a while ago](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/148180053396/flash-time-34), because maybe I should start using those to springboard ideas! And as for Aerith, most of the time she's okay with her found family, but some lonely days, she misses her mom and a familial closeness. Tifa knows it's not all it's cracked up to be, and I think Aerith knows that too…but it's a lonely night. 
> 
> Let's see, next chapter, it looks like we'll be running some errands with the poly, although I _might_ swap the order of a couple chapters. We'll see though. Stay tuned!


	67. Refrain

_ (“Hey, hey…” _

_ One kiss turned into three, turned into a dozen as Aerith locked lips with Tifa, pressing her chest against hers. Her hands snaked beneath her shirt to feel her soft skin, and especially the swell of her breasts, just to see her sigh… _

_ “A-Aerith,” Tifa breathed, swallowing hard. “I-I thought you had to go?” _

_ “It’s just a minute,” she whispered in her ear. She followed it up with kisses down her neck. “I just want…a little more time with you…” _

_ “B-but…but you said… _ a-ah,  _ you said…” _

_ “Hmm~?” Her stuttering brought a smile to her face, and she found herself unbuttoning her jeans, sliding a finger along her pantyline. When there was no squirming, no protesting, no motion to get away, she trailed her finger further toward her center. “You’re already warm…”) _

Aerith shook her head as she pushed open the door to the church, skipping in.  _ I know, I shouldn’t have stayed that extra time,  _ she thought to herself.  _ I barely had time to get changed. It wouldn’t be a problem if she’d come over to our place more. She’s getting better with staying over, but she’s got responsibility written all over her. “Oh, I should stay to help Barret. I’ve got to watch Marlene.”  _ She smiled up at the tall ceiling.  _ It’s admirable. _

The noise of the church organ grew louder as she passed the main room, into the small kitchen where Elmyra was washing her hands. “Oh, hi sweetie,” she said. “You’re just in time.”

“Always am!” she sang, setting her purse down on the table. “How’s everyone today?” 

She sighed, looking back across the kitchen. It was a straight shot into the storage room, where many boxes of medical goods were stored, from syringes to gloves. “All right,” she answered. “That Shinra intern came by with more supplies. She says that we’ll be getting the vaccine in a couple of weeks.”

“A couple weeks?” Aerith said. “That’s incredible…! I thought we wouldn’t see it for another few months.”

Elmyra nodded. “I know. If this one works, hopefully we’ll see some of these folks home safe…and things will go back to how they used to be.”

She nodded quietly.  _ It’s been awhile since then, hasn’t it? I was only here for a handful of months before they started setting up the sanctuary. There are always people here, in varying states. Some come and go, and others stay. Some see their last days here.  _ Aerith held her arms in her hands.  _ We’ve had to suspend Sunday service on some weeks… _

Elmyra turned off the faucet and shook the water off her hands in the sink. “Soon, soon, hopefully,” she reiterated, using a towel to finish the job. “The box that’s labeled with today’s date has meds to be delivered out to everyone. Could you take care of that?” 

Aerith straightened her posture and saluted with a wry smile. “Yes, ma’am!”

She giggled and nodded. “That’s my girl.”

Warmth bubbled in Aerith’s chest.  _ I know, I know it’s not the same, but…you’re the closest thing to a “mom” I have left. And it’s nice. I got upset about it a little before, but…it’s okay. I’m okay.  _ She beamed at her before whirling on one foot.  _ I’m going to help these people here, and it’ll be okay.  _

“Oh, by the way,” Elmyra said before she was out. “That guy is back again. The ‘Hey Jude’ guy? At the organ.”

“What?” Aerith paused to listen. Sure enough, the organ played a familiar cadence, and a warbling, scratchy tenor came belting from the far end of the church.

_ “…And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain _ _  
_ _ Don't carry the world upon your shoulders…” _

“Oh,  _ God,”  _ Aerith groaned, but laughed all the same. “I thought he was gone for good. He sounds like Bob Dylan.”  _ But bad. Could he really ever sing? _

“I thought he was too. But there he was, at ten this morning, asking for the organ.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t going to tell him no.” 

“Well, it’s not like any of us can play the thing. It’d just gather dust.” Aerith leaned in the doorway, bobbing along with the player’s uneven time.  _ I’d thought about learning, but…I can’t do much but play little melodies. That big organ is intimidating… _

_ Well, it’s some background noise.  _

She sighed and pushed herself off the wall, then continued to grab the box. It rattled as she picked it up with both hands. Humming along to the heavy handed organ, she made her way into the main hall of the church. Most of the pews were stacked in the middle, while the edges were lined with cots, shielded with makeshift curtains for each one.  _One of the hopsitals above the plate_ _ donated us their old beds, thank God. How miserable would it be if we had to lay everyone down in pews? _

Most of the curtains were open, with their side tables in clear view, and Aerith set down her box on one of the center pews and pulled out a handful. “Good afternoon, everyone~!” she called, swiftly plopping a bottle down on each table down the row. “Make sure to read dosage instructions! If you need help, I’ll be back around.”

She made it down one row, and a woman in a bed stopped her with a cough. “Thank you, dear,” she said, voice deep and scratchy. “I heard on the radio that there’s supposed to be a vaccine…”

Aerith bounced on her toes. “Oh! Yes! Elmyra said that it’ll be here in a couple weeks,” she said. “So look forward to that!”

She smiled weakly back at her. “I hope so,” she replied, then rested her head back on the yellowed pillow. “I only hope it isn’t too late.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Aerith replied. She bit the inside of her cheek. “The worst is over.”

She spun around and rushed back to the box and grabbed another armful of pill bottles, one at at a time.  _ For most of them, the worst is over. We had someone pass before we went on our trip, but everyone else seems…pretty okay. Stable. Although, I haven’t kept track of anyone new coming through lately. Who knew you’d get so busy working two jobs and having two partners?  _ She had to bite back her grin. _ Two lovely, sweet partners…  _

As soon as her arms were stocked full, she walked carefully to the opposite side of the hall.  _ It’s busy, but it’s fun. Our little family is good.  _ The bottles rattled as she set them down on each metal tray. Despite herself, Aerith hummed along to the background organ.  _ “Na na na na na, na na naaa naaaa…”  _

“Say, is that the only song that guy knows?” a deep voice asked from the far end. “He’s been playing that all day…”

“Yup, as far as we know,” she replied. The voice came from behind a curtain, the only cot that still had its curtain up. “I wish he had a better repertoire, too, but it is what it is.”

They laughed, accompanied by a hacking, rasping cough.  _ Ooh, that doesn’t sound good,  _ she thought, wincing to herself as she made her way over.  _ I don’t recognize that voice…or do I? So many people come through.  _

She tugged on the curtain. “I’m going to open this up, okay? Just to drop something off.”

They continued to clear their throat. “S-sure, but--” 

She whisked it open and dropped the pill bottle on the table. “Just like that--” She bent over quick, and came up just as fast, her ponytail bouncing. But, as her eyes drifted up, she froze in place. “Oh--!” 

Aerith’s eyes grew wide like saucers.  _ Oh. _ She clutched the remaining pill bottles in her hands, although they felt suddenly clammy, and threatened to slip through her grip. The sound of the organ threatened to swallow her as time slowed to a deadened crawl, each note heavier and heavier in her head as she stared at the person in the cot.  _ Oh… _

_ “Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better, _ __  
_ The minute you let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better, _ _  
_ __ Better, better, better, better…”

* * *

 

“Aw, damn it!” Zack kicked back on the couch and tossed the Genesis controller on the floor. “Fuck, that God damn boss fight gets me every time!” 

“I’m sorry, hon,” Cloud called from the kitchen. The pan in front of him sizzled with heat, and he flipped over the chicken breasts cooking on it over a pile of vegetables. “You’ll get it next time.”

Zack groaned and tossed his head back on the couch, inhaling deep. “Mmm, that smells good, babe.” 

“Thanks, it’s almost done,” he replied. “Aerith’s not back, is she?”

“No…” He stared at the door with his head cocked.  _ She’s late. I thought she only had to go to the church today? She’s always home by dinner time.  _ “Wonder what’s keeping her…”

Zack looked at the door for a few moments longer, than rolled over on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.  _ “Well she wants to be the queen…”  _ he sang to himself. “Hey, you wanna come with me sometime to the weed den to get a CD copied?” 

Cloud snorted. “The  _ what?”  _

“Gen’s place.”

_ “Oh.”  _ It took a bit for him to reply.  _ Yeah, I know, it’s a big decision,  _ Zack thought.  _Whether he's up for_ that _or not._ “What CD?”

“Train, maybe something else,” Zack said. “I won’t have us stay longer than we have to--”

In the middle of his thought, the click of a turning lock interrupted him, and Aerith walked in. Her footsteps were heavy, and she stayed leaned against the door as she shut it, staring off into the kitchen. _Aerith_ _? _ She sniffed the air, however, and her face lifted. “Ooh, whatcha cookin’?” she asked.

“Just some chicken and veggies,” Cloud replied, nodding to her in greeting. “Nothin’ fancy…” 

“Well, it’s fancier than what Zack can come up with some days.” She shuffled her boots off and rushed past him on the couch to kiss his head. “Hi, sweetie.”

“Hey…” Zack reached out to her, but she was gone as soon as she came by, whisking her way into the bedroom. His previous thoughts were forgotten in the presence of her unusually distant demeanor.  _ No time to sit and cuddle? Or even a hug? No big "hellooo~"?  _

“Is it almost ready? I’m starving!” she asked from the bedroom.

“Uh-huh.” Cloud whacked the spatula on the side of the pan, then walked over to the cupboard. “Hey, are we eating at the table, or on the couch?” 

Zack watched him stretch and reach for the plates for a second before getting up. “We can eat at the table tonight,” he said, strolling right up behind him. He held Cloud's hips for a second, then reached over his head and grabbed three plates with one hand. “Probably need a knife for that, anyway…”

“Mmm.” Cloud turned around to face him, and when Zack backed up on instinct, Cloud surprised him by standing on his toes and kissing his cheek. He replied with a lopsided smile, and Cloud smirked before returning to the stove to attend to the food.  _ You… _

Aerith returned in a loose t-shirt and pajama shorts and plopped down at the table, elbows propping her head up. “Hoo…”

Zack wandered back to the table to set the plates up, then pulled a chair right up next to her. “How’s it goin’, sunflower?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “You look a little worn out.”

“Hm? Yeah, I guess,” she replied with a sigh. “Long day…”

“I’ll say, you were back late.” Zack squeezed her against his shoulder and kissed her temple. “How’re things going at the church?”

As Cloud plated dinner, silent as the grave, Aerith’s speech became measured and careful, even spaces between every word. “Could be better,” she said. “Ah, but…w-we’re getting the vaccine soon!”

Zack nodded. “That’s great!” he replied. “They’ve been running clinics at HQ, but I ain’t goin’ in until it’s like… _ officially  _ super ready.” He pointed at Cloud. “And neither should you.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Cloud replied, pulling glasses from the cupboard. “Unless it’s Lucrecia herself coming to me.”

Although it was slight, he shuddered briefly as he set two glasses down on the table--one big, one small.  _ Don’t blame you for still being spooked,  _ Zack thought. “Er, what do you guys want to drink?” Cloud said.

“Oh, just some water is fine, hon,” Aerith said. She rested her hand on Zack’s thigh and rubbed it.

Cloud returned to the table with the water glasses, and as he did, Zack took her hand off her shoulder and rested it on top of her own hand beneath the table.  _ And you’re using that weird, soft voice. Your “everything is fine, but maybe it isn’t” voice. Maybe you just don’t want to air it at the dinner table, but… _

_ …I do worry about you, babe.  _

The trio ate mostly in silence, with Aerith only picking at her food. By the time Zack had cleaned his plate and was up for seconds, it appeared that she had only taken a couple bites. The stutter of the chair scooting back gave everyone pause, but it was Cloud that spoke up. “Sorry,” he said. “There’s no more.” 

“Aw, man,” Zack sighed, and plopped back down. “It was really good, though…”

He smiled in reply, nodding down at his own plate. “Good,” he murmured.  _ He’s making more progress than she is,  _ Zack mused.  _ And that’s rare for someone who eats like a chocobo. _

“Here, have some of mine,” Aerith said, cutting a piece of her chicken in half and putting it on his plate. 

“No, no, you’ve gotta eat too!” Zack tried to brush her fork away with his own, but she stayed persistent and pushed her plate to the far side. “C’mon, how many times are you telling me that I’d eat us out of the house?” 

She giggled, but still shook her head. “I’m just not that hungry tonight,” she insisted, then glanced to Cloud. “It was tasty though. I can save most of these leftovers for lunch tomorrow.”

_ Something’s still off, something’s off.  _ Zack huffed through his nose, brow furrowed, then rubbed her back. “Babe, can we talk?” he asked, close to her ear. Then he looked up at Cloud. “You mind cleaning up?”

“Sure,” he replied, eyes darting between him and Aerith. “I’ll take care of it.”

Aerith was reluctant to get up with him, and dragged her feet. “R-really, it’s not a big--dee _ eeeal…!”  _

She was cut off when Zack picked her up in his arms, and carried her bridal style through the living room and into the bedroom. She squealed, arms clinging around his shoulders, and buried her face in his neck.  _ See, that’s what I like to hear,  _ he thought. With a wry grin, he adjusted her into one arm, and wriggled his fingers on her stomach, making her kick and scream more. 

_ “Eeek,  _ Zack! You’re  _ awful, aaah!”  _ she brayed, even as he tossed her down on the bed. Immediately, she curled up in a ball and protected her stomach. “You  _ rascal!”  _

“That’s me!” he proclaimed, bouncing on the bed beside her and pulling her on top of him. He drew her close to his face and rubbed his nose against hers. “Just awful.”

“Just awful!” she repeated, scrunching her nose.

_ You’re so cute.  _ He embraced the moment to stroke the side of her cheek with his thumb, also thumbing her bangs aside.  _ But that doesn’t explain…  _ “So,” he asked, keeping his voice down. “What’s up, pretty girl?”

She sighed, as if she anticipated the question, and collapsed on his chest. “It’s nothing…”

“Aerith.”

She paused. Outside the bedroom, the sound of running water and clinking dishes filtered beneath the door. “Hard day at the office?” he murmured.

She nodded. “Just…w-we…” Her lower lip pushed out as she gathered her thoughts. “We got some new people in. And they’re not in great shape.”

“Oh,” Zack said. “That sucks…”

“Yeah…” She tilted her head from side to side. “That’s why I stayed late, to help out…we also got a new shipment of meds in. And like…some of the people there are saying that this new vaccine…might not do anything for them. I just…hate hearing that.” 

Aerith hugged around Zack’s chest as best as she could, resting her ear near his heart. “I guess when you’ve…when you’ve been sick for so long like that, it’s hard to be optimistic." she said. "And you can’t force them.” 

“It’s been getting better, though, hasn’t it?” Zack said, stroking her head.  _ When we first started dating, seems like there were a lot more people dying there.  _ “There are better meds, and now with this vaccine…people aren’t dying as much. Soon, AIDS won't be a big deal anymore. Hopefully.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully.” Aerith lifted her head up and offered him a weak smile. “You always see the best in everything, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I…guess I do,” Zack chuckled, grinning.

Aerith sat up and stretched, arms high in the air, then came back down, right over his face. “I think that’s why I fell in love with you,” she murmured. “My favorite optimistic puppy, hotshot SOLDIER with a heart of gold…”

She bent down nearly to his lips, and continued to whisper: “Zack Fair.” 

Zack sighed, and he closed the gap between them to kiss her--once, then twice, then again and again. _See, all you had to do was talk about it,_ Zack thought. _It's better now, isn't it? I'm here for you, I'm here for you always. Always._

Arms wrapped around her back, he let the taste of her lips and the warmth of her body ease his thoughts to a comfortable blank.

* * *

 

Much later that night, Tifa jogged down the alley where Aerith and Zack’s apartment lay, digging her keys out from her jacket.  _ Cold night,  _ she thought to herself, the sound of her snapping gum and breathing ringing in her ears.  _ I didn’t think the city got this cold during the fall, and it’s still early in the season… _

She flipped the deadbolt and let herself into a quiet house. Only the kitchen light was on, a lonely fluorescent that cast the house with an eerie, cool aura. The bedroom door was shut except for a pin-hair crack.  _ They’re already in bed, of course,  _ she thought, as her eyes drifted to the couch.  _ Well, not all of them… _

Splayed on the couch was Cloud, head and hair mashed into the cushion, while his feet dangled off the side. His hands were clasped over his chest, stomach rising evenly with his breathing--but as she watched him, one bright blue eye opened to catch her. “Hey,” he mumbled with a yawn.

“Go back to sleep,” she whispered, slipping past the couch to set her purse on the kitchen table.  _ God, I’m actually starving.  _ She spit her gum in the trash, then opened up the refrigerator to inspect her options.  _ Yeah, maybe I should’ve stayed at Barret’s tonight. There’s nothing but milk, beer, a Tupperware full of mystery leftovers…well, there are some cheese sticks. Looks like that’s it.  _ Her knees cracked as she bent down and pulled out the plastic sheath of string cheese and ripped off one stick. She shut the refrigerator door with her hip as she made her way back to the couch. 

When she returned, Cloud was no longer laying across the couch, but had made room for her, and she plopped down beside him, leaning against his shoulder. “You didn’t have to stay up for me,” she said. “Don’t you have to be up at six? It’s past midnight…”

“It’s all right,” he muttered, leaning equally heavy against her. “How was work?”

“Same as usual,” she replied. “Marlene’s getting antsy about going to school like a ‘big kid’, but she can’t enroll for another year.”

“How old is she?”

“She turns five at the end of October. The cut-off is September 1st for enrollment around here…”

“That’s a shame.” 

Tifa nibbled on the end of her cheese stick, staring down at the scuffed coffee table in front of them.  _ Looks like it’s just going to be me and him on the couch tonight,  _ she thought.  _ It’s honestly…so cramped here. Aerith and Zack keep talking about getting a new place, but it…still hasn’t happened yet.  _ “I was hoping maybe you and Zack would be out here tonight,” she mumbled. 

Cloud chuckled. “Not tonight,” he said. “Aerith was feeling out of sorts earlier, so--”

Tifa’s head whirled around, suddenly alert. “Is something wrong?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. They talked about something behind closed doors, Zack had to pull her away…” He scratched the back of his neck, trying in vain to smooth his messy, spiked hair, but to no avail. “She looked better when they came out later, but you can talk to her tomorrow, if you want.”

“I will.”  _ Wonder what’s wrong if she wouldn’t talk about it openly. We’ll have to talk tomorrow.  _ She took another bite of her stick and chewed it unenthusiastically. “Oh, Cloud, when are we gonna get our own bed?”

He leaned over and kissed her head. “Someday,” he replied. “Hopefully soon…”

Tifa hissed through her teeth. “Doesn’t feel like soon enough,” she said. “We’re four people now, we  _ need  _ a bigger place.”

“We’re all saving money,” Cloud said, his drawl elongating his vowels. “I dunno when their lease is up, but…soon.” 

Tifa bit of a bigger chunk of the cheese stick and tossed the wrapper on the table, in favor of lying on Cloud’s chest. “Am I too heavy on you?” she asked. 

He shook his head, glancing over her. “No, but…aren’t you going to change?” 

_ Oh, right.  _ She was still in her jeans and a thin t-shirt, so with a huff, she scooted off the couch and began to walk to the kitchen. As she passed the arm, she froze. “Shit.”

“What?” Cloud asked.

She winced. “I…forgot a change of clothes.”

“You don’t keep any here?” 

“No…if there’s any, they’d be in their room…” She crossed her arms tight against her chest and furrowed her brow. “Fuck.”

The couch creaked as Cloud got up, and without a word, he pulled off the oversized t-shirt he was wearing, and handed it over to her. It left him standing before her in pajama pants-- _ the moogle ones,  _ she mused.  _ God, how long has he had those?  _

Still, she waffled, brushing it aside. “No, it’s okay…” she said. “I’ll just…”

“Take it,” Cloud stated, continuing to hold it out. He bit his lip and looked off. “It’s…something to sleep in.”

Gingerly, she ran her fingers over the fabric, warm from his body. “This isn’t Zack’s, is it?” she asked.

He snorted. “No, it’s mine.” 

She smirked and took it from him, setting it aside so she could strip down herself.  _ Hopefully it’ll cover me,  _ she thought, stepping out of her jeans.  _ He might have gotten some muscle from being in SOLDIER, but he’s still small…  _ As soon as her bra was off, she fumbled to pull the shirt on over her head. To her surprise, it came down longer than she expected, just at the swell of her rear, which was already covered by her underwear.  _ Not bad… _

As she smoothed it down over her stomach, Cloud stepped over to her, one hand ghosting her waist while the other reached up behind her neck. He said nothing, though his eyes were soft as he looked over her, with a tentative smile just brushing his lips.  _ Nothing about you is loud,  _ Tifa thought, fingertips twitching at her sides.  _ You’re not dramatic, or a passionate romantic. _

_ But you have passion, in the things you pursue, and the things you love. _

They edged their faces closer to one another--Cloud leaning down, while Tifa stretched her neck up.  _ And you’re romantic, but in a subtle, almost secret way. In a way that someone else has to discover, has to know.  _

_ And I know.  _

_ And I love you for that.  _

Their lips met in the shadowy light, just as the clock struck 1 AM. Tifa’s arms wrapped around his bare waist as she let the kiss linger.  _ These quiet moments, like secrets tucked away behind a diary, behind lock and key… _

_ …they’re precious. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, Zack and Aerith are completely naked in the bedroom, all tangled up in each other. They're the "clothing is optional" couple. :P
> 
> Obviously, ["Hey Jude" by the Beatles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWP_lqd_8M0) is what's being played in that first section. (I also can't find the version I'm familiar with? Letting me down, YouTube…) We'll come back around to what Aerith was shocked about in due time.
> 
> Some fluffy comfort between the other pairings of the poly this chapter! They're all really sweet to each other. The last section is inspired by the [very first flash I did!](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/141124107776/flash-time-1) I think we've come a long way since then.
> 
> Next time, Zack and Cloud are going to get that CD copied over at Genesis' place. That'll be fun! Stay tuned!


	68. Another Tape

As he made his way out of 2nd-class locker room, Cloud shrugged on his company jacket and stared down at the floor. _God, this is the first time in a while that my arms have ached,_ he thought, rolling his shoulders back. _Sephiroth is a hell of a lot more harsh a trainer than Angeal ever was. Makes me wish I were just doing patrol today…_

He shook his head as he silently sifted through the crowds of people, milling about in the middle of the shift change. _No, I can’t think like that. If I wanted to_ stay _2nd-class, then that’s what I’d be doing. But, I’m going to be 1st. I’m going to be 1st. I can’t put that aside for anything, even if it’s grueling, even if it hurts…_

_I made it this far, why stop now?_

In his thoughts, he bumped into another SOLDIER in their own company jacket. “Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, side-stepping.

The SOLDIER put a palm on his head and ruffled his hair. “It’s no prob,” Zack said, and lifted his chin up so he could see him. The contrast between the military jacket, “FAIR” embroidered on the side, and his backwards hat was comically stark, but welcoming to Cloud’s eyes. Zack winked at him, and Cloud couldn’t help but smile. _Hey…_

“Thought I’d catch up with you up here,” he said, then dug into his jacket pocket and filleted a couple of CD jewel cases out with his fingers. “Ready to go?”

“Go where?” Cloud asked.

Zack clicked his tongue in his mouth. “Weed den.”

“Oh. Right.” _That’s right, I told him I’d go with him._ Cloud kept close to his side as they turned around and headed back to the elevator, waiting for it to retrieve them. “Are we going to copy _all_ of those? I thought you only had one…”

“Well…” Zack sighed, shuffling through the covers--one was a crudely drawn boy in a dunce cap, the other a cut off bust of a woman against a red car, and the other was a collage of photographs washed in dark blue. “See, _this_ one I’ve gotta have.” He tapped to the first one. “But, like…I went to that Vinyl Fantasy place to get ‘em, and the guy Cid was like ‘well, if you buy a couple, I’ll give you one for free’…”

Cloud chuckled as they walked into the elevator. _So, you got swindled._ “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I mean, I heard this one was good--” He pointed to the cover with the woman on it. “--and this other one I _used_ to have a tape for, but I lost it when I was a 3rd. I think someone snagged it, honestly…” He shrugged and tucked the CDs back away. “That, or I just forgot it in a company tape deck, and someone else took it.”

“That sucks.”

They reached the bottom floor, and exited to a throng of people, suits and uniforms alike. Zack looped his arm in with Cloud’s and guided them through the confusion, and out beyond Shinra HQ’s pristine walls. “Ah, well. I can make Genesis copy the others himself and pick ‘em up tomorrow,” Zack said. “I just wanna hear what the rest of this Train album is like.”

Cloud glanced behind and around him as they walked down the sidewalk. “Did you…is he coming with us?” he asked. “He _knows_ we’re going to be over there, right?” _Hopefully. So we don’t go over there and the place is full of weed smoke or something._ He wrinkled his nose.

To his dismay, Zack gave a lazy shrug. “I paged him earlier, and he never got back to me,” he replied. “Dude’s always getting fucking blazed at his place anyway, I’m not worried about it. We’ll just pop on over, stay an hour to get this thing done, hopefully he won’t try and give you a weed brownie, and it’ll be all good!”

* * *

 

Zack knocked on the apartment door, “3405” staring back at them, while Cloud hung back in the hallway. “Yo, Genesis!” Zack said. “Anybody home?”

Cloud sighed to himself. _Well, so much for this._ “I don’t think he’s there,” he muttered. “Let’s go home…”

He huffed and slammed his hands on his hips. “Seriously! He was at work today, and none of us have overnights this week…” Still not convinced, he knocked again. “Open up, dude!”

“Zack…” Cloud said, a hand on his back. “Give it up.”

“Who knows if he’s already baked in there, and just can’t hear us?”

“Then we _really_ should go.”

Down the hall, the next door down opened up, and Sephiroth poked his head out. “What are you two doing here?” he asked. Cloud’s heart stopped dead when he narrowed his overbright, green-blue eyes. _Fuck._ “What do you want with him?”

“Seph!” Zack exclaimed. “I paged Genesis earlier saying I was going to come by and get a CD copied after work, and now he’s…” He stared at the door and shook his head. “I dunno…”

Sephiroth stood in silence for a moment, then stared at the ground. “If you can’t hear any music, that means he’s not there. He always has something going.” He straightened up, but didn’t step out from behind his door. “Is that all you need?”

“Yeah,” Zack replied. “Can…er, _can_ you get us in?”

He nodded. “One second.”

He disappeared again, and Zack pumped his fist. _“Yes,_ we can do this without him even being here! Sweet.”

“Sure,” Cloud replied, smiling weakly. He rubbed his eye and took a deep breath. _But is breaking into his place any better? What if he comes home…_

Zack tilted his head, then brought Cloud into his chest for a quick hug. “You look tired, babe,” he said softly. “You can go home if you want to.”

“No, no, I’ll…stay with you,” he replied.

“You sure?”

Cloud nodded, and leaned his head against Zack’s chest, before the jingling of keys down the hall caused him to back up. _Yeah. It’ll be okay. I’ll be here with you, anyway. And that’s…that’s good. That’s always good._

Sephiroth shut the door to his apartment behind him, and took long strides to meet them at Genesis’ door. In sweatpants and a lounging shirt, with his hair tied back in a loose ponytail, he looked more casual than Cloud had ever seen him. _Much more casual than he was today during drills,_ he thought, trying not to gawk.

 _(“Move, 2nds,_ move!” _Sephiroth hollered to the jogging group of SOLDIER. “If you want to be 1st, then_ prove it!”

_Blue glinted in Cloud’s eyes, vision doubling as he tasted copper in the back of his throat. He kept his pace, eyes at his feet, pulse in his ears. He heard a thud behind him, but didn’t waver. “Get up!” he heard Sephiroth yell. “How the hell did you get this far? Get up, damn it…”)_

“Here,” he mumbled, pulling out a key and unlocking the deadbolt and the handle. He pushed the door open to let them in, then lingered in the doorway. “I will stand by in case he comes back and wonders why the hell you’re in here.”

“All right,” Zack replied, taking off his coat and tossing it on the couch. “Have a seat, Cloud, and we’re not sitting on the God damn floor.”

“O-okay.” Cloud held his breath against the overwhelming scent of incense and gingerly sat down on the side closest to the door. He marveled the CD collection, as well as the huge stereo that Zack was squatting in front of. _I think this place is bigger than ours,_ he thought, eyes drifting down from the stereo to the seat of Zack’s pants. _I mean, this is a suite, practically. The 1st-class bachelor life…_

“Oh, fuck. I need a tape,” Zack grunted, standing up. “You know where he keeps those?”

Sephiroth nodded, then swiftly paced past them into his bedroom. “Should be in here…”

Zack paced around the carpet, passing by the trunk in the corner and kicking it lightly. “Hey, how do you have a key to his place?” he asked.

“I stole his keys while he was high,” Sephiroth answered, quite matter-of-factly. “Made a copy for emergencies.” He returned with a couple of cassettes in hand, and a smug look on his face. It soured quickly. “It is necessary for a reckless asshole like him…”

“Uh-huh,” Zack took the tapes from his hand and examined them. “Think I’ll use…this one.”

He popped it in the stereo, then pulled the CDs out of his pocket, setting two of them on top of the speakers, and ripping the cellophane off the last one. “Wonder where he is, anyway?” Zack mused aloud.

“Hell if I know,” Sephiroth replied, back at the door frame. “He hasn’t been around at night over the last week, just about.” He rolled his eyes. “Finding some new ways to get inebriated, no doubt.”

“God,” Zack sighed. He pressed a couple buttons on the stereo, then scooted backwards, standing up just enough to plop down next to Cloud on the couch. “Why do you run around with him again? Oh yeah, ‘cause he kisses your ass.”

Sephiroth’s eye twitched, but he said nothing. _Zack, don’t,_ Cloud thought, holding his breath. _Don’t try and start shit with Sephiroth, please._ He thought he might follow it up with something more dramatic, but he only adjusted his bangs and crossed his arms. _Phew…_

As soon as the music started, Zack started humming along with it. He leaned back, then immediately forward, unable to sit still. “Man, I _really_ dig this song,” he said. “I think we could throw this together for the band, don’t you think?”

Sephiroth curled his lip. _“This?”_ he scoffed. “You want to play this…this pop-country bullshit? Absurd. I won’t allow it.”

Zack rolled his eyes. “Dude, c’mon. It’s--”

“What. Did I tell you. About calling me “dude”?”

His jaw tensed, but his irritation dissipated. “You’ve just got to _listen_ to it, man. Open your horizons!”

“My horizons are plenty broad. _I_ have taste, you see,” Sephiroth replied, sticking his nose up in the air.

 _God,_ Cloud thought. He strained his ears to listen to the music instead of the conversation, trying to lull himself back into the couch. Leaning into Zack wasn’t an option at the moment, as he kept sitting forward on the couch, tapping his foot. _I should know better than to expect him to fully chill out and relax about something like this…_ His head tilted, staring off into the kitchen alcove. _But, what would he be without his excitement?_

_That’s how he is…_

Suddenly, Zack pointed at the stereo. “Seph, listen to _this,”_ he said.

A guitar solo broke out of the chorus section of the song, and indeed, Sephiroth straightened up to listen to it. It was familiar to Cloud, after having heard it on the radio, but seemed to last longer than he remembered it. Sephiroth closed his eyes as it continued, only opening them after the passionate solo had faded into the last verse. “Hm,” he grunted.

Zack’s face had split into a tremendous grin. “Huh? Yeah? Whatcha think?” he asked. _I can almost see his tail wagging,_ Cloud mused to himself.

“It’s…” Sephiroth hesitated, “…it’s fine. I will _consider_ it.”

 _“Yes!”_ Zack cheered, bouncing on the seat. He finally sat back and wrapped an arm around Cloud’s shoulder. “This is gonna be so cool, and it won’t be too tough for Tifa to learn, either.”

Sephiroth nodded, then sighed. “I assume _you_ will want to sing it?”

“Well, yeah.” Zack made full eye contact with him. “Considering you called it ‘pop-country bullshit’, I wouldn’t think you’d want to anyway.”

Sephiroth scoffed, adjusting his posture against the doorframe. “You’d be correct,” he said. “I still enjoy that guitar solo.”

“See, I knew you would.”

“Don’t act like you know me so well, Fair.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Zack pulled Cloud closer to mutter in his ear. “Sure know him better now than I did before…”

“No shit,” Cloud replied. “Hoo, boy…”

With a chuckle, Zack kissed the side of his head. “I love you.”

Cloud’s face scrunched into a smile, and he felt his face flushing pink. “Love you, too…”

His eyes flicked up to see how closely Sephiroth was watching them, but was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn’t, instead glancing out down the hallway. _Phew. Maybe I can relax just a little bit._

* * *

 

 _“Nothing is real, this is how I feel,_   
_Nothing is good, but I don’t mind being blind_   
_If you don’t mind doing time._ _  
_ Nothing is wrong, but everything takes too long…”

Cloud was dozing on Zack’s shoulder when he shifted against him. “Seph?” Zack asked.

Sephiroth had his hand over his mouth, staring into space. He seemed to be startled out of his trance. “Hm?” He didn’t take his hand away. “What?”

Zack cocked his head. “You…okay?”

He swallowed and nodded. “I’m fine,” he muttered, then pulled his hand away to enunciate more clearly. “Mind your own business.”

“Sure,” Zack said with a sigh. “Sure…”

The ballad was melancholy and gentle, but Cloud found himself gradually regaining his alertness, and he stretched his arms up with a grunt. Zack withdrew from him to give him some space, watching. “How’re you doing?” he asked.

“I’m good,” Cloud replied with a yawn. “I’m…more tired than I thought.”

“Poor babe,” Zack murmured, and kissed the top of his head. “Yeah, we’ll just do this one album, and I’ll get the others done later…”

“Good,” Sephiroth grumbled. “My back is starting to hurt…”

“You could…come inside? And sit?” Zack offered, gesturing to the beanbag chair that sat right beside the trunk. “Maybe shut the door…”

“No,” he answered. “Besides, could you imagine his reaction if he saw me sitting on his throne?” He paused to stare at the dilapidated beanbag, worn in several places, then smirked. “Actually…that _is_ a thought.”

Sephiroth wandered out of the doorway and kicked at the chair, then wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. Bastard barely cleans this place…” he muttered, bending over. He squatted down and picked up several things from the floor, although Cloud couldn’t see what he had in his arms. “Lazy stoner bastard…”

He sped into the kitchen, dropping what he had cleaned up in the trash. “I keep _telling_ him to hire someone to clean the place if he doesn’t do it himself…”

“Dude, you sound like his mom,” Zack commented.

 _“No._ That’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard,” he growled. “With Angeal away, _someone_ has to keep him in line. But, I _refuse_ to babysit him.”

Zack raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly. “Uh…huh,” he replied. “So…why do you keep coming here if you complain so much?”

“Do you think I’m going to let him _smoke_ in my place? Disgusting…”

 _You smoke too though,_ Cloud thought, then sighed to himself. _God, this gets exhausting. Zack keeps up with it all, somehow._

_Mm, I wish…_

_(“You guys are quiet,” Aerith remarked._

_Tifa tilted her head back on the couch, keeping her hand clasped with Cloud’s. “Yeah,” she said._

_She didn't elaborate further, only dropping her head down to look back at him. He let himself get lost in her auburn eyes, while Aerith giggled behind them…)_

Cloud sunk back into Zack’s side. _Yeah, I could really go for something quiet like that._ Even as he closed his eyes again, he could sense Sephiroth’s stare on them. _It sure ain't going to happen here._

_Maybe I'll just rest my eyes…_

* * *

 

The CD whirred to a stop, and by sheer coincidence, so did the tape, popping the button out with a click. “What timing,” Sephiroth remarked, pushing himself upright. “How long was that?”

“An hour?” Zack eased himself up off the couch, carefully transferring Cloud to the opposite armrest. He only shifted as he was moved, curling his arms into his chest. _Sleepy chocobo,_ Zack thought, a soft smile lingering on his lips. It stayed even as he popped out the tape and slotted it back into the case.

Sephiroth wandered inside the apartment, scanning the floor in an odd daze. He spared one look down at Cloud, and kept his voice low. “And he's still not back yet,” he said. “Jackass…”

“It's not that late,” Zack said, matching his tone. “I mean, where do you think he is?”

Sephiroth kept pace into the kitchen, where he picked up the phone. “I _told_ you, I don't _know,”_ he reiterated, punching the buttons with vigor. He held the receiver up to his face, then after a pause, narrowed his eyes. “It's late, asshole, where are you? Don't make me come looking for you. And I had better see you at work tomorrow, or I'm dragging you in. No matter how hungover you are.”

 _Touching,_ Zack thought.

He was about to slam the receiver down into the latch, but hesitated just as Zack flinched in anticipation. Instead, he rested it gingerly in the cradle and sighed heavy. “Whatever,” he mumbled. Then, his eyes flicked up and over to the couch, where Cloud had rolled over. “He's doing well, by the way.”

“Huh?” Zack said. He whipped his head to follow his eyes, then came back around equally as swift. “Oh, yeah…”

“He works hard. It is refreshing to see such drive, while some of the others think they can get away with talent alone.” He raised his chin up and tilted his head. “To think they have as much raw talent as me…”

 _Yeah, yeah, you’re the great Sephiroth, who could measure up to your standards? Jesus._ Zack ran a hand over his mouth and jaw in order to keep his comments to himself. “Do you think he’s ready to be rec’d?” he asked instead.

“No, not by a long shot,” Sephiroth said. “But…in the future.”

Zack nodded, then walked back over to the couch, the dense carpet muting his footsteps. _I hate to wake him up,_ he thought. _Then again, do I have to?_ He grinned to himself, then squatted down, carefully scooting his arms beneath Cloud’s body. “Here we go…” he whispered.

As he lifted him up in his arms, Sephiroth scoffed. “You’re not going to carry him home, are you?” he remarked. “Foolish…”

“Why not? I can do it,” Zack replied, still grinning.

He raised an eyebrow. “After you _had_ to before? Under…less than amicable circumstances?”

Zack’s face fell. _Ah._

_(He jumped onto his bike, making Cloud’s hands lace around his stomach. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it slow,” he murmured, revving the bike. “Just...h-hang on tight, okay?”)_

His fingers curled around Cloud’s side, and the pressure was just enough to stir him. “Hmmn?” he muttered, instinctively wrapping his arms around Zack’s neck. “Are…we home?”

Zack blinked. “Huh? No, we were just leaving, hon.” He eased him back on his feet, keeping one hand on his back to make sure he was steady. “Ready to head home?”

Cloud yawned and nodded, although he cut himself off as soon as his head turned to Sephiroth. “Yeah,” he replied. “Got everything…?”

“Uh-huh. I’ll just leave the rest of those here, tell Gen to copy them.” Zack waved his hand at the stereo, then again at Sephiroth. “Thanks for letting us in tonight.”

Sephiroth grunted a wordless reply, then brushed past them to the stereo. “Good night, you two,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You’re not heading out with us?” Zack asked.

“I want to be around to confront Genesis directly. _Immediately_ when he gets back.” There was venom in his voice, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes, and it was emphasized by a heavy pause. Sephiroth broke it himself by scowling at the two visitors. “What are you waiting for? Go home.”

“Right,” Zack huffed. “See you.”

With an arm around Cloud’s shoulder, he swept the two of them away and out the door, back to the elevator. “It’s always an adventure, coming over here,” he sighed, patting the tape inside his jacket. “I keep forgetting that…”

Cloud snorted, running a hand through his hair. It was more of a spikey mess than usual, sticking out in odd places. _Cute._ As the elevator came for them, he yawned again, then tilted his head. “Say…” he asked, then snuck a look up to Zack. “Do you think…Sephiroth and Genesis are--”

“Oh, they’re _definitely_ fucking,” Zack groaned. “Or something. You missed out on the first time I was over here.” He punched in the lobby floor and the close-door button, then jammed his hands into his pockets. “Frankly, I don’t wanna think about it.”

Cloud snorted with laughter. _“God,”_ he snickered, then leaned heavily into Zack’s side. “Yeah, I think I’m with you…”

Zack smirked and shook his head, then planted a kiss on top of Cloud’s soft, blond hair. “Let’s just get on home,” he said. “See what the girls are up to.”

* * *

 

The chilling, night air, whispering of the cooler weather to come, was enough to wake Cloud up enough to catch a second wind of alertness. _Maybe I won’t go right to bed,_ he thought, hand clasped in Zack’s own. _It’s not that late anyway. I can hang out with the others…_

They bounded down the stairs, and Zack unlocked the door. “Wonder if Tifa’s over here tonight,” he said with a wink. “That’d be good, yeah?”

Cloud nodded. “Mm.” _Sure would. Her quiet, familiar company…_

Zack pushed open the door, took a deep breath for a hearty greeting, then stopped himself short. It came out as a loud sigh, mouth still open, and he glanced down at Cloud with a spark in his eye. _What?_ Cloud asked internally. Then, he started to listen.

 _“Hnn,_ o-oh, oh _God,_ babe…”

Cloud bit his lip. _Yeah, Tifa’s_ definitely _here._ The bedroom door was open a crack, not even enough to see through it, but the sounds from it carried well into the living room. He swallowed hard. _Ah…_

Zack tiptoed behind him to shut the door, careful to let it latch quietly, then placed both hands on his shoulders and leaned down to ear level. “We can let them have fun,” he whispered, then kissed his earlobe.

“Sh-shouldn’t we…let them know we’re home?” Cloud whispered back.

_“Ahh…aaaahhh…”_

Zack chuckled. “We could,” he said. _“Or,_ we could have a little fun of our own…let ‘em know that way.”

His voice was deep and breathy in his ear, and combined with the sounds from the bedroom, Cloud’s knees felt weak. “I dunno,” he managed to say. “I-I…hmmm…”

Zack patted both of his shoulders and rose up. “It’s okay,” he said, continuing to whisper. “Honestly, Tifa gets weird about me being around when they’re doing stuff, so I’d--”

_“Oh, ooooh…mmmnn…”_

“--rather wait ‘til she’s _done,_ if you know what I mean.” He took off his hat and tossed it on the couch, running a hand back through his hair.

Cloud nodded, feeling too warm to keep his jacket on. _Considerate,_ he thought, clumsily shuffling his boots off at the door. _Although, won’t she be pissed if she knew you were listening? But I’m here too…_

 _“Ah,_ Aerith--! _A-ahhH!”_

The sounds from the other room pitched into a feverish lilt, and Cloud froze in place, eyes wide as he studied the bland, worn hardwood floor. _Well, there it is,_ he thought, heart racing in his chest. _That’s…that’s…ah._

Zack waited ten seconds after the panting silence before breaking it. “Hey, ladies!” he called. “We’re home.”

“Oh!” Aerith’s voice was muffled, but soon became clear. “Hi, sweetie! Hi, Cloud! Welcome home~!”

Cloud sighed to himself, able to move his feet over to the couch. _Yeah, I guess this is the life we lead now. Walking into your partner and her partner having sex. And then cheerfully welcoming you home._ He flopped on the couch and stared at the ceiling. _I guess…it’s not so bad._

Behind him, conversation continued. “Hey, sweet pea,” Zack murmured, accompanied with a quiet kiss. “Mm, you had fun, didn’t you?”

“Uh-huh!” Aerith sounded unimaginably chipper. “I’m gonna take a shower. You wanna come with me?”

“Wait, I need one too…!” Tifa sounded dazed and a little hoarse, emphasized by her clearing her throat. “Probably more than you do!”

“We could all fit…”

 _“No,_ Zack, we can’t.” Aerith giggled. “I think _you_ just want more time with _me~.”_

“W-well, I-I…”

The three of them chuckled, and Cloud found himself joining in, still smirking at the ceiling. _Welcome home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup: Zack gets the Train CD copied, and while "Meet Virginia" is the first track, the lyrics featured here are from ["Blind".](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX_bHi770R4) The CDs Zack has are the Train one, "It's A Shame About Ray" by the Lemonheads, and "Dusted" by Gin Blossoms.
> 
> And the winner for the chapter with the most line breaks so far is…this one! Yeah, where is Genesis? We just don't know, but it means Zack and Cloud have to deal with Shinra's finest narcissist instead of the Weed Man. Sephiroth picks up probably some food wrappers, condom wrappers…maybe an old [Shinra branded syringe.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/149160174761/flash-time-39) You know, standard fare. Cloud's a tired kid. And while those two were off doing that, Aerith and Tifa got to have some fun on their own. Isn't that nice? 
> 
> Next chapter, we'll be at the church again. Stay tuned!


	69. Truth

_ At last, a midweek day off. I’ve been dying for this… _

In nothing but a pair of loose sweatpants, Zack rewinded the tape in the boombox again. He had it set up on the coffee table, alongside a notebook with lyrics scribbled on it.  _ If I’m gonna do this song, I might as well set it up so no one bitches about learning it.  _ Chord symbols were jotted above certain words and circled for clarity. He slouched back on the couch with his guitar, playing a line until the tape clicked back to its starting position.  _ All righty, let’s give it one more go… _

Grunting, he leaned forward and hit the play button, then strummed the starting chord.  _ “She doesn’t own a dress, hair is always a mess…”  _ He sang along quietly, more focused on the motion of his fingers than his own voice.  _ I kinda wanted to sneak Cloud out with me, but… _

_ (“You’re taking the day off?” Cloud asked as he wiped his face down with a towel. “Are you allowed to do that, with Angeal away?”  _

_ “Sure,” Zack replied. “No one told me ‘no’, and it’s slow anyway.” He poured a cup of coffee and set it on the counter. “The only thing it fucks up is higher rank training, and even Turks can sub for that in a pinch.” _

_ “Huh.” Cloud shuffled over beside Zack and took the coffee in both hands, sipping gingerly.  _

_ “I’m tellin’ you what, 1st-class is  _ cushy  _ when they don’t need you to kill anything,” he said with a chuckle. It was dry, however. “You wanna come hang with me today? I’ll call you out.” _

_ Despite the tired bags under his eyes, Cloud still shook his head. “No,” he replied. “I’ve gotta…I shouldn’t.” _

_ Zack pet his head, smoothing his bangs back to reveal his entire forehead. “You work too hard…”) _

_ …he didn’t want to.  _ His eyes glazed over in soft focus as he strummed along with the tape.  _ Of course, Tifa’s at her own place, probably at work. And Aerith… _

_ (A kiss on his forehead woke him back up. “I’m heading off, baby,” she whispered. _

_ “Oh, yeah?” he said, blearily stroking her face above him. “You don’t wanna come stay snuggled with me?” _

_ She chuckled. “Sorry. Duty calls,” she replied. “It’s cute you got up with Cloud, even though you weren’t working.” _

_ “My body clock woke me up, and then I hit snooze.” _

_ “You goober.” She stuck her tongue out, then wandered backwards out the door. Her crop-top fluttered in her motion, and Zack admired her exposed belly before it slipped away. “Enjoy your day, sweetie.”) _

He sighed in the middle of a phrase and tilted his head back.  _ That was a no. Oh, well. It’s not so bad just being me here. Got some extra sleep, get to jam a bit without bugging anybody…I could play more Sonic, or maybe pick up another game for this thing. Could go rooting through the shoebox.  _

He smirked to himself.  _ You know, we haven’t gotten any pictures of Cloud for that lately. He’s awful shy. It’d be nice to get some of him in what he normally wears, and in some girly stuff, since he’s into that. Since  _ I’m  _ into that.  _ Zack strummed a little louder, then rode the sound into a fuller line.  _ His birthday’s already gone by, but maybe I could buy him something cute for Christmas-- _

The shrill ring of the phone interrupted his thoughts. “Shit,” he cursed to himself, heart riding in his throat. He sighed and took his guitar off, resting it on the couch where he was lying and bounced up to grab the phone. “If that’s someone calling me in, I’m gonna freak…”

He grabbed the phone off the reciever. “Y’ello?” he said.

_ “Hey, Zack.”  _ It was Aerith. 

“Hey,” Zack said, gentleness overtaking his tone. Her voice sounded too high, and more noticeably, warbling and unstable. “What’s up?” 

_ “Um…could…ah…”  _ She hesitated on the line, then sighed.  _ “Can you come over to the church?”  _

“Right now?” he asked. “Sure, babe. Is something wrong?”  _ You don’t sound so good.  _

_ “Well…well…”  _ She paused again, then sighed hard enough to create static on the line.  _ “Angeal’s sick.”  _

Zack’s eyes widened. “Wh…what?” he breathed. “But…Angeal’s not around, he’s…he’s off in Junon, on tour--”

_ “No, Zack,”  _ Aerith said.  _ “Just…please come over here right away.”  _

Despite the fog beginning to settle in his brain, he nodded. “Okay. Be there soon.”

* * *

 

It only took Zack ten minutes to get ready and make it to the church, and Aerith was in the lobby waiting for him. She was covering her face with her hand, and her forehead was wrinkled with worry. “Hey,” he murmured, and touched her shoulder. “So, what’s going on?” 

“He’s…” She sighed and tilted her head toward the main hall. “H-he’s in there. Let him tell you.” 

_ What? What do you mean?  _ As he thought this, Sephiroth stepped out from the main room, still in uniform. He gave one look to Zack, then sighed before he made his way out without a word.  _ What? Sephiroth?  _ Zack shook his head and rushed into the main hall.  _ What the hell is going on? Why do I feel so in the dark?  _

Cots were lined up on either side of the church, and he went for the right side first, scanning each open curtain. “Ange? Angeal…!” he said. “Where are you, bud…”

A cough from the very end of the line drew his attention, along with a gravely voice. “Ah, damn it…over here, Zack.”

He jogged down to the last cot and flung the curtain open. His heart plummeted into his stomach.  _ Oh, no.  _ “Hey…”

Zack had never seen Angeal look so thin. Although his shoulders still seemed broad, the muscle that used to be there had lessened considerably, leaving loose skin on his biceps and forearms. Dark circles lined beneath his eyes, which looked a muddy, undefined color instead of the rich, deep blue he had become accustomed to. It looked as if he had twenty more years on his face alone, and Zack swore he could see gray streaks in his hair.  _ Good God. How…?  _

With a deep breath, Zack shuffled over beside the cot and squatted beside it, beside the small table covered in pill bottles. “What…what’s going on?” he asked, voice sounding as if it was balancing on a tightrope. “I thought…I thought you were…”

Angeal cleared his throat, but kept his head down on the pillow, only tilting it to the side to meet Zack’s eyes. “Yeah, that was…that was a coverup,” he said. “I thought maybe… _ maybe  _ I could get away with it.”

“Christ, it’s only been a couple weeks, if that,” Zack said. He clasped his hands together, already cold and clammy. “How…”

“Mako’s been the only thing keeping me up, I think,” he replied. “But now it’s eating away at that, too.”

_ “What  _ is?” Zack demanded. “Wh-what…”

“HIV, Zack. AIDS.”

_ Of course, obviously, why else would he be  _ here?  _ This church has been an AIDS sanctuary since I met Aerith, practically, so…  _ He gripped his hands together, mouth dry. “I didn’t…I didn’t--”

“No, you didn’t know. I didn’t  _ want  _ you to know.” Angeal cleared his throat again. “Ever, preferably. I should’ve figured that if Aerith worked here and saw me, then it’d only be a matter of time…”

Zack’s vision swayed out of focus as he stared at the starchy linens Angeal was covered in.  _ Angeal’s sick. Angeal’s sick.  _ He opened his mouth to try and speak, but nothing would come out.  _ I don’t…I don’t know even what to ask, or what to say, or… _

_ …or anything… _

“Remember how I told you that Gen and I got into trouble? Way back?” Angeal said. “Well…that’s what this was. Shinra Sr. died from AIDS complications, you probably already know that. Hell, that’s when they first started talking about this sort of thing. So, Hojo went out of his way to try and look for a cure. And so…they used us.”

“It all comes back to him, doesn’t it?” Zack spat. “Fucking…”

“There’s nothing you can do about it now,” he croaked, coughing. “He’s dead already.” 

“They hurt you,” he muttered, tightening his grip against his clasped hands, making his knuckles turn white. “They fuckin’…n-now you’re here…”

_ “Zack,”  _ Angeal said. It was in his steady tone, one that said “listen to me and calm down”, but it was marred by a rattling, raspiness in the back of his throat. “No one left at that place had anything to do with this. You wanna be like Genesis, and threaten the president? He was the one who let us live in the end, instead of…”

Zack waved his hand. “Enough, enough already,” he said, then gingerly rubbed his shoulder. “This is just…y-you’ll be here for a while, and then the vaccine will come through, and you’ll be all set.” 

Angeal sighed. Zack continued, words coming out of his mouth faster and faster with each phrase. “Y-y’know, it’ll be…it’ll be tough, but you’ll make it, yeah? We’ll all take care of you, and sure, you’ll be in bed for a while, probably won’t be ready for the gig Seph’s trying to set up…” He laughed to himself, hollow and forced. “He’ll be pissed about that, but it’s fine, Tifa can manage it. A-and maybe you won’t be able to come back to work, but…you’ll be okay. Yeah?” 

Eyes wide, he stared at Angeal as he chuckled. “Oh, Zack,” he murmured. “You’re…something special, you know that?” 

His body tensed, and he struggled to keep his shoulders from shaking.  _ Don’t, don’t, don’t say something like that. You’re supposed to tell me I’m right, you’re supposed to say “yeah, I’ll be on my feet soon”…everyone gets sick every once in awhile, right?  _

_ Right?  _

_ (but he looks so thin) _

“You wanna know how long I’ve been living with this?” Angeal continued. “A long, long time. Years. I’m damn lucky to have lasted this long.”

“Yeah, well p-people aren’t dying from this anymore, y’know?” Zack interjected. “It’s just…people live with it.”

“And I did.” He chuckled, eyes fluttering closed. “I…sure did. Saw you make 1st. Got to be in Shinra’s finest jam band. I’m happy.”

“Don’t say shit like that,” Zack said.  _ Don’t talk like you’re dying. God Christ, my head is spinning. I feel sick to my stomach. Fuck.  _ “I-it’s gonna be all right.”

Angeal opened his eyes a crack, lip upturned. “Sure it will,” he whispered. “Sure will…”

Zack’s shoulders drooped as they sat in silence.  _ Angeal’s sick. Says he’s going away on tour, and then he ends up here…God, did he…really intend on never coming back? Because that’s sure how it sounds. Why didn’t he tell me? And why on earth is he in a little cot in the middle of the slums, under the plate?  _

_ Too many fucking questions… _

“Excuse me…” Behind him, Elmyra tapped on his shoulder. “Oh, hon, it’s you.”

“H-hey…” Zack said weakly. 

“I think he needs some rest. He’s had a lot of visitors today,” she said. “Aerith’s waiting for you.”

“Okay.” Reluctantly, he rose to his feet, body feeling heavier than ever. “Ange, can I get you anything? Anything I…I can do?” 

Angeal shook his head, a small motion on the back of the pillow. “Well, there’s one thing. If you see Gen on your way out, tell him to go home, already. I’ll be good for another day.”

_ Yeah? Is that how you’re putting it?  _ “A-all right,” he replied. “I’ll--I’ll be back tomorrow. Promise.”

He only nodded, before relaxing his head back down on the pillow. Moments after, his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.  _ Asleep just like that,  _ Zack thought, backing away.  _ This…this is… _

He wandered back down the rows of cots, catching himself staring at the faded stained glass above him.  _ I…I don’t like this. This is…too familiar. Too soon. _

_ (“C-c’mon, Cloud, wake up…”) _

An organ began to play in the background, but Zack took no notice of it, shuffling back into the main lobby of the church. There, Aerith was there waiting for him, hands clasped at her waist. He stared at her worried eyes, bright green. “How…” he said, waiting for his sentence to finish itself. “How…long has he been here?” 

“I-I just…I know he’s been here for a bit, but I didn’t keep track of…exactly when,” she replied.

_ So, you knew already.  _ “Why didn’t you tell me?” he hissed, with more venom than he anticipated. “I could’ve--”

“He  _ told  _ me not to,” she retorted. “He didn’t want you to worry, so he told me to keep quiet. I-I couldn’t, not anymore.” She stared at the floor. “God, I’m sorry, Zack.” 

He nodded. “D-damn it,” he murmured. “I just…I…” 

Before he could finish, she lunged forward and wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him tight. “C’mon, honey,” she said into his chest. “Let’s go home.” 

* * *

 

When Cloud got home, he found Zack and Aerith cuddled together on the couch. Zack’s head was buried into her shoulder, while Aerith’s eyes were glazed over watching TV. Her face perked up as he shut the door behind him, and she turned her head to kiss Zack’s temple. “Babe. Cloud’s home.”

“Huh?” He sat up and rubbed his eyes, rimmed red. “Hey…” 

Cloud shimmied off his jacket and shuffled his shoes off as fast as he could, keeping his eye on him. “Hey,” he said.  _ He looks like he’s been crying.  _ “How was your day off?”

He sighed and stared down at the coffee table. “Got some bad news,” he said. “Y’know how Angeal said he was getting dispatched?”

“Yeah?” 

“He wasn’t. He’s sick.” Zack’s bottom lip trembled. “He has AIDS, he’s at the church, and I…I-I don’t know what to do…”

_ Oh, no.  _ Cloud held his breath as he rushed over to him, sitting on his other side.  _ Angeal…  _ He hugged him, and Zack replied with an arm around his shoulder, head dipped down. 

“Do you want to take tomorrow off?” Aerith asked gently.

“No, no, I wanna…I  _ need  _ to talk to the others,” Zack managed, swallowing hard. “I saw Seph coming out, and Angeal mentioned Gen, so…th-they already know. We’ve gotta… _ I’ve _ gotta…”

“Shh, take it easy,” Aerith soothed, rubbing his back. She peered over Zack’s hunched body to make eye contact with Cloud, a tired expression in her own eyes.  _ She’s doing the best she can, but she’s upset too.  _ He nodded to her, then bent over to kiss the side of Zack’s head where he could reach.  _ Angeal has AIDS? That seems…impossible. He always seemed fine.  _

“Maybe…they’ll be able to figure something out,” Cloud suggested.  _ I don’t even know how that…how that works, though. I just know that it’s an autoimmune disease, and it just eats away at you… _

_ …’til there’s nothing left.  _

But, Zack said nothing. He leaned back into the couch again, staring listlessly at the ceiling. “We’ll go see him sometime tomorrow,” Aerith said. “And if you can’t, for some reason, I’ll be there. I’ll let you know if…anything comes up.” 

Zack sighed again through his lips. “I don’t know what to do,” he whispered. “I just…I don’t know.” 

Cloud continued to hold him, although his own focus began to wander.  _ I don’t know, either. I can be here for you. I know I can do that.  _ Slowly, his body began to relax from the adrenaline shock of the news, petering out through his fingertips and toes.  _ I can do that. I haven’t seen Angeal, but…we can go over tomorrow. Maybe after work.  _

_ And then…just go from there. It’s all we can do. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've been following this journey since the beginning, you probably already know that [I've had this idea for a while.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/141636545506/flash-time-3) I've been planning this since the beginning. IT STILL…DOESN'T HURT ANY LESS…
> 
> Oh, boy. I don't think I really have any other notes. Next time, we'll meet up with the rest of the 1sts (and Tifa) in some semblance of a rehearsal. Stay tuned!


	70. Non-Rehearsal

When the band met in the rehearsal room the next afternoon, no one bothered to take their instruments out. 

Tifa arrived last, and she scanned the downcast faces.  _ Yeah, I…figured this wasn’t going to be much of a “rehearsal”,  _ she thought. She took an empty seat next to Zack, who acknowledged her with a thin smile and a nod. _ Cloud called me last night… _

_ (“Angeal’s sick?” she asked. _

“Yeah. I…haven’t seen him yet, but…”  _ Cloud sighed.  _ “Zack’s pretty beat up. It must be bad…”

_ “I thought he was--” _

“He’s not. He’s here at Aerith’s church.” 

_ Tifa bit her lip as silence consumed the line…) _

She found it hard to look at anyone for more than a moment--Sephiroth looked the most present, while Genesis had a very far-away, deadened look in his blue eyes. Zack’s face was completely aimed at the floor.  _ Cloud mentioned going to see Angeal tonight,  _ she thought.  _ I should go too. It’s the least I can do… _

To her surprise, it was Zack who broke the silence. “So,” he said. “When’d you guys find out?” 

Genesis leaned back in the seat he was in, but his expression didn’t change. “After the weekend,” he said. “Had a weird feeling about him going off like that. I snooped around HQ, looking for records of caravans coming in and out. There  _ was  _ one that left that night, but he wasn’t on it. Then, I went up and bullied a few Turks about it.” He sighed, and his tone fell flat. “They told me, ‘Angeal Hewley has taken a leave of absence.’”

_ Jesus,  _ Tifa thought, twisting her fingers beneath her bangles on her wrist.  _ Why would he lie about something like that? He really…didn’t want anyone to know?  _

“Finding where he was staying was harder,” Genesis continued. “Even though I knew he wouldn’t go to any of Shinra’s hospitals. Too easy. Took me a while to remember the church--Midgar’s a big fuckin’ city. That  _ one  _ church, the one where he dragged my ass after I made 3rd…of course that’s where he was.” 

“Aerith’s church,” Zack muttered. “The only one with a skylight in the back…”

“Explains the fuckin’ draft,” Genesis grumbled. His jaw tensed, then he ran a hand back through his bangs, gripping them out of his face. “Damn it…”

“I found out recently,” Sephiroth said. “I confronted  _ him  _ that night you copied those tapes.” He shot a tense look over to Genesis. “After all that slipping about without a trace--”

“He didn’t want us to know. He told me to keep my mouth shut,” Genesis retorted with a curl of his lip. “Fuck, he didn’t want  _ anyone  _ to know. Gonna let himself waste away with no one around? What the hell…”

“Yeah, what the  _ hell,”  _ Zack agreed. He sat up in his chair, leg bouncing. “I-I just…why? What about the vaccine they’re coming out with? Shouldn’t it--”

“It’s not ready yet. Still doing trials far as I know.” Genesis said. He let go of his bangs in favor of covering the inside of his forearms. “Even if it could help him, it won’t be ready in time.”

“Time? Time for  _ what?”  _

“Before it’s too late.” Genesis scowled at him, continuing to rub his arms. “I’m surprised that Lucrecia lady wants to give it to me…”

“What…? Oh, fuck, that’s right.” Zack leaned back over and pointed at Genesis. “He kept talking about him  _ and  _ you in that experiment. So, did you get the same deal? Are you--?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just as fucked up.” Abruptly, he stood up and kicked back the folding chair, beginning to pace in the small circle they made. Tifa noticed Sephiroth jerk his head up to watch him. “God damn bastards went to town on both of us…”

“So why aren’t  _ you  _ the same way?” There was an edge in Zack’s voice that made Tifa shift in her seat. “How come  _ you’re _ standing here with us while he’s in a cot?” 

_ “Listen,  _ I don’t fucking know!” Genesis spat. “Maybe it’s because I shoot up mako every three weeks to a month, like a fucking junkie!” He revealed his inner arms, and upon squinting, Tifa spotted greenish track marks right near the crease. “Christ, I’d do  _ anything  _ to trade places with him, he did the right fucking thing, all along, and now he’s…now he’s--!”

He clenched his fists at his side and grit his teeth. “Gen, sit down,” Sephiroth said quietly. 

_ “No!”  _ he spat. “No, no, I  _ can’t,  _ I’m not going to fucking  _ sit! _ When my best friend is fucking  _ dying!”  _ He kicked the chair he was instructed to sit in hard, flinging it into his bass amp, and he grabbed his jacket. “I’m leaving. I’m going to go see him.”

Sephiroth stood up, silver hair flowing in a sheath at his back. “Genesis--!” he commanded. “Get  _ back  _ here!” 

_ “Make me!”  _ he called down the hall, distant and echoing. 

He stutter stepped, as if to follow, but thought better off it and rubbed his temple. “This is terrible,” he muttered. “I did not think…I didn’t know…”

“Yeah, I didn’t know either,” Zack said. “I was the fuckin’  _ last  _ to know. Even…even Aerith knew before me…”

“She works there, it was inevitable,” Sephiroth replied. “And I bet he told her not to tell you.”

“Yup.” 

“It is likely he did not want anyone to see him like that. He probably wanted to be…remembered as he was.”

Zack launched himself out of his seat.  _ “Why _ do you keep talking about him like he’s gonna die?!” he shouted, voice pitching into a whine. “H-he could…he could still…” 

His sentence trailed off while Sephiroth turned toward him, arms crossed. His lips were a thin line on his face, and his eyes held a controlled coolness in comparison to the intense aura that surrounded Zack. After a moment of them staring at each other, Sephiroth’s elbows twitched, but they didn’t move as he stared at the ground. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

Zack winced and unglued his feet from the floor in order to pace. “Fuck,  _ fuck,”  _ he cursed. “Why…”

Sephiroth watched him, then backed up, brushing his bangs out of his face. “Rehearsal is postponed until further notice,” he said, then looked at Tifa. “I suggest you keep practicing, however.” 

Tifa nodded.  _ Further notice. You mean, until we know for sure whether Angeal’s going to live or die.  _ The thought shook her harder than she anticipated, stinging behind her eyes and giving a cold shiver down her spine. 

Sephiroth gathered his jacket, as well as his and Genesis’ instrument cases, and heaved them over his shoulder. “I am going up to the labs,” he stated.

“Why?” Zack asked, even in his pacing. “It’s late, everyone’s probably gone home.”

“I need to check something,” he replied. “Besides, everyone knows that the only person who works longer and harder in this wretched place than Tseng of the Turks is Dr. Lucrecia Crescent. I am sure she’ll be up there.”

Without another word, he swiftly exited, leaving Zack and Tifa alone in the rehearsal room. As soon as he was gone, Zack pulled his pager from his belt and thumbed a couple buttons. “Yo, Cloud. Rehearsal’s over. Meet me down here.” 

He continued to pace, staring at the drum kit in the back. “Damn it, Angeal,” he muttered. “I-it’s not supposed to be like this…”

_ I know,  _ Tifa answered silently, staying in her seat.  _ It’s not, is it? I was looking forward to the next time we’d be able to practice together. He told me he was going to teach me about doing fills… _

_ (“You’ve really got the basics down,” Angeal said as Tifa wiped her forehead. “I think you’re ready for advanced soloing techniques.” _

_ “Huh?” she asked. “What’s that?” _

_ “Doing drum fills isn’t just about whacking every head as fast and as hard as you can,” he chuckled. “No, the kit can be just as much of a melodic instrument as any other.” He tapped on the cymbal, then on the tom closest to it. “See? They’ve got different sounds. Different notes.” _

_ “Ohh,” Tifa said with a nod. “That’s pretty cool.” _

_ “Yeah.” He winked at her, then patted her shoulder. “Save that for next time, I think you’ve had enough for tonight…”) _

Tifa stared at the tile at her feet.  _ Did he know then? _

Footsteps echoed down the hallway to reveal a breathless Cloud at the door. “Hey,” he panted, addressing Zack first, and then Tifa. “Oh, hey.”

“You got here fast,” Zack said with a smirk. It was the first genuine one Tifa had seen from him that day. “You didn’t have to run, babe.”

“I know, but…” He shrugged as Zack roped him into a one-armed hug. “Figured I’d get here as soon as I could…” 

“Aren’t you sweet.” Zack ruffled his hair, then gave a heavy sigh. “Well, are we all going over there?”

Tifa stood up. “Looks like it,” she said. She and Zack circled around Cloud, so both of them were holding one of his hands, and shuffled out of the rehearsal room.  _ I don’t know what to expect when we get there,  _ she thought, glancing over at Cloud.  _ We’ll just have to see… _

* * *

 

“Oh my,  _ three  _ of you?” Elmyra exclaimed as the trio entered the church. “Let me guess, you’re here to see the SOLDIER, aren’t you?” 

“Angeal, that’s right,” Zack said. “What, have you got visiting hours, or something?”

“Yes…” She hesitated, glancing back. “But, I guess I’ll have to make an exception, won’t I?” She shook her head. “That one man will barely leave his side as it is…”

“Who’s that? Oh.” Zack puffed out his cheeks as he answered his own question. “Genesis.” 

He led the way into the church, down the row to the last cot. “Hey--” he greeted, then stopped himself. “Oh, shoot. He’s asleep…” 

Indeed, he was dozing on the cot, an arm over his stomach. Tifa covered her mouth with her hand. _Jesus. So gaunt, so pale, so thin. He looks completely different than when I last saw him,_ she thought. She snuck a glance over to Cloud after she felt his hand tense in hers. His throat and chest were oddly still, as if he were holding his breath. _I didn’t realize…it worked this fast. How quickly it can just eat away…_

Zack pulled away from Cloud and knelt at the bed. “Hey, man,” he muttered. “Just stopping by to see how you were doing…” He glanced over at the table, and picked up a pack of cigarettes. He flicked the pack open, then put it back. “Those are Gen’s. Can tell by some of the green ones. Wonder if he’s still around…”

His muttering stirred Angeal, and his shoulders jerked as he came to. “Ah…” he grunted, eyes flickering back. “Cloud. Tifa.”

“Hey,” Tifa greeted. Cloud chose to only nod. 

Angeal wheezed a small laugh, but it soon turned into a wet cough. A thin sheen of sweat shone on his brow, and it made a few strands of dark hair cling to his face. His normally well-groomed goatee had grown out around his face, albeit patchy and unkempt. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “Word sure spreads fast…”

“Yeah, well, what’d you think?” Zack remarked, bitterness on his tongue. “Did Genesis leave yet?” 

“I think he just went out for a smoke or something.” He turned his head, although it looked to be a tremendous effort. “See, he left his cigs here. He’ll be back for those.” 

“Figured.” Zack shook his head. “He kinda…blasted out of rehearsal on us.”

“Yeah? From what he told me, sounded like you guys didn’t even play at all.”

“We didn’t.” 

“‘Course.” He cleared his throat again. “Damn it, I can’t get this…this shit out of my throat anymore…”

“Take it easy.” Zack rested a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently. “You don’t gotta keep talking, I just wanted to--”

“Hey, listen to me,” Angeal interrupted, eyes more alert. If Tifa watched carefully, she saw an odd fluctuation in the color of his eyes--in one light, they were blue; in another, they dipped to a deep brown. “I don’t want you guys to stop…doing what you’re doing, just ‘cause of me.” 

“I know, but--”

_ “I mean it,”  _ he emphasized, and reached to grab the collar of Zack’s t-shirt. The grip was weak, and the hold was short-lived, as his hand dropped to his side. “There’s no reason for you guys to stop playing. You’ve got a good drummer around to fill in…”

He looked back at Tifa, and she immediately put her hands behind her back, shuffling her feet.  _ “Good” is a word, a strong one for how I’m doing. I still couldn’t hold a candle up to what he does, but…  _ She took a deep breath, then let it out with a huff through her nose.  _ I guess I’m going to have to try now, aren’t I?  _

“Well, maybe…maybe once the shock wears off, huh?” Zack offered, along with a small smile. “Y’know, so maybe Genesis will stop freaking out…”

“You too, pup,” Angeal muttered. “You too…”

Zack opened his mouth to protest, but in the end, said nothing, as he watched Angeal fall into another light doze. “Fuck,” he whispered, then stood up. He bit his lip, then shook his head. “L-let’s…yeah. Let’s go…”

He shuffled away, dragging his feet, and Cloud yanked Tifa with him to follow. He grabbed onto Zack’s hand, worry etched on his profile.  _ Yeah, this feels like…a repeat of what happened when Cloud. Except…back then, he blamed himself for what happened. He felt  _ directly  _ responsible, to the point of never leaving his side, begging for him to wake up. With this… _

_ …it’s no one’s fault. There’s no real blame to be placed, is there? So he’s… _

As they exited into the lobby, Genesis pushed past them, shoving Cloud into Zack’s shoulder as he blew by. “Hey, watch it!” Zack snapped, holding him close to his side. 

He was gone and to the back of the church in the blink of an eye, without a word to the trio. “Asshole,” Tifa muttered. “C’mon, we can stop at 7th Heaven, I at least want to grab some clothes…”

“Are you going to stay the night?” Cloud asked as they stepped out into the street.

“Yeah, I think so,” she replied.  _ I should.  _

A voice stopped them from going much further. “Zack Fair.”

“What?” Zack replied immediately. He whirled around to see a Turk in uniform, standing against the church with his hair slicked back in a ponytail. “Oh,  _ fuck,  _ what?!” 

Cloud tensed at attention beside Tifa, while the Turk only raised an eyebrow. “Calm down,” he said, oddly gentle. “I was hoping to catch you here rather than come to your house.”

“What the--why would you even? God, Tseng!” Zack exclaimed, ripping out of Cloud’s grip to emote with his arms. “How’d you even know I was  _ here!?” _

“Why wouldn’t you be?” he said. Then, softer: “I know about Angeal.”

“Of course you do, Jesus  _ fucking  _ Christ…” He hissed at the ground, then huffed in an attempt to compose himself. “What is it, then? What do you need?”

“I need you to cover an overnight,” he said.

“An _overnight?"_ Zack groaned up at the plate. "I just worked today!”

Tseng’s expression continued to flatline, although a muscle in his neck twitched. “You know we’re short-staffed, and you were _damn_ lucky to get that day off before. Not only is Hewley on leave, but Rhapsodos keeps skipping out on shifts.”

_ "On leave", _ Tifa thought. _On leave. On leave. He's a shadow compared to how he was just a couple weeks ago, and still. Just "on leave"._

“So why don’t you rope him back in?” Zack asked. “God knows he could do more work…”

“He won’t answer any pages or calls. And he won’t listen to us directly, either. So…” He sighed, heavy in his chest. “It’s on you.”

Zack’s arms quivered with frustration. “God  _ damn it--!”  _ he cursed, kicking at the ground. “Tell me  _ why  _ Gen gets away with so much  _ bullshit  _ around here!” 

Tifa hugged her arms, and she sensed Cloud’s tenseness beside her as he stared at the ground.  _ He’s so worked up. Like, I get it, I would be too, but it just makes everything worse.  _

“Unfortunately, he’s good at what he does, when he actually  _ does  _ it.” There was thinly controlled frustration in Tseng’s voice as well, but he hid it much better, keeping it contained in his throat. He walked beside Zack, and his tone dropped. “Besides, those two have been stuck like glue ever since they came here. I can’t expect anything less than this.”

“Fine, whatever, but…” Zack glanced back at the church. “Oh, damn it, I’m  _ still  _ pissed off, why is this all on  _ me?”  _

“I’m sorry, Fair,” Tseng said, with genuine sympathy. “It is the nature of being SOLDIER to be on call.”

“Fine, fine.” He shrugged his shoulders and slapped his hands against his hips, then turned to Tifa and Cloud, hand in hand. “Welp, you guys let Aerith know where I am. Guess I’ll see you later.”

“Sure,” Tifa said.

“I’ll catch up with you tomorrow,” Cloud promised, channeling steadiness in his eyes and his voice.  _ Even you’re trying so hard, hon… _

It was enough to loosen Zack’s shoulders, and he waved. “Sounds good.” 

Tseng nodded to the others. “If you’ll excuse us. Strife. Ms. Lockhart.” 

“Yes, sir,” Cloud answered instinctively.   


_ How does he know my name? _ Tifa thought, adrenaline in her chest. _Turks really do know everything…_

As they walked away, Zack continued to complain. “Don’t put this on my record, but  _ fuck  _ Genesis, honestly…” “No, no. I’m of the same opinion. I’ve got more than a few stories about him…”

Cloud let out a huge sigh, then turned and brought Tifa into his arms for a hug in the middle of the sidewalk. “C-Cloud?” she asked, still wrapping her arms around him. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” he answered into the side of her neck. “I…don’t like it when he gets tense like that.”

“Me neither.” She rested her chin against his shoulder. “This sucks…”

“I know.” 

“Do you think…do you think he’ll be okay?” 

“I don’t know.” Cloud rubbed small circles on her back. “It’s hard to say.”

_ I know. I know, and that’s what’s worrying. It sucks not to know. The dread from before, when he was under, is all too familiar…  _ She clutched Cloud tight against her, breathing as evenly as she could.  _ I can only hope…that this ends up the same way. _

_ I hope he’ll be okay. For his own sake, for Zack’s… _

_ …for all of us… _

Cloud kissed the top of Tifa’s hair and smoothed his hand down the back of it. “We should go see Aerith,” he said. “I’m sure she’s waiting for us.” 

“Okay,” Tifa replied, then bit her lip. “Cloud?”

“Hm?” 

“I love you.”

“Love you too, hon.”

They joined hands, and walked the small distance to Zack and Aerith’s apartment in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, shit's still bad! Genesis is obviously not taking this well. And yeah, he's sick too--although you might have already [picked that up from some other material.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/149160174761/flash-time-39) (I will be batch publishing the flashes and extras here on AO3 as soon as the story wraps, don't worry!) There are a lot of parallels here from when Cloud was sick, but there are some obvious differences.
> 
> Speaking of flashes, if you are following the meta blog, I've got a _ton_ of flashes to post that I wrote a while ago, but didn't publish because we weren't at this point yet. But, now we are. And as I expected, these updates are coming out quick because of it. 
> 
> Next chapter will be a bit of a different pace--some scenes stitched together of the gang visiting Angeal. Thanks for reading, we'll be trucking through this together!


	71. Revolving

Aerith arrived at the church right at 9 AM, yawning as she paced through main hall.  _ This is a place I can be,  _ she thought to herself.  _ If Zack can’t be here, then I will in his stead, to keep his peace of mind… _

_ …oh, but am I going to be able to keep mine? _

She peered behind Angeal’s curtain on her way past, slowing her speed.  _ Sleeping.  _ She sighed and pulled her braid over her shoulder to play with the end of it.  _ He’s been sleeping a lot lately, and I can’t tell if that’s a good thing, or a bad thing.  _ She scanned around the bed more carefully.  _ Well, at least Genesis didn’t try and stay the night again.  _

The edge of the main hall ended with two steps up to a podium, as well as a door that led to the back hall. She hugged her denim jacket against her chest to brace against the cold as she opened the door. Sunlight streamed in from the gaping, rotting hole in the tall, wooden roof, bright but cold. Greenery and moss covered the ground, stone instead of wood--except for a garden patch right where the morning sun streamed in. There, morning glories twirled their vines around stakes, and a myriad of violet and soft white flowers bloomed, even in the early chill of fall.

“Good morning,” Aerith whispered, bending down to check the petals. “It’s getting cold now, isn’t it?”  _ Some of these have already been wilted by the night frost. The weather’s been fluctuating lately, but it’s definitely no longer summer. Funny, how seasons change so quickly… _

_ …how life changes so quickly… _

A rasping cough startled her from her contemplation.  _ He’s not sleeping anymore,  _ she thought, standing up and dusting her knees.  _ I ought to start divvying out medication… _

* * *

 

Zack came by in the afternoon in uniform, offering a quick kiss to her as he entered the hall. “How’s he doing?” he asked.

“The same,” she replied. Before he darted off around her, she took his face in both hands. Dark circles were beginning to line under his eyes.  _ Oh no, not again.  _ “How are  _ you  _ doing?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he insisted, dismissive. “I’m not the one sick in bed…”

“Zack…”

“I-I can’t stay long, I’m just on lunch break,” he replied, slipping out of her grip. He twisted the feather necklace at his chest. “I’m doing another double tonight.”

_ “Another  _ one?” Aerith exclaimed. “Honey…”

“I’ve got no choice, okay?” Frustration lined his jaw, but he still took her hand and kissed the top of it. “I’ll be back later…”

Aerith watched as he rushed down the hall and disappeared behind Angeal’s curtain--albeit not completely, as he towered over the top of it. She could see the spikes of his hair peeking out around the upper edge.  _ If anyone should be around all the time, it’s him,  _ she thought, leaning in the doorway.  _ My puppy who wears his heart on his sleeve… _

_ Oh, Angeal, maybe I shouldn’t have told him. I’m sorry. I hated leaving him in the dark, though. And I didn’t want to…do this alone.  _

A waft of cigarettes emerged behind her, and Genesis reappeared slipping through the doorway. He stopped just ahead of her in the hall. “Ah, shit,” he muttered, glancing back. “Zack’s here, isn’t he?”

“Uh-huh,” Aerith replied. “He won’t be here long.”

“Right.” He rubbed his eyes aggressively, stutter stepped forward, then hung back, opting to lean against the church wall. “Fuck…”

Aerith tensed and crossed her arms.  _ You barely leave,  _ she thought.  _ You’re the reason Zack has to work doubles now, aren’t you? That he barely gets to see him… _

When Zack made his way back down the hall, for a fleeting moment, Aerith thought that he might not notice Genesis sulking against the wall, as his head was down at the floor. But, of course, he found her feet, and stopped to say goodbye. “I’ll call tonight,” he muttered, holding her by the shoulders and kissing the side of her face. His eyes wandered to the side, however, and he straightened up.  _ “Hey.”  _

“What?” Genesis retorted immediately, not looking at him.

“Why don’t you come to work for a change, huh?” Zack asked, crossing his arms. “Give some of us a break.”

Genesis shook his head slowly. “I’m not leaving him,” he muttered. “I’m  _ not.”  _

“So you’re gonna desert the rest of us?” Zack loomed over him. “Come  _ on--”  _

He met his eyes with a sharpness that made Aerith start. “You don’t know  _ anything,”  _ he growled. “Angeal and I started this hell journey together, and we’re gonna  _ finish  _ it together, damn it.” He pushed himself off the wall, continuing to glare at Zack. “And I don’t give a  _ fuck  _ about anything else.”

He cruised back down the hallway. Zack grit his teeth. “Selfish bastard,” he grunted, but the wind blew out of his sails rather quickly, and his shoulders drooped. “Wh-whatever. I’m…I ain’t gonna--”

“Don’t…fight him over it,” Aerith said, running a hand down his chest.  _ It’s not going to help anything.  _ “He’s…”

“Yeah.” Zack brought her into a loose hug. “I’m just…gonna get going. I’ll call you tonight.”

“Okay, baby.” 

With that, Zack left, the door shutting heavy behind him. 

* * *

 

“Genesis.” Aerith poked his shoulder. He was kneeling at Angeal’s bedside, head down on the sliver of mattress that was left on the side. “You’ve got to go.”

He shook his head and groaned.  _ Oh, for God’s sake,  _ she thought.  _ This is always a chore.   _ “Please--”

But, without another word, he heaved his body up, took his jacket, and began shuffling out. He stopped again at the edge of the bed. “I’ll be back,” he said. “Night.” 

His footsteps echoed in the huge hall, ceilings taller than Aerith could fathom to reach. As he did, a persistent beeping echoed as well. She looked for the source, and it was coming from Angeal’s bedside table. Among the pill bottles and tissues, a pager was left there.  _ Is it Angeal’s? Or is it… _

The church door shut with a loud clatter. In an effort to quell the noise, she picked up the pager and thumbed through the buttons.  _ I don’t think I’ve ever touched Zack’s,  _ she thought. “1 UNREAD MESSAGE” blinked on the screen. Running her finger over the display, she hit a button, and it began to talk. 

_ “Genesis. Get home now. Please.” _

It fell silent.  _ That sounded like Sephiroth,  _ she thought, gingerly placing it back on the tray.  _ I should be getting home too… _

* * *

 

Another morning. Aerith carried a tray full of a steaming breakfast plate in her arms--a small stack of pancakes, some scrambled eggs, a couple breakfast sausage links, with fixings on the side.  _ It smells so good,  _ she thought, inhaling deep.  _ Elmyra made it special, since Angeal has been the only one staying overnight… _

_ (“Things have cleared out quite a bit recently,” Elmyra said while Aerith hung back behind her, just out of sight. “If you want, you can stay closer to the entrance, so you don’t get that draft from the backroom. Or, even in--” _

_ “No, no,” Angeal insisted. “I don’t need anything fancy.” _

_ Aerith wrung her hands. “Are you sure?” Elmyra asked. “It’s no bother--” _

_ “I’m sure. Thank you.” It was emphatic, even in with the rattle in the back of his throat. “Thank you.”) _

She took a seat at the folding chair set up right next to Angeal’s bed. The creak of it, as well as the smell of the food, caused Angeal’s eyes to flutter open. “Oh…” he groaned. He attempted to stretch, but didn’t get very far--only wiggling his feet at the edge of the bed. “Morning already?”

Aerith nodded with a small smile. “I’ve got breakfast for you,” she said. 

“You can just leave it there…” His eyes floated to the bedside table, but it was full already with medication. He wheezed a chuckle and shook his head. “Or…maybe not.” 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked.

“I’m not feeling terribly hungry.”

_ Damn it.  _ “Y-you should eat something.”

“I will, don’t worry,” he insisted. “Just…not right now.” 

As she fidgeted her fingers in the handles of the tray, Angeal smiled at her. “You know something,” he said. “I’ve been seeing you around almost as much as Gen.” He attempted to clear his throat, but his voice sounded no better. “You can take a break, hon.”

“Mmm.”  _ You say that, but…  _ She sighed to herself.  _ I have to make up for when Zack  _ can’t  _ be here, when he  _ wants  _ to be. Besides, you don’t  _ really  _ want to be alone through this, do you?  _ “W-well, all right. It’ll be here when you’re ready.”

She stood up and set the tray down where she was sitting. “Make sure to take what medication you need, too,” Aerith advised. “I know it’s a lot…i-if you need any help--”

“I know,” Angeal said, then winked. “I’ll call room service.”

She couldn’t help but smile, crooked as it was. 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, when the organ was continuing to blare the chords of “Hey Jude”, Aerith stopped by Angeal’s cot when Genesis slipped out with a cigarette. The tray was on the floor, largely untouched.

* * *

 

_ “Hey, sweetie.”  _

“Hey.” Aerith twirled the bedroom phone cord around her finger. “How’re you holding up?”

Zack sighed on the line.  _ “Damn, I’m so fuckin’ tired. It’s like I live here now. Well, again. Except I only get a nap room instead of the barracks.” _

“I’m sorry, baby,” she said. “I miss you.”

_ “I miss you, too. How’s Angeal?” _

“The…same.”  _ Mostly. It’s hard for me to tell, since I’ve been there every day now. The increments are slight, but I can’t say…that he’s doing any  _ better.  _ Or really, any  _ worse.  _ But, he hasn’t been eating much…  _ She aimed the receiver away from her mouth and sighed into the bedsheets.  _ I hate giving him details. He doesn’t need anymore reason to worry. _

_ I think I understand you a little bit now, Angeal.  _

Zack sighed as well.  _ “Is that right?”  _ he said.  _ “God, they might as well have sent  _ me  _ on tour. That way I wouldn’t have to feel like I’m right there, but…but can’t…can’t do anything about it.”  _

“I know it,” she murmured.  _ They’re working him too hard.  _ “Hopefully you’ll get a break soon.”

_ “Yeah. A weekend might be my only savior.  _ If  _ they give me that.”  _

Voices squabbled in distant static over the line before Zack’s tired tenor returned.  _ “I gotta go. I love you.”  _

“Love you too. Have a good night.”

_ “You too.”  _

The line clicked dead, and she hung up the phone and rolled over on the mattress.  _ This is his…third double in a row?  _ she thought, staring up at the popcorn ceiling. The floorboards creaked beyond the bed, and a shadow passed underneath the door.  _ Awful. It’s been a good thing Cloud still comes around, or else this would be lonely as hell… _

_ It’s still lonely… _

* * *

 

It was impossible to miss Sephiroth entering, with his tall stature, black uniform, and long, silver hair barely tamed in a loose ponytail, but he whisked past Aerith at the reception as if he were invisible. There was no greeting, not even a passing glance, just pure, driven purpose down the hall to Angeal’s cot.  _ Not even going to give me the time of day?  _ Aerith thought, tip-toeing out of the desk and following him.  _ God… _

_ I didn’t see Genesis leave, so he must still be there as well… _

The church was mostly quiet, and the high halls made any noise or voices carry through. “Hey, Seph,” she heard Angeal say, along with a rasping cough that was ten times louder than his voice. “Good to see you…”

“You look terrible,” Sephiroth replied.  _ Tactful,  _ Aerith thought. She stopped and slipped behind the curtain of the next bed over.  _ “Both  _ of you. Did you stay the night?”

There was no reply from Genesis. “Oh, he probably did,” Angeal answered for him. “I've been in and out all day…”

Pill bottles rattled. “This is so much…” Sephiroth muttered. “And you have to take  _ all  _ of it?”

“Yeah, it’s a chore,” Angeal replied. “I’m starting to lose track…”

Genesis’ voice was abrupt. “You shouldn’t,” he said. “Don’t…you’ve gotta…”

He was cut off, by what, Aerith couldn’t see.  _ He had better be taking all of those,  _ she thought.  _ We’ve been measuring out the doses lately, so he doesn’t have to. If he hasn’t been, then… _

“Did you do…” Angeal’s sentence was cut off by another cough. What proceeded it was incomprehensible, too low and wheezing for her to hear.

“Yes,” Sephiroth replied. “There…wasn’t anything. They said…” His voice dropped low as well. 

But, Genesis made up for it with his sharp tone. “Bullshit,” he hissed. “That’s  _ bullshit!  _ There’s no  _ fucking  _ way--”

“Gen--”

“They’re  _ lying  _ to you! Just like they did to us! They don’t  _ care!”  _ A chair clattered over, and Genesis’ hollering filled the hall. “They’ll beat you down ‘til you don’t even dare to fight back! Then they’ve got you in their clutches, fucking--”

_ “Genesis!”  _ Sephiroth’s bellow was enough to make her start, and its echo muddled what was said next.  _ God, God, God.  _ Aerith stepped out from behind the curtain, a hand over her mouth.  _ It’s so tense, for everyone… _

She found herself stopping short when she heard a watery “what?” in Genesis’ voice. “You can’t…no way…” 

The heavy clatter of Sephiroth’s boots resounded, and he strode over to Aerith with narrowed eyes.  _ Oh, shit.  _ “Were you eavesdropping?” he asked.

Aerith tried to gather strength in her chest, and dropped her hands to her side. “I was just leaving,” she said. “I--”

“Then  _ leave,”  _ he commanded. “And do  _ not  _ do that again. This doesn’t--” He stopped himself as he studied her, and his expression waned, intensity fading. “Well, I am certain you’ll know soon enough.”

He turned around, staring back at Angeal’s cot. “Gen.”

“I’m not leaving,” he replied flatly. 

“Really, why don’t you just go?” Angeal huffed. “I’ll--”

_ “No.”  _

Sephiroth shook his head. “Even I can’t make him leave,” he muttered, then continued to walk away, past Aerith, out the church. “If I can’t budge him, who will?” He called louder as he exited the hall. “Get some rest.” 

Aerith was left with silence in the hall.  _ I wonder what…they were talking about. And what did he mean, I’ll “know soon enough”? Does it have to do with Angeal? Or, maybe…the vaccine?  _

She shook her head.  _ Or, maybe it’s none of my business.  _ She stared up at the faded stained glass windows, idly pulling her hair out of her ponytail, only to tie it back up again.  _ I should make lunch, and see if he’ll eat anything. That’s something I can do.  _

* * *

 

Cloud and Tifa arrived together, hand in hand, with Cloud still in uniform. “Hey there,” Aerith greeted. “Are you on break, Cloud?” 

He nodded. “Mmhm. I wanted to bring Zack too, but…” He trailed off, staring down at the ground.

_ He’s caught up at work.  _ “Yeah, I know,” Aerith sighed. “Did he say when he’d be home?”

“He’s gotta work tonight.”

“Figures…” 

Tifa reached out to take Aerith’s hand, lacing it with her own. “You should come stay at my place,” she offered. “While Zack’s away…”

“Yeah, but then that would leave  _ you _ all alone,” she replied, looking at Cloud. “And I don’t think having three of us there would fly with Barret…”

Tifa squeezed her hand. “P-probably not…”

The three of them stood in the church lobby for a moment, hands joined together. Even Cloud took Aerith’s other hand in his own, completing the triangle.  _ We’re here together. We’re in this together,  _ she chanted to herself.  _ If only Zack were here, too… _

With a deep breath, she looked over at both of them. “You guys are here to see Angeal, right?” she asked. “He’s probably asleep…” 

She broke away from Cloud to lead the way down the hall. When they got to the cot, both Angeal and Genesis were dozing--the former in his cot, the latter on a folding chair. Genesis was more alert, and shook himself awake as soon as they were in front of the bed. “Shit,” he mumbled. “F-fine, I’ll go have a smoke…” 

He stood up, weaving a little on his feet, and shuffled around them, yanking a cigarette pack out of his back pocket. When he was out of sight, Angeal opened one eye. “He’s always been bad at being quiet,” he muttered. “His stealth is the weakest out of all us 1sts…even Zack, if you can believe it.”

The trio chuckled, a weak gesture. “I…dunno if I can,” Cloud remarked, lip curling up.

Angeal tried to sit up in the cot, but only managed to scoot his body up barely on the bed. “Not  _ much  _ better,” he replied with a smirk. “Zack gets too excited, too impatient. Gen’s usually half in the bag, so he gets sloppy. It’s one of the few things in combat that weed really affects him in.” He cleared his throat. “Speaking of which…I hate seeing him stressed out, but it’s nice that he doesn’t reek for once…”

_ That’s true, I haven’t smelled it on him since he started coming here,  _ Aerith mused.  _ Small favors? He’s been smoking like a chimney, though, so the cigarettes make up for it. And you’re awfully chatty today, Angeal… _

“Taking a break, Cloud?” he asked.

“Yes, s--” Cloud made himself trail off. “Y-yeah. Been on patrol a lot lately. Training’s kinda been…on the fritz lately.” He bit his lip, not meeting Angeal’s eyes. “Tough without you around.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Angeal replied. “There’ll be someone to pick up the slack. Who knows, maybe you’ll be training standards someday.” 

“Y-you…think so?” 

“Sure. Might not be as flashy as some of the others, but you’ve got the strength.” Angeal’s lips were dry as he smirked at him, cracking in the creases. “I think you could get people to listen to you, if you stand tall.”

Cloud straightened his shoulders up, making himself look taller.  _ Cute,  _ Aerith thought, watching Tifa’s expression turn up at him. 

Angeal coughed again, and one of his arms dropped off the bed. The skin was loose, marked even more by how the shirt he was wearing hung off him. “I’m guessing Zack’s working still?” he asked. “I saw him late one of these past nights…least I  _ think  _ I did. Must’ve snuck out for a second…”

“Maybe,” Aerith said. “I mean, even  _ I  _ haven’t gotten to see him. He calls every night, but I think they’re really making him stay…”

“Shame.” His fingers wiggled toward the underneath of the bed. After a moment of struggling, his hand went limp, chest rising and falling in exhaustion. “Listen…there’s a big manila envelope underneath this bed…got a little something for all of you in it.”

Aerith’s heart leaped into her throat as she squatted down. Sure enough, there was a thick, bound envelope in a cheddar yellow color. “Just…get it up and out, don’t open it yet,” he said, still out of breath. “Just…wanted to let you know it was there. So it doesn’t get thrown out…”

She felt frozen as she held the envelope in both of her hands, staring at the tape over the metal clasp.  _ This feels so ominous. It’s so heavy…what’s in here? “A little something for everyone”?  _ Her jaw tensed in favor of it quivering her lip.  _ I’ll leave it with Elmyra for now. Or should I take it home to keep it safe? This feels…important. _

_ I don’t like it. _

“When…should we open it?” Tifa asked. Aerith’s mouth felt too dry to ask the same. 

“You’ll know,” Angeal replied, eyes fluttering shut. “You’ll…know.”

Within moments, he was asleep once again. 

* * *

 

Rain thundered above the plate in the cool evening, and Aerith shivered in her denim jacket, hugging it around her chest as she reached 7th Heaven. She sighed as she entered, the dim lights warm and familiar.  _ Oh, thank God. There’s no one here. Except for Vincent. And Barret.  _

_ And Tifa… _

Barret noticed her first as she took her usual seat next to Vincent. “Hey, haven’t seen you in a while,” he greeted. “How’s it been, flower girl?”

“Could be better,” she said, fishing through her pockets. She brought out a handful of gil and rested it on the table. “Could you make me something sweet? And  _ very  _ alcoholic.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like it could be better,” he said, then backed up to the entrance of the back room. “Hey, Tifa. Aerith’s here.” 

“Oh--!” Tifa scrambled out, wicking water away from her hands frantically. “Hey…” 

“Hi…” As she relaxed her shoulders, Aerith could already feel tears budding behind her eyes, and she dropped her head. “Oh,  _ God,  _ I’m so tired…”

As Barret dropped a drink on the table for her  _ (looks like another pina colada,  _ she thought,  _ I hope it’s strong),  _ Tifa reached out for her hands, and Aerith gladly took them. “How is Angeal?” she asked. 

_ There’s the million dollar question,  _ she thought, and shook her head at the table. “We think he hasn’t been taking his medication,” she said. “That, or it’s just…stopped working. Maybe both…”

Glancing over between Vincent, and then to Barret, hanging back, she saw the downcast look in both of their eyes. Was it pity? Aerith couldn’t tell, but she could tell one thing-- _ they already know. Tifa’s probably talked about it with them…  _ She took a drink of the cocktail on the counter, and as the sweetness hit her tongue, she drank more than the sip she intended. “A-and…he had a fever earlier today, shivering…when I left, it had come down but…but…”

_ I can’t hold this in much longer. I can’t. I can’t.  _

Aerith stared wide-eyed down at the bar, gripping Tifa’s hands for dear life. “I-I just…I-I’m there all the time, I know I don’t  _ have  _ to be, but…Zack  _ can’t,  _ he’s been  _ working  _ so damn much…G-God, I’ve barely seen him all this week!” She shuddered as tears streamed down her face. “And I can’t i-imagine how st-stressed  _ he  _ must be too, but he has to  _ work,  _ so he’s distracted, but I…I…”

She swallowed hard, and felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. It patted clumsily, but the intention was there as she cried into her drink. “I  _ can’t!  _ H-he’s my friend too, and it’s s-so hard to see him…just disappear in front of my eyes! And I-I’m t-trying to keep my head up, k-keep my hopes up, when e-everyone comes in so  _ strained,  _ when I have to listen to Genesis choke up, when I have to listen to a G-God damn shitty organ playing ‘Hey Jude’  _ every fucking day!”  _

Aerith drained the rest of her drink, sliding it down the counter to bury her head in her arms. Her sobs echoed in the bar, echoed in the confines of her own ears as hot tears ran down her face. “It’s not getting better! It’s  _ not!  _ A-and I’m tired…and I’m scared! I-it’s bad enough when someone passes at the church I don’t really know…th-this is…this is…” 

Another hand reached her, on top of her arm this time. “Death tends to hurt the living the most,” Barret said, weight in every word. “I should know.” 

“H-he’s not even…he’s not even gone yet,” Aerith blubbered. “B-but…I’ve got this feeling, this bad feeling that…that it’s not gonna be much longer…”

She sniffled, the haziness of the alcohol beginning to dull her sobbing fit.  _ I’m so tired of keeping up a front. Of being bubbly and perky for the sake of everyone, when I’m hurting too. I’m hurting too! _

_ (Clutching a blanket around her shoulders, she peered into the greenish-white gemstone with tears in her eyes. “I miss you, Mom,” she whispered, turning it over in her hands. A rat scuttled past her feet, and she flinched back, shrinking further against the cement wall. “B-but…you’re not coming home, are you? There’s no home to come back to…”) _

“Aerith,” Tifa soothed, although there was a shiver in her own voice. When she looked up, she saw that her brown eyes had a glassy sheen to them. “N-no matter what happens…we’re all here together. Me, Zack, Cloud--”

“Us…too,” Vincent piped up, offering another clumsy pat to her shoulder. 

“I-it’s like…I’m--I know I’ll…it’ll be okay, in the end,” Aerith said, releasing one of Tifa’s hands in favor of rubbing her eyes. “B-but I’m so worried about Zack--you saw how he got with Cloud…”

“Surprised he isn’t stuck to him,” Barret remarked. “He really looked up to him, didn’t he?” 

“Yeah,” Aerith replied, nearly swallowing the word. “He can’t, though…one of his co-workers keeps skipping out on work to see him, and won’t listen to anyone--” 

(“Sunflower, I’m coming home tonight.”

_ “You are?!” _

“Yup. It’ll be late, but…I miss that bed. I miss you…” 

_ “I miss you too, baby. So much.”) _

Aerith stumbled off the barstool. Vincent’s hand was still on her shoulder, and he used it to steady herself under his stoic gaze. “Whoa, easy--!” Barret exclaimed. “You all right? Got someplace to be?” 

“I…I just remembered something,” she said, hiccuping a little.  _ Did I really drink that fast? Or am I still crying…  _ ”I’ve gotta get going…!” 

“Hon, why don’t you stay here with me tonight?” Tifa offered, swinging around the bar. “Besides, it’s raining like hell, and you’ll get wet from the plate leaking--” 

Aerith vigorously shook her head. “N-no, Zack’s gonna be home, for the first time in forever and…” She gulped, resting her hands over Tifa’s shoulders. “I’ve gotta be there. I-I have to…” 

“But--”

She cut her off with a smacking kiss to her lips, then rushed out of the bar before Tifa could gather her bearings. “Good night…!” she called, hustling away. 

Indeed, the plate was leaking from above, but she beelined down the alley and around the corner, walking as fast as her feet would let her.  _ I forgot, I almost forgot about him coming home,  _ she thought, vision still blurry.  _ I’ve been so distressed, so run about, I just…I wanted to get it all out. This takes so much out of me, and I don’t want to see Angeal suffer anymore… _

_ …but he seems so serene…like he knows…what’s coming.  _

_ And that’s unnerving in its own right… _

She gasped sharp, and her eyes began to water again.  _ Better get it all out, all out before I get home to Zack. I don’t even know what time it is, but he’s probably already home, wondering where I am. At least Cloud is there. Cloud will be there, even though he’s just as worn thin as I am. I can tell by the tenseness in his eyes, how solemn he looks, and how quiet he’s been… _

_ This is such a mess. And so sudden. Would we have been able to handle it any better if we had known sooner? Maybe not.  _

_ And maybe he knows that, too.  _

She stopped abruptly in the streets and gazed at the plate, at the halogen lights casting eerie, yellow light down upon her. She clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes. “Please,” she said to the night. “Please…” 

And then, she continued home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, _this_ chapter wins the award for having the most line breaks.
> 
> The good news is, we've broken the 300K mark! The bad news is: literally everything else going on right now. We _will_ know about what the 1sts were talking about within time. Everyone's so tired, as it tends to be when…this is happening. 
> 
> The fact that I'm not going to tease the next chapter is probably a hint enough. Thanks for sticking with me, and stay tuned!


	72. Angeal

Aerith woke up to Zack stirring beside her. “Nn…nnn…” he groaned in his sleep.

_ Poor thing.  _ She glanced over at the clock.  _ It’s past nine,  _ she thought, sitting up.  _ It’s not a bad time to get up. I don’t… _ have  _ to go to the church today. In fact, Elmyra told me not to, but… _

_ (…) _

She rested her hand on Zack’s shoulder as his brow furrowed in his sleep.  _ I feel like I should. Like something’s…going to happen.  _ She gently shook his shoulder. “Sweetie,” she murmured. 

“Urgh…” He yawned and rolled over, spooning next to Cloud on the other side. “No, no you can’t…I’m not goin’ to work…”

Aerith couldn’t help but smile. “It’s Saturday, hon. You don’t have to.”

“Whaaaat?” He craned his neck over, blue eyes slits. “Oh,  _ sweet…”  _

She giggled and kissed his bare shoulder. “You can sleep if you wanna,” she said, using the lack of friction from her slip to slide out of bed. “But I’m going to head over to see how Angeal’s doing.”

“Mmm…” Zack rolled over again, tugging on the edge of her slip to stop her from going any further. “I’ll…come with.” 

“Yeah?” Aerith’s eyes flickered back over to Cloud, who was still fast asleep in his sliver of the bed. She glanced back down to Zack, spiked hair a bedhead mess on his head. “All right. We’ll get ready.” 

Zack towered over her as he rolled out of the bed, stretching up and using the ceiling for resistance. “Mm, should I wake him up?” he asked, dropping his arms down around her shoulders.

She shook her head. “He hasn’t been getting much sleep since you’ve been away,” she replied, resting her head on his chest. “Tifa told me the same. Let him sleep in.” 

Zack stroked her head idly, head tilted as he watched Cloud roll over to take up more room in the now empty bed. “‘Kay,” he said. With a heavy sigh, he let his arms slip off her before wandering out of the bedroom, immediately into the bathroom. 

Aerith peeled off her slip and began looking for a change of clothes.  _ Yeah, probably better if it’s just the two of us,  _ she thought.  _ Otherwise, it’ll just be another crowd. Who knows who’ll be there already… _

* * *

 

_ “What?”  _ Zack exclaimed. “What do you mean, you wanna go into the garden? It’s fall, dude. And it’s cold out there…” 

Angeal chuckled, weak and raspy. “I know, but…” his eyes, now completely brown, wandered to the door at the back of the church. “Last time I…last time  _ we  _ were here, they hadn’t boarded it up. And I haven’t--” 

He cut himself off with a heaving cough, although he barely had the strength to even get it out. Zack and Genesis exchanged a look, and he noticed Genesis looked about as tense as he felt.  _ God damn, this is hard,  _ he thought.  _ I’ve barely gotten a chance to see him all week, and then when I  _ do  _ come by… _

Angeal finally picked up his sentence. “…Haven’t gotten any fresh air since I’ve been here.”

“You really want the morning frost?” Genesis mumbled, then crossed his arms. “Fuck’s sake…” 

“I’m not hooked up to anything, and Elmyra’s not here to scold, so…” Angeal drummed his now bony fingers against the fabric of the scratchy looking blanket against his chest. “I'd go myself if I could…” 

Zack sighed and looked back at Aerith, who was hanging back.  _ She’s not saying anything, so…  _ He shrugged. “Oh, what the hell.” He made his way to the back of the cot and pushed it out from against the wall so he could grip the bottom. “Gimme a hand, Gen?” 

Genesis nodded, and grabbed the bars of the other end. They lifted it up together, although Zack jerked it with overcompensation. “Sheesh, I could carry you myself,” he remarked. He maneuvered him out of the corner with ease. “Hon, could you get the door?”

Angeal chuckled. “You always could, you just never tried,” he replied, while Aerith scurried ahead to open the door to the back of the church. Instantly, a cool breeze flooded out, prickling goosebumps on the back of his neck.  _ Is this really a good idea? It’s chilly today… _

They carried him out into the back of the church, and with Genesis leading, set him square into the sunlight that was pouring in from the large hole in the ceiling. Instead of wooden floors, they were cobblestone and cement, with moss and grass poking up from the cracks. In front of them was a modest garden, filled with purple, yellow, and white flowers. A couple of stakes were at either end, with vines of morning glories wrapped up in them, blooming toward the morning sun. Most of the other flowers had wilted slightly, but were perky enough to show their colors, even in the cold. The stained glass in one window at the very head of the church was broken almost in two, but still had faint colors of red, green, and blue, creating a kaleidoscope shadow below them. 

“God, I remember that time you fell in, Zack,” Angeal commented with a wheeze. He tried to point up at the hole in the ceiling, but barely managed to lift a finger. “Didn’t you fall right in the garden?”

“Oh, yeah,” Zack said, looking up. Pale blue filtered in, with wispy clouds scattering above. “There was a hole before, but they never boarded it up right, and I was fighting real hard, so…down I went.” 

“I had a beautiful, pink flowerbed that year,” Aerith commented from the doorway. “And you went ahead and  _ mashed  _ it.” 

Zack stuck her tongue out at her. “Well, I met a beautiful flower that day,” he replied. “So, I think it was worth it.”

She scrunched her face and blew him a kiss. He caught it with one hand, then slipped it in his pocket.  _ That seems like a while ago, now,  _ Zack thought, retreating into silence.  _ A lot’s changed since then… _

He looked back down at Angeal’s gaunt, tired face, soaking up the cold sun. His heart sank.  _ A lot.  _

Genesis, in only a t-shirt, rubbed his arms with a frown. “You’re gonna catch a cold out here,” he muttered sourly. “Thought I heard someone say you had a fever the other night--”

“Ey now,” Angeal dismissed. “You’re the one who went out and shoved your face into a snowbank one time when you were tripping too hard. I don’t wanna hear it.” 

He wrinkled his nose. “Fuck you,” he hissed.

Angeal laughed, although it was a shadow of its former sound. “That’s better…”

The wind whistling through the hollow opening was only barely enough sound to fill the heavy silence that settled among them.  _ Why did he ask to come out here?  _ Zack thought  _ Why now, in the morning, in the cold? He could’ve asked anytime… _

A sniffling caught his attention, and Zack glanced over to Genesis’ face rapidly crumpling.  _ He’s been here every God damn day.  _ He had to look away, and chose to down at the flowers.  _ I wanna be pissed. I still am. But, seeing him crack like this is…even worse. They’ve been friends for a long time, haven’t they?  _

_ (“Gen and I have been playing together since we were kids. Just in school stuff…” He pointed to the wall just above Sephiroth--on it was a framed picture of a much younger Angeal and Genesis, against a red curtain wearing black dress shirts. Angeal’s arm was around Genesis with his drumsticks in one hand, and both of them were laughing…) _

Zack swallowed.  _ Yeah… _

Angeal took a wheezing breath, then spoke. “Y’know, I really…really am glad you guys are here,” he said. His eyes rolled to Genesis first. “My best friend.” Then, over to Zack. Despite it seeming like an effort to keep them open, they were still filled with earnest honesty. “My brother-in-arms.” 

Zack bit his cheek hard. “A-Angeal…”  _ No, no I don’t…I don’t want this to be the end.  _

Genesis couldn’t hold back any longer--he gasped in air like he was drowning. He had a hand over his mouth, and his face lowered just enough so that his fringe bangs were covering his eyes.  “Hey, you,” Angeal said. “Cut that out.” 

He shook his head. “ _ ‘F-fates are…cruel…’”  _

“Oh, don’t give me that again,” Angeal groaned. Character still danced in his voice, and Zack couldn’t help but snort to himself. “I wish I could go back in time and nab that terrible book from your hands before you could fixate on it.” 

Genesis only shook his head, bowing it more. 

Angeal sighed, staring down at the flowers as they rustled in the wind. Then, he raised his eyebrows. “Hey, Gen,” he said. He shifted his shoulders to settle himself on the cot, then closed his eyes. “Remember…remember that time you tried to…grow weed in my mom’s garden? Back when we were kids?” 

Somehow, this was enough to raise Genesis’ head, to make him smirk as he rubbed his eyes. “Oh,  _ fuck,”  _ he said with a shaky laugh. “I thought I had the  _ best  _ fuckin’ idea.” He started to pace alongside the cot, gesturing as he spoke. “I got these buds in, and like…it was on the weekend, I just showed up at your house, and started digging in the side of your garden, half-blazed like usual. ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ you said to me, and nearly yanked me out. I said something…something stupid, like ‘oh, I’m planting flowers’. You were onto me though, you always were…”

He snickered, and kept going in spite of himself, each phrase rolling into the next, echoing around the dilapidated church. “And then later, when I was at your place next time, you dragged me over and made me help you plant  _ real  _ flowers, in place of the dirt I fucked up. I swear, nothing fucking grew there. I’ve got a God damn black thumb, that’s for sure. I could never even grow weed in my  _ own  _ house, with one of those sun lamps. I-I caught on to one of the things you taught me--I can’t cook, but I can fuckin’ bake.”

“Sure you can,” Zack couldn’t help but comment. 

Genesis glared at him, spirit returned. “Uh-huh. But  _ really,”  _ he continued. “Hey, Ange, remember when I first tried helping you and your mom in the kitchen? We were baking some kind of--oh yeah, apple pie. Duh, I brought over the apples from my estate…I kept dumping them in the trash trying to peel the damn things…and then…th-then…” 

As his gaze returned to Angeal in the cot, he trailed off. “Angeal?” he said, very, very quietly. 

His eyes were still closed, a small smirk on his face, hands clasped over his chest. But, his body was still. Even Zack could tell.  _ Oh, no,  _ he thought.  _ Oh, God, no… _

“A-Angeal?” Genesis asked again, returning right to the side of the cot. He knelt down beside it, eyes huge. “Angeal…” 

Zack covered his mouth.  _ He’s not breathing.  _ The wind from above seemed to howl in his ears, still not overwhelming the sound of his own heartbeat, jarring in his chest. His throat stung, and his shoulders began to shake.  _ No, no, no, no… _

“Angeal? Angeal!” Genesis grew louder, shuddering as he grasped his limp hand.  _ “Angeal!”  _

His shouts disintegrated into sobbing, collapsing into his chest as his back heaved and shook. Barely muffled by Angeal’s chest, it still seemed to resonate in the heart of the church.  _ He’s gone,  _ Zack thought, suddenly dizzy.  _ He’s gone.  _

_ D-damn it… _

Words resurfaced, muffled as they were, from Genesis. “N-no, A-A-Angeal,  _ please!”  _ he cried. “Don’t go, don’t go, don’t  _ go!”  _

Zack flinched as a hand touched his arm, turning into two arms around his. Aerith was right at his side, lip quivering as well.  _ She knows, too. Baby knows everything, so…so…it has to be true. Even though…I don’t want it to be.  _

He felt his body trudge away from her, and walk to the edge of the cot, opposite the side where Genesis was. He knelt down at his side, with a hand on his forehead. The sun had risen enough to shine light directly on his face as Zack smoothed back his thinned hair. His other hand played with the feather necklace around his neck.  _ Angeal… _

“R-rest easy, brother,” he muttered, only heard by him, as Genesis drowned him out with his crying.

_ (wings represent freedom for those who have none) _

He swallowed hard, stray tears fleeing down his face. “You’re…free.” 

* * *

 

_ “Well, you say you’ll be fine, when you walk out that door. _ __   
_ Oh, will it be easy to see me no more? _ __   
_ Will you be fine? Are you complete? Say you’ll survive… _ _   
_ __ Down endless street…”

[ “Down Endless Street”, Fleetwood Mac,  _ Family Man  _ (single) ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtTh_MGXIZg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest in peace, Angeal. 
> 
> I wrote this all in one go on Easter morning, how about that. I teared up a few times…I know "Down Endless Street" is a bit jaunty, but the lyrics are…they caught me right for this scene. I'm planning on recording something a little more low key to match the mood when I get a chance to. I'll link it here when it's ready. 
> 
> This is _not_ the end of the story, not by any stretch. According to my web, we have at least 16 chapters left to go. We're going to make it through together--Zack and the others, and us readers and author as well. In fact, I'm going to add a chapter I didn't quite plan for next: we're going to read some letters next time. Stay tuned!


	73. Letters

Back at Zack and Aerith’s apartment, the four sat squeezed on the couch, staring down at the coffee table. Tifa was on the far end, followed by Cloud, Zack squeezed in the middle, and Aerith on the other end. Cloud and Aerith stayed as close to Zack as they could, as he rubbed his eyes for the thousandth time that evening. “So,” he said. “These are for us?” 

Four envelopes laid on the table, each with their corresponding names written on the front in Angeal’s handwriting, all in dark blue pen. Aerith nodded. “Yeah,” she replied, rubbing Zack’s arm. “There was a bunch of other stuff in that envelope too, all labeled…but a lot of it was for Genesis.” She sighed. “Looked like…legal stuff, or something…”

“H-he knew,” Zack mumbled, voice watery. “H-he knew he was gonna die…”

Cloud hugged his arm tighter. “Shh…” 

Zack lurched forward, elbows on his knees, and threw his face in his hands. “D-damn it, he  _ knew!”  _ he huffed, back shaking. “Th-that’s why h-he had all this stuff…h-he probably had his whole God damn  _ funeral  _ packed in there…”

Having been ripped from Zack’s arm, Aerith chose to rub his back in place of it. “Y-yeah,” she replied. “Judging by how…empty Genesis looked going through that thing, I…wouldn’t be surprised.”

“He was there too?” Cloud said. His cyan eyes cast down and away. “I-I would’ve woke up, if…if I had known…”

“No, don’t worry about it, hon,” Aerith soothed. “I don’t think he would’ve liked it too crowded…”

Zack sat back up and sniffled again, choking back a hiccup. “W-welp, l-let’s…see what these are, then.” He grabbed all of the envelopes in one sweep, then shuffled through them. “Okay…Cloud, this one’s for you…Aerith. Tifa…a-and mine.” 

The four stared at their letters for a moment, shared a glance among each other, then tore into them.

* * *

 

_ Tifa, _

_ I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but I figured it’d only be fair to give you a send-off, too. You’ve been a really great student picking up drums like that. I had a feeling you would. When I saw you at our first gig at the kit, I could’ve sworn you had played before.  _

_ You’ve picked it up pretty well. Damn well. I’m happy for that. I know playing with those clowns isn’t easy, but when they’re on…they’re  _ on.  _ Sephiroth’s mighty talented, and Genesis…I’ve been playing with him for years, and he’s only gotten better since I first met him. I think you’re pretty well acquainted with Zack already--he’s a ball of energy, but he’s on point, and he makes it fun. More fun than it usually is, with how serious Seph can be… _

_ I’m not going to be around much longer. When you read this, I’ll already be gone. I’ve been sick for awhile, and my time’s pretty much up. I’ve got a favor to ask of you--I know it’s a lot, but I want you to stick with those guys for just a little bit longer. You probably only wanted to be a sub, just to jam out every once in awhile on some tunes, but that’s not going to be the case. It doesn’t have to be forever, but…just until they get back on their feet. This is going to shake them up for who knows how long.  _

_ Sephiroth will be difficult to deal with. You’ve already seen that. Zack’s going to be a mess, I know. Pup wears his heart right on his sleeve, and he’s not afraid to show it. Genesis will probably be the worst. I thought maybe he’d warm up to you, but he’s a stubborn bastard with a huge chip on his shoulder. He’s got a lot going on in his own head, and now that I’m gone…it’s not going to be any better. All I ask is that you be patient with him. You’re going to want to walk out and scream, but…I hope he’ll shape up for you.  _

_ I’ve got some stuff left for you at my place. Gen has the details on that, after some formalities have been squared away.  _

_ Take care of yourself, girl. You’ve been a joy to work with. I’ll be seeing you. _

__ \- Angeal _ _

* * *

 

 

_ Cloud, _

_ You’re one lucky bastard, you know that? Not everyone gets wrapped up in Hojo’s sick mess and makes it out alive and unharmed. For the most part, I know. I’m sure you’ll look like you’ve got mako eye for years to come, but you’re still kicking. And still heading for 1st.  _

_ You’ve been one of my favorite SOLDIER to train out there. You don’t mess around, you listen to instructions, and you’re not some flashy show-off like  _ some  _ of those others. Most people cut from your cloth wouldn’t bother for 1st. And most people I wouldn’t recommend taking the plunge. I’m glad you are though. We need more people like you in the 1st-class black.  _

_ I hate to say it, but I’m probably not going to be back on base to finish out your training. I wish I could, but I  _ did  _ get wrapped up in Hojo’s experiments, and even though he’s dead, his crooked hand still got me in the end. I’ll be gone by the time you read this. I don’t know if posthumus SOLDIER rec’s carry any weight, but I’ll try to send one up the line for you just in case. You’re not ready right now--you need way more endurance training--but for the future. They’ll need someone to replace me, anyway, and it sure as hell isn’t going to be Genesis.  _

_ Keep an eye on Zack for me, okay? I know you two are close, and he loves you right to death. Make sure he doesn’t dwell on this, and that he knows it isn’t his fault. I didn’t get to see too much of him while you were sick, but the before and after was more than enough. He worries, and he wears his heart right on his sleeve, so…make sure he’s taken care of. There’s only so much I can do.  _

_ When the time comes, ask Zack if there’s anything for you in my stuff. I don’t think there’s much, but maybe a few trinkets. He’ll be over at my apartment to clean it out. _

_ Always keep working toward your goal, and never give up on your dreams. I don’t have to tell you that twice, though, do I? I’ve always felt that from you since I met you. Don’t underestimate yourself--you’re strong, and you should be proud of how far you’ve come in such a short time.  _

_ Take it easy, future 1st-class. I’ll be seeing you. _

__ \- Angeal _ _

* * *

 

 

_ Aerith, _

_ I must’ve heard your name a thousand times before I actually met you. I knew what you looked like before I even saw you--that’s how much your boyfriend babbled about you on base. Every other day, it was “my girlfriend” this, and “Aerith that”. That probably doesn’t surprise you, does it? Zack sure is something. But that’s why we love him, isn’t it? _

_ It was so fun to hear you sing at that one rehearsal. You’ve really got style for it. I understand if you don’t want to make it a career, especially in a band that the world’s largest ego leads, but you’ve got talent. I know you like Fleetwood Mac--shame we couldn’t get them to play any of that stuff. Maybe with Tifa in line, you can sway them a little more. Here’s a hint: if you can show Sephiroth a nice, technically complicated solo, he’ll be all over it. Bonus if it’s got a fancy bass line (for Gen).  _

_ I’m honestly surprised you haven’t caught me at the church yet, getting meds for my HIV, but it’s probably only a matter of time. I don’t have much of it left, and I’m heading there for the rest of my time here. I’ll be gone by the time you’re reading this. That church was one of the first landmarks I knew about when I moved here for SOLDIER--sitting in those pews, staring at the stained glass, waiting for Genesis to come to after finding him in a gutter. I’d rather be there than cooped up in one of Shinra’s hospitals.  _

_ I don’t need to ask you this, only to reiterate, but take good care of Zack for me. Not sure if he feels the same way, but he was like a little brother I never had. I hate to see him moping around because I’m gone, even though…I know it’s going to be really tough on him. He had those star-struck eyes at me for so long--hell, sometimes, I think he still does. He’s going to want to try and fix this, but the truth is…there’s nothing that can be fixed. Maybe way back, when all of this stuff first happened to me…but now, it’s just been a matter of when. Happens to all of us, someday, but…I’ve just got to clock out early.  _

_ You two are fantastic, and I know you can get through anything together. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see you two together to the end. I hear there’s four of you now, all living together. You’ll all take care of each other, I know it.  _

_ I’ve got some albums and maybe some other things back at my place for you. Ask Zack for them when the time comes, after the formalities are settled up. _

_ Thanks for everything, sweetheart. Your spunk always lightened up practices, and any place you stopped by. I’ll be seeing you. _

__ \- Angeal _ _

* * *

 

 

_ Zack, _

_ Hard to believe it’s been five years since you came on board. Or has it been six? Around that time, I remember Genesis poking fun at me, because I hadn’t bonded with any of my trainees. Mind you, we hadn’t been 1st for very long. “So, when are you gonna find your 2nd?” he always would ask. He had Sephiroth, and you know how that went. I ignored him, for the most part. Like I tended to do.  _

_ You were the tallest and most lively in that bunch of standards. So, I kept an eye on you. All through your trials and tribulations through 3rd and 2nd class. I remember when you came in late with lipstick smeared on your collar--you got dumped that night, and I still made you run laps for curfew penalty. I can still picture that crestfallen face. You were a puppy then, and you’re still a puppy now. _

_ A lot’s changed since then, though, hasn’t it? _

_ You’ve climbed the ranks, grown your hair out, joined our little jam band and our club. Like I told you before, I’d hoped you’d never get one of those feathers…but I knew if you were going to, it was going to come from me. You’ve even got a girlfriend, someone to come home to like you always wanted. When are you going to marry her, anyway? You’ve got my support.  _

_ Zack, I’m not going to be around much longer. I told you we were experimented on back when we were 2nds, but I never told you what. Gen and I both got the HIV virus, and then AIDS. We were both on limited time, for such a long time, and for me, it’s already up. I’ll already be gone by the time you read this.  _

_ I’m hoping that this is the first you’ll hear of it, but I know that’s wishful thinking. Someone’s going to find out, and then it’ll spread, and it’ll get to you. And you’ll fret, and you’ll worry…if what happened to Cloud is anything to gauge by. You’re going to be upset, and there’s nothing I can do about that…but I don’t want it to get you down forever. These things happen, sometimes to the best of us. Sometimes there are miracles, but sometimes…life’s just got to take its course.  _

_ I think I know why I narrowed my focus on you, back in the day. Usually, when I make my speech about honor and dreams, a lot of kids don’t buy it. They want fame, they want money, they want power…they want whatever they want out of SOLDIER. But you…you believed me. You said, “yes! I’ll fight for honor and dreams!” Even when I was beginning to believe that those couldn’t be found anywhere in Shinra or SOLDIER… _

_ …you proved me wrong.  _

_ Take care of yourself, and take care of the guys, too. Genesis will be suffering the most. We were friends for a decade and a half, and he’s probably already giving you a hard time with me not around. He’s going to be selfish and an asshole--don’t cut him much slack, but go easy on him. He’s got a lot of baggage as it is.  _

_ There’s a bunch of stuff over at my apartment for you. Gen will give you a call once some of the formalities are squared away. But, most importantly…they’re going to want to bury me with my sword, the Buster Sword. It’s been in my family for generations. I’ve got no living family left…so, I want you to take it. You’re the closest to a brother that I ever had, and you deserve it more than anyone. Don’t let that thing rust in a casket with me. Use it. It’s yours.  _

_ I’m glad I got to spend the time I did with you, pup. To train you, to play with you, to fight with you…it’s been an honor. Don’t let time pass you by--you’ve still got a lot of life to live, and out of anyone, I want to make sure  _ you  _ live it to the fullest.  _

_ I love you, brother. Keep being you. I’ll be seeing you. _

__ \- Angeal _ _

* * *

 

 

By the time they were done reading, all of them were leaning in on each other. Zack tossed his letter on the table and wrapped both of his arms around Aerith and Cloud on either side of him, tears in his eyes.  _ God… _

“A-Angeal…” Tifa whimpered, tucked close to Cloud. 

“We’re…gonna miss you,” Cloud said, voice quivering.

“S-sure are,” Aerith sniffled. She tilted her head up to kiss the tears away from Zack’s face. “Damn it, w-we’re gonna have a funeral to go to, too…”

“Yeah, n-no shit,” Zack muttered, swallowing with a click in his throat. “I’ll…h-have to check in about that…w-with someone--”

“Not now,” Aerith said firmly, then her voice cracked. “Not now…let’s just…be here.” 

The group sighed together, and sat in each other’s company in the relative quiet, as time passed without them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter? Within the day? You'd better believe it. This story has possessed me. 
> 
> Angeal wrote these out before he went "on leave". Yes, he was very prepared, and we'll see the extent of that in the coming chapters. I may put up the letters he wrote for Seph and Gen on the meta blog, but…there'll be something close to that in a coming flash, at least for Gen. 
> 
> Next chapter, we're going to a funeral. Sorry about that. Stay tuned.


	74. Banora

Angeal Hewley died several months before his 30th birthday. Within the week, the funeral was held. 

It was a smaller affair than Cloud expected, as he stood at the foot of an apple tree on a sunny day in Banora. Several Turks were there, as well as Zack, Sephiroth, and Genesis, all joining him in uniform. Aerith and Tifa were at either side of him, both in black dresses.  _ Banora, where he grew up,  _ he thought, staring over the orchard that extended for miles beyond them. Behind them was a mansion on a hill, looming like a spectre over the orchard.  _ That’s…Genesis’ childhood home. Apparently, Angeal’s was… _

_ (As the group pulled up to the mansion, Genesis got out first, and ran down the road to an empty lot. “Hey, where are you going?” Zack called. “Isn’t the orchard this way?”  _

_ “Gen!” Sephiroth called after him. _

_ Aerith and Tifa held back, but Cloud couldn’t help but follow in Zack’s shadow as he rushed after Genesis. When they caught up to him, Genesis was staring at the barren ground, mouth open. “I-it’s…” he muttered. “This was…his house. It’s gone.”  _

_ Sephiroth rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry…” _

_ “They just…gone. F-fuck.” He shook his head, and coughed out a sound that might have been a laugh. “Is there anything going to be left of him…?”) _

Aerith’s feet in the crunching leaves drew his attention back to his surroundings. In the present, there was a gravestone beneath an apple tree. Behind it, was Angeal’s sword, standing up with its blade lodged in the ground. The casket was freshly covered with dirt, and the gravestone read:

“ANGEAL N. HEWLEY   
1968 - 1997   
SOLDIER 1st-CLASS   
_ A beloved friend.” _

She held a bouquet of flowers in her hands, and rested them at the foot of the gravestone. She sighed and cupped her hand over her mouth before returning to the group. She rushed to Tifa and hugged her abruptly, burying her head in her shoulder. “Hon…” Tifa murmured, holding her. 

Murmuring wandered behind them, noise washed in the rustling of the yellow and orange leaves of the apple trees. Zack lingered at the edge of the four, encouraging the traffic of those coming and going. The first of which was Laguna, patting his back. Cloud watched as he flinched, trying to smooth his face. “Ah, hey…” Zack said, smirking weakly. “Didn’t think you could get away from your post…”

“One day isn’t going to kill me,” he muttered with a sigh. “I wouldn’t have even known if I didn’t catch it in the paper. It was just a little bit at the end of the obituaries.” He shook his head. “Damn…”

_ Wonder who put it in,  _ Cloud thought.  _ Zack didn’t do anything like that. He hasn’t been up to much of anything lately… _

“I’m sorry,” Laguna said. “He would always talk about you when the summits came around. You were always his favorite…” 

“Y-yeah,” Zack managed to say. He answered the touch with an accompanying one to his back, a pat that also pushed him away. “G-glad you came by.” 

Laguna only nodded. “Hang in there.”

Zack stared at the ground while Laguna walked away. Cloud leaned back, watching the seas of black attire and military garb part and disperse, back to the black hearses that awaited them.  _ This all feels…so surreal,  _ he thought, vision dulling to soft focus.  _ I keep thinking…that I’m going to see Angeal among all of them.  _

_ But, he’s the reason why…why we’re here.  _

Sephiroth and Genesis approached the grave together, on the other side of Zack. While Genesis made no eye contact with anyone, only to his feet, Sephiroth visually acknowledged the entire party. “I was surprised at the turnout,” he said. “He didn’t have much family to speak of.”

“We’re it,” Zack replied. “W-we…we’re…”

He covered his face with his arm, and Aerith had recovered enough to hug him around his waist. Within a moment, he shook her away, and staggered forward toward the gravestone.

“Honey, wait,” she said. “That ground is soft, you’re gonna sink right in…”

He wasn’t deterred, boots making indents on the fresh dirt as he knelt before it. He ran his fingers over the engraved letters, fresh and new. “I miss you already,” Zack warbled. “Y-you told me to…keep my chin up, but I’m…it’s so…”

He sniffled and shook his head. Cloud itched to reach out to him, to kneel by his side, but Aerith held him back.  _ Let him be,  _ her eyes told him, emerald green like the spring that had passed them by. Cloud bit his lip.  _ I should,  _ he answered with a look before returning his gaze to him.  _ But, I… _

“It’s so  _ hard,  _ man,” Zack continued, his fist balling at the grave. “You knew…you knew for so  _ long,  _ and now…I-I wish…I could’ve  _ helped  _ you…” His breath hitched. “But what could I have done? Christ, I’m just…I’m nothing when it comes to that…I can’t bring back the dead. If I could, you’d still be here--!” 

His composure crumbled as he hunched over, slamming his fist in the dirt.  _ “Why!  _ Why, damn it--!” he cried. “I keep thinkin’ I’m going to see you at rehearsal, I’m gonna see you in the halls! W-we were all supposed to go see you play in a jazz club! Y-you promised!  _ You promised!”  _

Cloud’s heart seized in his chest, and he held his arms while he played with the feather hanging off his gloves between his fingers. Everyone else’s emotions were impossible to discern, paling in comparison to Zack’s sobs. He did see that both Sephiroth and Genesis were wearing their feathers on their ears, the black fitting for the occasion. 

As if he heard his observation, Zack lifted his own feather necklace in his fist and held it in front of his face. He let the feather dangle in front of the grave, right at where Angeal’s name was. “Y-you gave me…th-this feather…” he muttered. “Y-you…n-now you’re really…really the one with wings, hah…” 

He choked a laugh, then stared up at the sky, face wet from his tears. “How does it feel, buddy?” he asked the sky. “How’s it feel to fly? Those wings…w-wings…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I-I want them too…I want them too, so I can f-fly with you…” 

Genesis flinched, and both Cloud and Sephiroth’s eyes darted toward him. He shivered for a moment, but said nothing. 

“You…you told me…not to be sad, b-but I gotta be…just for a little bit…” Zack said, voice hitching. He gasped a couple times, holding the feather up into the air, then letting it drop back down to his chest. “J-just…a-ah…”

His head followed quickly, and he staggered to his feet, knees covered in dirt. He wiped his nose on his arm, then glanced back at the group. “S-stand back, guys…” he advised. “I’m gonna…I’m…” 

Instinctively, Cloud took a couple steps back, and the rest of the group followed suit. Zack reached out, toward the sword shoved behind the grave, and placed both of his hands on the handle. He took a deep breath in, and as he let it out, he yanked the sword up and out. He used more gusto than needed, as the force of it shuffled him back, but he stood in profile to the group as he held the enormous blade up to his face. “Not as heavy as I thought,” he mused with a chuckle. 

The look faded into one more somber, and he closed his eyes. Cloud found himself holding his breath as he watched him, muscles tight to keep from moving. Zack was breathing evenly, lips moving as if he were uttering a silent prayer, known only to him.  _ Angeal tended to use one of the company swords when he trained us,  _ Cloud thought,  _ but always kept this one--the Buster Sword--on his back. He’d only use it to prove a point… _

_ (With one hand, Angeal reached behind him and brought the Buster Sword crashing down on the 2nd-class’ own sword. The clang resulting from it resonated in Cloud’s ears, and he covered them up with a wince. When he opened his eyes, the 2nd’s sword was cut clean in two.  _

_ “Don’t be careless,” Angeal said. “Don’t sacrifice precision for speed. Go back and get another one.” He rose out of his follow-through, holstering the huge broadsword, as tall as he was, on his back. “All right, next!”  _

_ The wide-eyed group of 2nd’s didn’t dare to move…) _

Zack opened his eyes, more focused than before. He tossed the sword to readjust it to a one-handed grip, then spun it in front of him. Once, twice, then three times, each time faster, each time creating a swift  _ woosh  _ in the air. On the last twirl, it raised high above his head, then attached it to his back, clicking with the strong magnet at the back of the suspenders on his uniform. He raised his head to the sky. “I’ll keep ‘er safe,” he said.

There was a smile on his face, and it was enough to relax the rest of the group--Cloud could feel it in Tifa’s hand, and watched it in her shoulders, as well as Aerith’s and Sephiroth’s, subtle as it was. Genesis remained tense and still, a distant look in his eyes. When Cloud scanned back to Zack, his smile had stretched too wide, forcing his head back down.  _ Zack… _

Zack furiously rubbed his eyes once again with his whole arm. “Fuck,  _ fuck,”  _ he cursed, shuffling away from the grave. “I-I just…God  _ damn  _ it…” 

“Here,” Cloud murmured, stretching his arms out. “C’mere…” 

He hesitated as he came over to him, as a stern faced blond man came up to them.  _ Oh, shit,  _ Cloud thought, freezing.  _ That’s the… _

Sephiroth raised his head. “President Shinra,” he muttered. 

He approached them with his hands behind his back, donning a black suit. “1st-class Cetra,” he replied, scanning the group. “Rhapsodos. Fair. 2nd-class Strife. Ladies.” 

A peculiar silence settled over them, feeling more quiet than earlier. It didn’t last long, as President Shinra cleared his throat. “It’s a shame,” he said. “We lost one of our best trainers in the company. It will be difficult to replace him.”

“R-replace…” Genesis uttered under his breath. His fists began to shake. “You…you…”

Sephiroth snapped his hand down and gripped his wrist.  _ “Don’t.”  _

Shinra barely acknowledged this. “I was going to pull someone from Junon. But, on second thought…” he said, peering down. “I think I will leave it up to you, 1sts.” 

“Y-yes, sir,” Zack replied, still sniffling. 

“We can manage for now, but if you have any 2nds in mind, I would like to hear about it,” he continued. The end of his sentence hung, but he took a moment to stare down at the grave, almost studying it. Then, with a heavy sigh, he returned to himself. “At any rate, I will see you all on Monday.” 

“Monday?” Sephiroth asked. “Today is Wednesday.” 

“That’s right,” Shinra replied. “Even with 1st-class Rhapsodos’  _ continued _ absence…” His tone took an edge, one that made Cloud flinch, but Genesis did not. “…I believe all of you need the time to grieve.” 

“Th-thank you,” Zack choked out. “Thanks…”

With a nod, President Shinra turned on his heel and walked away, toward a couple of Turks that were waiting for him next to another hearse. As he did, Aerith tapped on Zack’s shoulder. “Do you need more time?” she asked gently. 

“Nah, i-it’s okay. Might…tool up here on the bike sometime, with this time off,” he replied, looking around. “It’s not too far of a ride. Reminds me of home, without the mountains…” 

_ You should rest,  _ Cloud thought, slipping his hand into Zack’s, right at his side.  _ You’re the one who had to work…what was it, four? Five doubles, right in a row? And then with his passing, too…mako can keep you on your feet, but…you need to recover. _

_ (I want to take care of you _

_ like you did for me…) _

“It’s getting late,” Sephiroth said. Indeed, the sun was just starting to set over the hillside, washing yellowy orange across the orchard. “We shall be going.”

“All right. Be seein’ you, Seph,” Zack replied with a limp wave of his hand.

“I will let both of you know when we start rehearsals again.” 

“Sure.” 

Sephiroth, still with a hand on Genesis’ wrist, turned to leave, although Genesis stayed put, right where he was. “Gen. C’mon.”

He shook his head. “Not ready,” he mumbled. “G-gimme a minute.” 

With a brief sneer, Sephiroth sighed and let him go. “Fine. I will be waiting at the car.”

He hurried away, silver hair flowing at his back. Zack squeezed Cloud’s hand, and wrapped an arm around Aerith, who had slipped to his other side. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said. Then, louder: “We’ll give you some space, Gen.” 

_ He probably needs it,  _ Cloud thought, sticking close to Zack as they walked out of the orchard, under the shade of the apple trees.  _ He looks like he flatlined as soon as the service started, and hasn’t said much since.  _ “H-hey,” he asked. “Do you think…I’ll get the day off?”

“I dunno. I think the offer was for us 1sts,” Zack sighed. “I mean, you’ll only be patrolling if we aren’t there, probably, so I don’t think it’d hurt. It’ll eat at your vacation time, though…” 

“I-I get vacation time?” 

“Sure you do,” he chuckled. “Not as much as  _ me,  _ but--”

“Oh, you always forget to use it!” Aerith exclaimed, checking him with her hip. “Then you’re like, ‘oops, it’s December, looks like I’m taking the next three weeks off before Christmas…’”

Zack laughed, a sound that eased Cloud’s heart. “Hey, that ain’t a bad thing…is it?” 

“Well, I can’t  _ enjoy  _ it as much, since the church gets busy right around that time--we do a food drive, then there are services, too, even besides what we do with the sanctuary…”

Their light chatter continued, and on his other side, Tifa took his arm. “He’ll be all right,” she murmured into his ear. 

Cloud nodded. “I know.”  _ It’ll take some time, but…he will. We all will be.  _

Above them, a flock of birds swarmed overhead. They congregated in the apple tree above Angeal’s grave, twittering and squawking among themselves. Then, a breeze blew them up and away, careening down toward the ground before fluttering sky high to their next destination. 

_ Yeah,  _ Cloud thought with one last look toward the orchard,  _ we will. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Another shorter chapter. Knowing how the scenes play out lend to a more concise way of telling them. 
> 
> I don't have much for this chapter, as far as notes are concerned. I think this is the first time we've seen President Rufus Shinra, at least [in the main story.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/156696227366/the-first-incident) Next time, I'm thinking we'll spend some time at home with the gang. Whether we do more than that in one update, I've yet to see. Stay tuned!


	75. Distractions

Zack sat up in bed, clock flashing 7:30 at him, and rubbed his eyes.  _ I don’t need to be awake,  _ he thought.  _ I can sleep in if I want to. If I were getting any sleep. Damn it.  _

He scratched his stomach and scooted back down into the bed, rolling over to spoon Cloud.  _ I was upset at the funeral, but now I just feel…really blank. I keep thinking that I’m gonna go into work on Monday, and I’ll catch up with him. But, I’m not.  _

_ (Aerith held him on the couch. “There’s nothing you can do,” she murmured, rubbing his back as he shook. “I know it’s hard, but if you dwell on it--” _

_ “Why  _ not?!”  _ he snapped, face in his hands. “Why not…I-I just wanna…I just--” _

_ “Shh…” As soothing as her hush was, it still sounded strained. “Take a deep breath…”) _

Zack rolled over and stared up at the ceiling.  _ Maybe she’s right. I  _ shouldn’t  _ dwell on it. It’s only gonna make it worse. But I can’t…help it.  _

_ (“…my brother-in-arms…”) _

In response to his shifting, Cloud turned over too, snuggling close against him and wrapping an arm across his bare chest. _ How can you just act like everything’s okay? I just feel like there’s a big hole, now… _

_ Fuck. I’m dwelling again.  _

He felt pressure on his chest, and glanced over. “Babe…?” he muttered.

“Mmn…” Cloud groaned, scooting himself up. “Go back to sleep…”

Zack chuckled. “No,  _ you  _ go back to sleep,” he replied. He scooted down in the bed to be eye level with Cloud, even though the latter’s eyes were barely slits in the dark. “It’s early…”

“But you’re awake.” Cloud’s voice was a muddled mumble, yet still voiced concern through his sleepy haze. He even opened one eye fully. “Could you…did you sleep?”

“A little,” Zack replied.  _ Not lying there.  _

Cloud hummed again, then made a tremendous effort to scoot himself up on the bed. When he got there, he brought Zack’s head against his chest, tangling his fingers through his long, dark hair. “‘Mm here…” he sang quietly. “I love you…”

Zack smiled and hugged him right along his hips. He lifted up his pajama shirt just enough to play his fingers at the small of his back.  _ You tend to get like this when you’re sleepy,  _ he thought, ear against his heart. It was slow and steady.  _ It’s a “you” that not a lot of people get to see. I’m…awful lucky to see it… _

_ You make me feel safe.  _

He bit his lip and rubbed his nose into his chest. “I love you,” he replied in a whisper, kissing his heart over his shirt.  _ Funny, I feel drowsy again… _

_ I could sleep some more… _

* * *

 

“Hey, guys…!” Aerith greeted as she whirled through the door. She spun around with a bouquet of flowers in her arms. “I got some flowers…I’m guessing you two haven’t been up to much today.”

Zack and Cloud were settled on the couch, both of them in matching outfits--sweatpants with no shirts. Zack lazily waved at her. “Oh, we did…some stuff,” he replied. His arm was wrapped around Cloud’s shoulder, and he hugged him closer. “Ain’t that right?” 

Cloud nodded, his cheeks a shade pink. “Mm. Yeah, some stuff.” 

Aerith grinned.  _ They had sex.  _ She danced to the kitchen, resting the flowers on the table in favor of searching for a vase.  _ Or, something that looks like a vase.  _ As she stood on her toes, she glanced back over her shoulder.  _ Hm…Zack hasn’t been really out of the house since the funeral. He said he might take his motorcycle out and head to Banora for a day trip but…he hasn’t done it. And he’s been low energy, too.  _

“Hey,” she called, fingertips grazing the side of a sizable glass jar. “It’s pretty nice out today.”

“Is it?” Zack replied. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty warm. Sunny, too.”  _ Hard to tell under the plate.  _ “It’d be a good day for a bike ride~.” 

“Maybe…” 

Zack’s voice trailed off just as she nicked the glass into her hand, catching it in her palms. She bit her lip as she filled it with water.  _ Normally, you’d be all over going out for a ride. It’s the end of the season, and we won’t be getting anymore warmer days like this. But, with Angeal gone… _

_ It seems like there’s a wet blanket over your sunny smile… _

She emptied a packet of fertilizer into the jar, then stuck the flowers in, fanning them out to fill the glass. Vibrant yellows and pinks breathed life and color to the neutrals filling the kitchen, even when reflected by the dull white light above them.  _ I can’t expect him to be over it overnight. Even saying it like that--”over it”--is too harsh. If you didn’t know him, you’d think he was fine, but he’s going through the motions. He hasn’t suggested to go do anything since he’s been home. I wonder if it was Cloud who brought up making love… _

She frowned at the flowers.  _ All right. I know what I’ve gotta do.  _ “Why don’t you,” Aerith started, elongating each syllable. “Go on out for a change?” She skipped over to the back of the couch and draped her arms over it, over Zack’s shoulders on the other side. 

“I could,” Zack replied with a yawn. “Maybe…”

_ No, that’s not good enough.  _ “Hey, Cloud,” she said, resting her chin on top of Zack’s thick head of hair. “Don’t you want to go out on a bike ride?” 

As he looked up at her, she winked at him, and his eyes widened a little bit. “Yeah, it’d be fun,” he replied, nudging him. “We can get dressed and go.” 

“I dunno, I’m kinda tired…” Zack said, slumping further into the couch. “I mean, who knows if I’ll be doing more doubles when I go back to work. Better get all the rest I can get, yeah?” 

Aerith twisted her mouth.  _ Sure, but…  _ She slid off him and wandered to the front of the couch.  _ That isn’t the Zack  _ I  _ know.  _ With a huff, she put her hands on her hips and bent over to meet his eyes. “Well, since you and Cloud already had fun, what about taking  _ me  _ for a ride?” she asked, determination flooding her face. “I like bike rides, too.”

Zack blinked and opened his mouth. “A-ah…” Beneath his eyes were dark creases, and even his complexion looked paler than usual.  _ Sweetie…am I really going to have to drag you out of this? I will if I have to… _

She reached out and snatched his wrist, pulling him out from beside Cloud and clumsily on his feet. “Whoa--!” he exclaimed.

“C’mon,” she said. “Put on a shirt. We’re going.” 

“Baby…!” 

“No ‘but’s about it! You need some fresh air. It’ll be good for you.”

She dragged him into the bedroom, letting him go only to shuffle through a small pile of clothes to throw a t-shirt at him. “Look, see, I’ll even put on pants!” In one swooping motion, Aerith pulled off her dress and tossed it on the bed. She rushed to the dresser, pulling open a few drawers before she got to one with a pair of jeans, and hopped into them. “We’re going!” 

“Okay, okay…!” Zack yanked the shirt over his head, sending the spikes on his head in every direction until he smoothed them back. “Probably won’t be for very long, but I’ll get my keys--”

Aerith grinned, and jumped up to him, still in her bra, and grabbed his face with both hands. She pulled him down for a kiss. “Who said  _ you  _ were driving~?” she replied.

She kissed his cheek, then skipped backward. “Oof, you need to shave, sunflower. You’re getting scruffy.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Zack rubbed his face in a dazed awe.  _ That’s a little better.  _ She pulled on a shirt for herself, then skipped out of the room. 

Cloud was still on the couch, but he watched the scene in mild amusement. “Hey,” he said as Aerith grabbed her denim jacket out of the coat closet. “I thought you didn’t know how to drive a--”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Aerith interrupted, with her tongue out. “It’s a  _ bike  _ ride, I didn’t specify which  _ kind--”  _

“Aw,  _ shit,  _ you mean--!” Zack exclaimed. “We’re taking  _ your  _ bike?!” 

Aerith shot him a finger gun and a wink. “Bingo!” 

“I think I’m gonna be too tall--”

“What’d I say?” Aerith scolded, shuffling her shoes on. “No buts! Put your shoes on!” 

Zack shot Cloud a look and a shrug, prompting him to giggle. “Cloud, you should give Tifa a ring,” Aerith suggested. “See what she’s up to.”

“Yeah, I was thinking of it,” he replied. “Maybe I’ll…stop over there myself.” 

“Good!” she chirped. At the closet, Zack was forcing his feet into his sneakers, and as soon as she saw both of his heels inside, she grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door. “We’ll see you later!” 

“Hey, hey!” Zack stumbled out behind her as she jogged up the stairs. “Aerith, what’s this all about…?” 

The rusty, two-seater bike was still resting on the side of the building in the alley, and she rolled it out with a squeak of its tires. “Look, it’s a nice day! We should enjoy it, huh?” she said. “And I don’t like seeing you all sad.” 

“I’m not--” he started, then thought better of it. With a bite of his lip, he sighed, face unfolding into a weak smile. “…Ah. I…”

She put the kickstand up and reached out to stroke his face, his facial stubble creating friction beneath her palm.  _ I know. I know, sweetheart.  _ “It’s okay,” she said. “Just come ride with me.” 

He nodded, then kissed the inside of her palm. With both of his hands, he gently pulled it away, in order to lace his fingers with her hand. His gaze wandered from her face over to the bike, and its softness. “Really though, you wanna put me on the back of that?” 

She giggled. “Of course!” Aerith squeezed his hand before letting it go. She danced around the bike, kicking the stand back up and swinging her leg over the seat. She patted behind her on the thin seat. “Hop on!” 

* * *

 

Cloud took his time getting dressed and ready, and made it over to 7th Heaven in the early afternoon.  _ Aerith said it was a nice day,  _ he thought, staring up at the plate before entering,  _ but it sure is hard to tell with this huge metal plate.  _ He adjusted the shoulders on his plaid overshirt, smoothing over the chest, glancing down. It was buttoned up almost to his neck.  _ I…would normally wear it open… _

_ (“Cloud,” Aerith said while folding laundry. “If there’s anything of mine that you want to wear, you’re free to.” _

_ “Uh, are you…are you sure?”  _

_ “Yeah! If you wanna start…y’know, presenting different, or if you just wanna wear a pretty tanktop under your normal stuff.” She held up a camisole with a lace trim at the top. “You can.”  _

_ She folded it among her other clothes. “Plus, that way, you don’t have to spend money on something new right away, then feel guilty about never wearing it. It’s a win-win…!”) _

He lifted the shirt up to peer beneath it, where the lace camisole sat.  _ It’s a start, like she said,   _ he thought.  _ It’s something. Even if no one sees it.  _

“Cloud?” 

Cloud nearly jumped out of his skin when Tifa opened the door in front of him. Immediately, he shoved one hand in his pocket, and the other went to the back of his hair, tugging the back of it until it stung. “A-ah, Ti…” he managed, taking a deep breath. “Sorry, you jumped me…”

Her hair was braided down her back, red ribbon tying it together at the bottom. She swept her bangs out of her face, revealing her huge auburn eyes, and smiled at him. “It’s okay,” she replied. “C’mon in.”

Desperately, he tried to keep his hand from shaking as he took hers and let her guide him inside. Although, with his other hand, he unbuttoned two buttons down his shirt, allowing the cami to barely peek through.  _ She won’t mind.  _

The only person at the bar was Vincent, hunched over his drink per usual. “Where’s Barret?” Cloud asked.

“He’s out with Marlene,” Tifa replied, running her hand down his back before returning behind the bar. “They’ve been out all morning, so…he should be back anytime.” 

_ If we wanted to do anything.  _ “Okay,” he replied. “It’s no problem.”  _ I just wanted to come see you anyway… _

Automatically, she grabbed a glass with him and filled it with ginger ale from behind the counter. “She’s been taking swimming lessons at the rec center in Sector 4,” she continued, resting the glass in front of him. “She loves it, apparently.”

Cloud chuckled. “That’s good.” He took a sip of the soda. “Have you taken her over to watch?” 

“No, I get stuck working.” Her grin spread as her eyes flicked over. “But Vincent has.” 

He grunted in reply.  _ That must scare the little kids,  _ Cloud thought, biting his lip to prevent a smirk.  _ He intimidated me at first. Honestly, he still kinda does, but-- _

“She’s fast,” Vincent mumbled. “Has a…lot of fun.” 

Tifa chuckled. “You could take her out more,” she said. “Barret doesn’t mind it, you know that. And she always goes on about her adventures with ‘Uncle Vincent’.” 

He peered up at Tifa with wide eyes. For once, Cloud could almost see a splash of color on his cheeks. “R…really?” he uttered. “H…huh.” 

Vincent took a long drink, then proceeded to stare down at the bar. As Cloud drew his attention away from him, Tifa touched his hand. “How’s Zack?” she asked gently. 

_ Ah.  _ “He’s…okay, I guess,” Cloud replied. “Could be better. Aerith dragged him out of the house today…” 

“Oh, yeah?” Tifa massaged the top of his hand with her thumb. “That sounds like her. She’s been worried about him…”

“So have I.”

She nodded. “I-I…I mean, I’ve been…I’ve been thinking about Angeal a lot too.” She sighed short and heavy. “Y’know, since he pretty much passed on his role in the band to me…”

“Really?” Cloud said. “Is that…is that what was in--”

“Mmhm.” Tifa shook her head and slumped over the bar. “I get to babysit ‘til who-knows-when. It’s like…playing is  _ fun,  _ but most of the other stuff around it is just…” 

_ Tough.  _ “Yeah.”  _ Even from what I’ve seen, it looks like…a lot to handle. Zack can let most of it roll off his back, and I’m sure…you’ll be able to as well, at least after a while. But me, I’d probably just crumble.  _

After a pause, Tifa spoke even quieter. “Zack was…the closest to him out of all of us,” she muttered. “So…of course it’s going to hit him the hardest.” 

“R…right.” 

_ (“Keep an eye on Zack for me, okay? I know you two are close, and he loves you right to death…”) _

Cloud’s heart seized in his chest, and his hand flinched.  _ I’m doing my best.  _

Tifa’s hand cupped over his. “Are…you doing okay?” she asked.

_ Am I?  _ It took him a moment to think about this.  _ I…don’t know. I’ve been…I just try to not think too much about it. And besides, it’s Zack who is worse off, not me… _

_ It’s… _

_ I’ve got to be strong enough to hold him up, too.  _

_ (“Make sure he doesn’t dwell on it…”) _

_ (Zack sat up in bed, bare back to Cloud. “God…” he whispered to himself. “Damn it…” _

_ Cloud hugged him from behind, pressing his chest right up against his back. He gently kissed the side of his neck once, then twice. “Ah…” Zack breathed. “H-hey, what’re you…” _

_ He smirked as he kissed him more, snaking his hands around his stomach and breathed in his ear…) _

“I’m all right,” he answered finally. “I’m…it’s okay.” 

But, by the time he replied, Tifa’s attention was drawn back outside. “Oh, I think…they’re back,” she remarked, circling back around the bar. “C’mon…”

She whisked by him, but as Cloud slid back off the bar stool, he took her arm on the way to the exit.  _ We just have to…keep moving,  _ he thought.  _ That’s…all there is to it. It’s all we can do.  _

Outside, Barret and Marlene were standing together, Marlene’s hair stringy and wet against the sides of her face. Aerith had her hands on her rusty bike, while Zack stood beside her, shoulders drooped. “Sorry to hear about that,” Barret was saying. “Awful young, wasn’t he?” 

“Barely thirty,” Zack replied. “Y-yeah, that’s what…that’s what it’ll do to you.” 

Aerith sensed their presence, and turned her head. “Hey, guys,” she said, with a weak smile. “We were just…”

Zack spun around too. “Yeah, so…” He held up his pager. “Genesis just paged me. Looks like he’s got the keys to Angeal’s apartment.”

“Oh,” Cloud said.  _ That’s right. Didn’t he say he had some…some stuff for us?  _

“So,” he sighed. “We’d better get over there.”

“All of us?” Tifa asked. 

“Nah, just you and me,” Zack replied. “We can walk over…”

“Why me?” she implored again. “I-I’m just…”

“Look, that’s just what he said,” Zack said with a sigh. “It’ll probably get too crowded with all of us anyway.” 

Tifa glanced over to Cloud, then nodded. “All…all right. Okay.” Then, she looked to Barret, who only nodded at her. “L-let’s go, then.” 

She kissed Cloud’s cheek, then followed Zack, who waved behind them before making his way down the alley and out into the street. As they left, Barret shook his head. “Poor kid,” he muttered. 

“He’ll be all right,” Aerith assured. From her tone, it sounded to Cloud as if she were reassuring herself as well. “He just needs some time.”

“Yup,” he replied simply. He patted Marlene’s shoulder and ushered her inside. “C’mon, hon, let’s get you inside…” 

He left Cloud and Aerith outside by the bicycle. “Did Zack have fun?” Cloud asked. “On the bike?”

Aerith blinked out of the deep thought she was stewing in, and came back to herself rather quickly. “Oh, yeah!” she replied with a smirk. “He did look a  _ little  _ silly perched on the back, but he loves the wind…God, when we swapped for a bit, I thought he was going to pedal hard enough to unwind the chain…”

They laughed, and the sound echoed in the alley.  _ At least he’s getting some relief,  _ Cloud thought. “Let’s head back,” Aerith said. “Or--no, wait, let’s pick up some groceries. Make something nice for him when he gets back, since I  _ know  _ that little trip is going to suck the life out of him.” 

“Right,” he replied. “Something nice would be…” He trailed off as Aerith mounted the bike and patted the seat behind her with a stunning grin. He sighed into the rest of his sentence. “…good for him.” 

Still, he got on behind her, settling himself in. “See, I like you,” Aerith remarked, pushing off and wobbling as she began to pedal it down the alley. “You don’t complain half as much as our partners do.” 

Cloud snorted, hanging on with a death grip beneath the seat.  _ Yeah, sure, that’s only because you don’t pester me quite as much.  _ He sighed as he focused on the road ahead of them.  _ But…Zack. I kinda wish I could’ve gone with him, but…he’ll be home soon enough. We’ll make sure he’s okay, the best ways we know how.  _

_ I wonder what’s left at Angeal’s apartment… _

"By the way," Aerith said, hair blowing in her face. "I see you're wearing one of my shirts."   


"H-huh?" His heart started again, and shifted his balance just enough to make the bike wobble. "Y-yeah…"

"It looks nice."

Cloud's shoulders relaxed. "Ah, thanks…" 

The bike quickly regained its balance, and sped off with its squeaky wheels down the street. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is meant to be a bit of a breather chapter, to give some space to relax a little bit between some of the more intense bits. Not everything is doom and gloom, at least if all the others have anything to say about it. 
> 
> Next time, we'll clean out Angeal's apartment. Stay tuned!


	76. Apartment

When Zack and Tifa stepped out of the elevator onto the 34th floor, the door to Genesis’ apartment was open already, with Sephiroth standing in the doorway. He nodded in greeting. “Did you bring a vehicle?” he asked.

“Huh? Why?” Zack replied. “You know I’ve only got the bike.”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “Typical. Luckily for you, I thought ahead. There’s a company truck parked at the front of the building for us to use. I don’t know if you saw it.”

Zack hissed out a sigh.  _ Somehow, you make even a simple favor seem like a chore.  _ “Thanks,” he replied. 

Genesis emerged from the door, pushing Sephiroth out of the way. “All right,” he mumbled. “Let’s go on up…” He stopped short, then spun around. “Fuck, before I forget…”

He disappeared back inside for a moment, then reappeared with a couple cassettes in his hand. “You left those CDs here,” Genesis stated. “Guessing you wanted them copied. There you go.”

“Oh--!” Zack swiped the cases from him. They were labeled on the spine, but without a track listing.  _ At least they’re copied.  _  “Shit, thanks, man. But, uh, where are the CDs?” 

Genesis’ lip curled, and in other circumstances, it could have been a smirk. “Finder’s fee,” he replied. “Besides, I liked that Lemonheads one. Short and sweet.” 

_ Asshole.  _ Zack rolled his eyes as Genesis made a beeline for the elevator. His mood dipped back down as soon as he mashed the UP button. “Christ,” he muttered. 

“Uh, have you…” Tifa started. “Have you…been there yet?” 

Genesis shook his head. “Nope. Wasn’t up there that much even when he was alive. He didn’t smoke in his place. Least not much, anyway.” 

The door slid open, and he was first in, leaning in the corner of the elevator. He slammed his hand against the wall. “Ah,  _ shit,” _ he cursed.

“What?” Sephiroth asked. He punched the button for the next floor, and the door slid shut.

“I forgot the boxes downstairs. They’re in the truck.”

“Well, we can just…look things over when we get there, huh?” Zack said. “I mean…did you guys get letters?” They both nodded, and he continued. “Yeah, sounded like…he had shit pretty squared away.” 

Genesis stared at the floor. “Yeah.” He gripped his arms, making indents in his skin. “God, fuck…”

The ride wasn’t long, and they filed out onto the next floor. Genesis pushed ahead of them, stopping in front of the door labeled “3505”. “When we first…moved in here, all the other units were filled up,” Genesis remarked. He pulled a single key on a dark blue ribbon and spun it around in his hand as he stared at the gold plated numbers on the door. “So, I bought the closest thing I could.”

“You  _ bought  _ the apartment?” Zack exclaimed. “Like…the whole unit?”  _ I didn’t even know you could do that. _

“Yup. Both of them. Seph’s too.” He jerked his head back to Sephiroth. “Oh, damn it…”

_ Genesis really does have more money than he knows what to do with,  _ Zack thought, exchanging a glance with Tifa, who looked quietly bewildered.  _ Seriously…this is a nice fucking building, I can’t imagine how much that could’ve cost.  _

“Gen,” Sephiroth ushered. “We don’t have all day.”

“I know!” he snapped. “F-fuck…okay.” 

With a quivering hand, he twisted the key into the deadbolt first, then into the door handle. Still, he hesitated as he turned the handle of the apartment door, and pushed it open. 

“Ah…” Genesis breathed. 

“Oh, God…” Zack muttered. “This…”

The layout of the apartment was identical to Genesis’, but the content was vastly different. Cardboard boxes were stacked in neat clusters around the apartment, all of them with sticky notes attached to the sides. The curtains on the windows were taken down, there was nothing on the walls, and the place smelled strongly of lemon.  _ Like some kind of cleaner,  _ Zack thought, eyes big as saucers. 

He was the first to wander further, meandering into the kitchen. Even in there, everything was spotless, from the sink down to the stove. Opening the refrigerator proved it to be empty and brilliant white.  _ Nothing.  _ Zack slammed it shut and moved to the cupboards, above and below the sink. Leaving each one open as he ripped open the next, they were all empty--save for a bottle of bleach beneath the sink. “There’s…nothing…”  _ There’s nothing here. It’s all gone.  _

Swallowing hard, he slipped out of the kitchen, past the other three, milling about like ghosts. The bedroom door was open, and it was just as empty. The bed was stripped of sheets, leaving just the bare mattress on the frame. There was only a stray wire hanger in the closet, and nothing in the dresser on the opposite wall. There were a couple cardboard boxes in here as well, but Zack went to the nightstand, pulling open the drawer. Inside, a pill bottle rolled to the front of the drawer and rattled, as well as an old prescription slip.  _ This is from six months ago,  _ Zack noticed, his head spinning.  _ Good God… _

_ He knew… _

As Zack emerged from the bedroom, Sephiroth seemed to come back to himself, crossing his arms and assessing the boxes. “Well, this will make it…quite a bit easier for us,” he said. He stepped forward. “None of these are sealed, so…” 

Tifa also took a deep breath and began to move with more purpose. “O-okay. This one…this one says it’s for Aerith…”

“Aerith?” Zack asked.

He shuffled over to the box Tifa was examining and flipped it open. Inside were several succulents in pots, settled on top of dishes wrapped in newspaper. Tifa reached in and gently peeled back the newspaper, revealing gold leafing on the edges. “Holy shit,” she whispered. “These are…porcelain? With gold…?”

“Hey, there’s a note in here…” Zack pulled out a piece of notebook paper with Angeal’s scrawl on it:  _ “Sorry, couldn’t save most of the plants I had. These little guys are hardy, and bloom in the spring. The plates were my mother’s--never used them much, but figured you could. -A”  _

“J-Jeez…” Zack chuckled weakly. “All the stuff we have at the house is plastic…”

Sephiroth was peering through another box. “Records,” he muttered, then picked it up and placed it beside the door. “For you, Gen.” 

Genesis nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. As if sifting through molasses he reached out to a box, only ending up grazing it with his fingers. “Z-Zack,” he mumbled. 

“Yup.” He clapped his hands together and rushed over. “Whatcha got?” 

When Genesis didn’t move, he flipped the box open himself. Inside were clothes, mostly t-shirts and overshirts. The whiff of fresh laundry hit him in the face as he sifted through them. There was another note on top of this pile as well:  _ “If these don’t fit you, send them off to Goodwill with the rest of my clothes. My jeans  _ definitely  _ won’t fit you, you tall pup. -A” _

Zack covered his mouth,

_ (“…my brother-in-arms…”) _

tears beginning to well in his eyes.  _ Hand-me-downs. Like…like an older brother would. Oh, God… _

“Another one for you, Gen,” Sephiroth said behind them. “Most of these seem to be for you…”

“This one just says ‘Goodwill’,” Tifa said. “Should I just--?” 

“Put it outside,” Sephiroth replied. “I know there’s one in Sector 2…”

As Zack stood up, Genesis finally shuffled over to another box, one that was sitting on the couch with his name on it. With the tips of his fingers, he flipped it open, and peered inside. Curious, Zack wandered behind him. Inside this box was a record player, as well as several, thick portfolio style books. Genesis picked one up, and flipped it open. 

_ Ah,  _ Zack thought, scanning the pages.  _ It’s…a photo album.  _

There were several to a page--the first that caught Zack’s eye was a picture of a much younger Angeal, standing at the edge of an apple orchard. He was wearing a tight t-shirt that read “BANORA HIGH WRESTLING CLUB”. There was another of him and Genesis, playing drums and bass respectively in a practice hall. Another still was a similar shot, but in a concert hall, with both of them in all black. Genesis was standing, playing right in front of the kit, his bangs longer, with a wild grin on his face. On the next page was another picture of both of them, this time in standard-class uniforms. Despite being shorter, Genesis was trying to rest his elbow on Angeal’s metal paldrons, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.  _ That’s not a cigarette,  _ Zack thought with a smirk, peering over Genesis’ shoulder.  _ Bet you a thousand gil.  _

Behind them, Sephiroth and Tifa continued to sort. “This one’s for me…” Tifa said. Through the shuffling of cardboard, she gasped. “O-oh, this is his…his drum equipment…some of it, anyway…” 

“Yeah?” Zack asked, glancing up. “L-left…that stuff for you, huh?” 

Sephiroth sighed deeply. “So, he  _ did  _ intend for you to…to take his place in the band.” 

“Y-yeah. Something…like that,” Tifa replied. “H-he…mentioned it in my letter--”

Suddenly, Genesis hissed, cutting the air like a knife. “You bastard.”

Zack cracked his attention down to him. His hands were clenched into fists, and his teeth were bared. “Wh…what?” he dared to ask. 

“Y-you…you had it…all fuckin’ figured out, didn’t you?” he continued, staring pointedly at the photo album. His voice quivered, and he picked it up in both hands, nearly hitting Zack in the side of the arm when he whirled around. “You think…you think you could just go…fuckin’ wrap all your  _ shit  _ up…and pretend like…like it was okay?” 

He sucked in a gasp of air, tears dripping from his eyes already as he paced in the space in the middle of the living room, one not occupied by boxes. Tifa fled to the entrance of the kitchen, while Sephiroth stayed in the doorway to the hall. “We were supposed to be  _ together!  _ We always  _ were  _ together! E-ever s-since you found me, stoned outta my f-fuckin’  _ mind… _ y-you were my friend! You were th-the only fuckin’  _ friend I ever had!”  _

Genesis wailed and chucked the photo album on the floor.  _ “Why! Why! Why!”  _ he screamed, kicking at it and ripping at his hair. “Y-you c-c-cared about me like  _ no  _ one else did, more than I-I…more than I…” His sentence disintegrated, but it picked back up in a frantic yelp.  _ “You weren’t supposed to go--!”  _

“H-hey, man…” Zack said with a gulp, feeble as his own heart felt weak. “Take it easy…” 

_ “NO!”  _ Genesis whirled on him, face blotchy and an arm up. His rage crumpled on his face, and so did he--down to the ground at the photo album, and he pounded his fist against it. “A-Ange, you  _ bastard,  _ it was  _ me  _ who was supposed to die--!” he ranted, smearing his tears on the glossy plastic film of the pages.  _ “I’m  _ the one who kept fuckin’ up,  _ I’m  _ the idiot who smokes too much, who trips too much, who’s a m-m-m-m-mako j-junkie…” 

“Genesis,” Sephiroth interrupted, as evenly as he could. His voice was deep and quiet, but still echoed a tight control, perhaps even tighter than what Zack was used to hearing. “You…”

“Wh-who’s gonna watch my ass now?” Genesis whimpered. “Wh-who’s gonna s-stop me when I’m doing something stupid? What’s the…” He yanked at his ear and ripped out the feather earring that hung on it, holding it in the air above him. “Wh-what’s the use in these if you’re already gone with your own fucking wings!?” 

He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, fist still clutching the black feather, and rose to his feet. “Fuck this,” he cursed, watery and hoarse.  _ “Fuck  _ this--!” 

Genesis spun on one heel and attempted to make a run for the door, but Sephiroth stood in his way. He did not budge. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, green-blue eyes narrowed. “Take something with you--” 

“Don’t  _ fucking  _ tell me what to do!” Genesis wailed, pushing him in the chest with both hands. Sephiroth staggered backwards, but was still quick enough to steady himself before he could get very far, and grabbed him by the shirt collar. 

_ “Gen!”  _ he commanded. “Don’t be so--”

_ “You don’t get to tell me how to feel!”  _ he hollered, shoving him again. This time, it was hard enough to send him riding back into the doorframe, where Sephiroth smacked his head. Briefly, a glint of fear and regret flashed in Genesis’ eyes, even through his anguish. He bared his teeth and pushed Sephiroth a third time, with less gusto. “Unless you’re bringing him back, for _ get it.”  _

With that, he hovered around him, then bolted down the hallway. Rubbing the back of his head, Sephiroth called after him.  _ “Genesis!  _ You…” He shook his head and frowned at the ground. “You son of a bitch…” 

Zack finally allowed himself to breathe.  _ If this were any other time, Seph would’ve had him by the throat,  _ he thought.  _ But… _

Behind him, he heard Tifa taking shaky, shallow breaths in the hall of the kitchen, standing very, very still. As soon as she noticed Zack staring, however, she straightened up and seemed to compose herself. “Ah, s-sorry,” she mumbled. “This…”

“What are you apologizing for?” Sephiroth muttered. “There’s…”

He trailed off, leaving them in silence once again.  _ Should’ve known this was how it was going to go,  _ Zack thought, picking up the photo album off the floor. He closed it up and placed it back in the box.  _ Y’know, if it wasn’t going to be him, it was gonna be me…my throat’s burning as it is.  _

“You two…” Sephiroth said with a sigh. “Sift through what’s here, take your things.” He reached into his pockets and withdrew a single key with a plain keychain attached to it. “This is for the truck. Bring it back when you’re done.”

“What about you?” Zack asked. 

“I’m going to check on him,” he replied, still staring at the floor. “Who knows what he’ll do…”

Zack bit his lip. “Do you, uh…want me to--”

“No,” Sephiroth said emphatically. “Besides, you don’t want to.” 

He tilted his head to the side.  _ Not really. This is enough shit to deal with as it is.  _

Sephiroth stepped backwards, out into the hall. “Come knock on my door when you’re all done,” he said simply, and retreated down the hall. 

Tifa took even steps out of her haven in the kitchen entrance. “Well… _ that  _ was awful,” she said, a shiver in her voice.

“No shit,” Zack sighed. “C-come on, we don’t have to…look through all these.”  _ I don’t know if I want to stick around any longer. If I’m going to go through all the shit he left for us, I’d rather Cloud and Aerith be around, too.  _ He picked up the box with Aerith’s name on it that he had already opened, and heaved it into his arms. “Just…grab anything that’s for us, and let’s load up that elevator.” 

He barely saw Tifa nod in the corner of his eye as he charged out into the hall with the box.  _ Let’s just…get this over with.  _

The loading process was long and mostly quiet, but it only took a few trips with the elevator packed full. Up and down, the busy lifting work kept Zack’s mind as blank as he could get it, and for that, he was grateful. 

Only when they had finished loading the truck bed and were ready to take off did Tifa offer conversation. “Will we even have room for this stuff at your place?” she asked as she stepped up into the pickup truck. 

“Who knows,” Zack replied. “Not all of this is ours, I grabbed the Goodwill stuff to save Seph a trip, too…”

“You know where it is?”

“Yeah. That’s where Aerith does most of her shopping.”

“Ah, right.” 

He turned the key in the ignition, and the radio blasted immediately. “Shit!” he yelped, and jammed the knob down. “Yeah, she’s a seasoned shopper, but she knows what to look for. She, ah…” 

He trailed off, staring at the dashboard.  _ I’ve never cleaned out someone’s house like that before,  _ he thought suddenly, the engine idling.  _ Never had to. Not ‘til now. Did he even make a will? If he knew he was going to die long enough in advance, long enough to… _

_ …sort through his entire apartment… _

_ …to know what he wanted to give away to everyone… _

“Zack?” Tifa asked.

He felt locked at the steering wheel, hunched over it, unable to move.  _ Angeal, you really wanted to make it easier for everyone, didn’t you? You didn’t tell anyone you were sick. You left work way before it started to take its toll. You sorted everything out, so people wouldn’t have to do it when you were gone. You… _

_ You… _

The radio filtered into his ears, like from a distant room:

_ “So hold on, here we go, hold on to nothing we know, _ __   
_ I feel so lonely way up here. _ __   
_ You mention the time we were together, so long ago, _ _   
_ __ Well, I don’t remember, all I know is that it makes me feel good now…”

Zack’s head hit the steering wheel. “F-fuck…” he whimpered. “Y-you didn’t make it any easier…” 

He squeezed his eyes shut, and he let the tears run down his face.  _ I’m so tired of feeling like this. I’m tired of crying. I don’t want to. But, Angeal...Angeal… _

“Oh, hey, hey…” Tifa said. He heard the click of her unbuckling her seatbelt before her hand rubbed his back. “I-it’s…it’s…here, let’s switch. I can drive, if y-you just…tell me where to go.” 

“I j-j-just wanna go home,” he blubbered like a child, kneading his head against the cheap faux leather of the steering wheel. “I wanna…a-ah…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Tifa chanted. She opened the door on her side, and circled around to his side and opened the driver’s side door. “I do, too. We can go.” 

He peered at her, vision blurry from beneath the steering wheel.  _ Yeah, I know why Gen walked out like that.  _ He sniffled, keeping his head down as he unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed himself out of the truck.  _ I know. Sometimes… _

_ …it  _ is _ too much. _

* * *

 

Zack didn’t say much for the rest of their trip, only giving small directions around. They did end up dropping off the Goodwill boxes (“We’ve got the truck, might as well.”), and when they arrived at the apartment, Zack tossed the keys under Sephiroth’s door, with a knock. Listening while the elevator arrived for them, he could only hear Sephiroth muttering, quiet and indiscernible. 

Cloud and Aerith were waiting for the two of them when they got home, dinner already ready and set on the table. Zack didn’t realize how hungry he was until he inhaled the savory scent of steak, plated with vegetables and a pasta. As Aerith was finishing setting the table, Cloud was there for them first, rushing them at the door. “Zack,” he said, hugging him tight. “How did it go?” 

He returned it, but quick, fearing for his emotions to rush to the surface again, despite how tired he was. “We’ve got some stuff,” he said, jerking his thumb back. “W-we just left it in the alley for now, you wanna help load it in?” 

“Sure,” he replied, then turned to Tifa. “Hey…” 

Cloud hugged her as well, and Zack watched as she crumpled into his arms, burying her head into the crook of his shoulder.  _ Yeah,  _ he thought, running a hand over his mouth.  _ I figured…she was waiting. She’s a hell of a lot better at holding it in than I am. It’s a lot of pressure… _

Zack glanced over to the kitchen. “Hon?” he called. 

He nodded down to her and Cloud, and Aerith rushed over, absently wiping her hands on her dress before reaching her. “Oh, sweet pea,” she said, hugging her back. “I’ve got you.”

Cloud kissed the side of her head before letting go. “I’m gonna go help, and we’ll be back,” he said, then nodded up to Zack. 

They exited and began loading in the boxes. “Are you okay?” Cloud asked quietly. 

“I…dunno,” Zack replied. “Think I’ve just worn myself out, to be honest with you…”

By the time they were done, Tifa had calmed down enough to be ready to eat, and they all seated themselves at the table. Zack looked from Cloud, to Tifa, to Aerith at his other side.  _ Even if it’s hard,  _ he thought,  _ I still have…all of you.  _

_ Thank God for that.  _

With a small smile to himself, he tucked in, eating faster than the rest of them, and allowing conversation to hover around him. “Chow down, won’t you?” Aerith teased gently, patting his shoulder. “So…how  _ was  _ it?” 

“Everything was boxed up already,” Tifa said. “We barely had to do anything…”

“I thought you guys were back early. Cloud and I went to get groceries…it was lucky we started cooking right when we got back, otherwise food wouldn’t have been ready.” 

“Thanks, sweetie,” Zack said with a mouthful of food. He spoke to Aerith, but glanced to his other side at Cloud as well. “Sweetie.” 

Cloud snorted, and it was accompanied by a small smirk. “Sure thing,” he replied. “It was nothing…” 

Aerith continued to poise her questions toward Tifa. “I’m guessing the other two were there,” she said. 

Tifa sighed with a nod. “Yup. Genesis freaked out, he had to leave.”

“Figures. He was having a bad time just at the church…” 

In the middle of her sentence, the phone rang, and with a fork still in his mouth, Zack stood up. “I’ve got it,” he said, chewing. 

Aerith stood up as well. “Babe, I can get it--”

“Nah.” He waved his hand, halfway across the living room. “It’s probably for me anyway…” He picked up the phone and balanced it on his shoulder as he yanked the fork out of his mouth. “Y’ello?” 

_ “Zack.”  _

“Seph.”  _ I figured.  _ “What’s up?” 

_ “Thank you for taking care of the miscellaneous boxes. It saved me a trip.” _

“Figured you could use it,” Zack said.  _ I’d better ask…  _ “How’s…how’s Gen?” 

_ “Managing,”  _ was all Sephiroth replied with.  _ “I wanted to let you know that we will be rehearsing next week.” _

Zack hissed out a sigh. “All right.”

_ “I have pushed back our gig a couple weeks, because of…circumstances.”  _ He paused for a second.  _ “I have made the decision to introduce new songs in our repertoire for it.” _

“Really? You think that’s a good idea?” Zack asked, glancing back at Tifa. “I mean--”

_ “I think it is for the better,”  _ Sephiroth replied.  _ “Think of it this way: if we are  _ all  _ learning new material, we are all on the same page. She won’t be as behind.” _

“Huh. That’s fair, I guess.”

_ “It is a clever plan, if I say so myself,”  _ he said.  _ “At any rate, if there is anything you would like to play, bring in a tape. Like that…”Meet Virginia” song, or whatever.” _

“Oh, yeah!” Zack smiled for the first time in what felt like ages.  _ Nice--!  _

_ “Will you let her know? I do not have her number.”  _

“Yeah, sure, I’ll let Tifa know.” 

_ “Good. I will see you at work, then.” _

“Yeah, see ya.” 

The line went dead, and Zack hung up promptly as well, spinning his fork in his hand. “That was Seph,” he said. “He wants to go on with business as usual.” 

Tifa sighed loud. “All right,” she replied. “Guess I’ll be there.” 

Aerith reached for her hand above the table. “I can come too, if you want.” 

“Er, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Zack advised. “It’s our first rehearsal since--well,  _ everything,  _ so…I think everyone’s gonna be a little on edge.” 

“So?” She cocked her head, unfazed. 

Zack puffed out his cheeks. “Listen,  _ you  _ might not be afraid of someone chucking an effects pedal at possibly your head, but  _ I  _ do, sweetheart.” 

_ “What?”  _ Cloud exclaimed, staring at Zack. “D-do you…is it gonna get that bad?” 

“Dude, I dunno, but--”

“Yeah, uh…” Tifa piped up. “G-Genesis got really intense, and it was…” She tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling.  _ “God,  _ it was exhausting.” 

Aerith’s eyes dropped to her plate, then nodded slowly.  _ You know,  _ Zack thought, watching her green eyes carefully.  _ You had to deal with that without anyone knowing already. You deserve a break too.  _ “W-well, if anything happens…” she started.

“We’ll be home,” Zack finished for her, leaning over and kissing her cheek with a loud smack. “We love you, baby. You’re always thinkin’ of us.” 

Her gaze shot up, and her cheeks even bloomed a little pink. “Well, yeah!” she chirped. “That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?” 

The four of them exchanged a light chuckle, and Zack found himself breathing easy.  _ This has all been hell,  _ he thought,  _ but…I’m gonna be okay. It’s going to be okay.  _

And at that moment, surrounded by his shared partners, he believed it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song featured today is ["Only The Lonely" by The Motels.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxT2GYl6Yfw)
> 
> I know I talk about caring about the 1sts too much early on, but the biggest surprise in writing this fic to me is caring so much about Genesis Rhapsodos. He's suffering, and I care! Hoo. Zack also has another moment this chapter, which I didn't necessarily anticipate, but it happened. Yeah, Angeal had everything squared away--that's just the kind of guy he was. 
> 
> Next chapter, we will be going to another rehearsal. A somewhat real one, this time. Stay tuned!


	77. Rehearsal (VIII)

The tape clicked, signalling its end, and Sephiroth got up to pull it out of the boombox sitting precariously on his amp. “Radiohead, huh?” Genesis commented, idly fingering his bass on mute. “And  _ that _ one?” 

Zack sighed and leaned back in his chair, glancing at Tifa behind the drumkit.  _ You ready for this?  _ he asked with his eyes.  _ Dunno if I am either. But, you learn to deal.  _ He blew a stray clump of hair from his bangs away from his forehead.  _ Been doing that a lot lately…  _

Sephiroth curled his lip. “What’s your problem with it?” he asked.

“I dunno. Sounds high for you.” he remarked.

He opened his mouth, but sighed. “A little. I figured harmonies would fill it out. If the two of you are willing.”

“Sure--” Zack replied.

Genesis interrupted him as if he didn’t exist. “You know I don’t like to sing.”

“Christ’s sake,” Sephiroth huffed. “I heard you singing to yourself when I came in here. Something about…’waiting for something to break’--” 

_ “Shut up,  _ that was  _ nothing,”  _ he growled. “Just…fuckin’ around with one of the songs from Zack’s tapes…” 

_ He gets so uptight about singing,  _ Zack thought.  _ He doesn’t even ever sing lead--it’s always harmonies, and it’s always in tune. So, if he’s got an ear for that, what’s so bad about singing for real? It’s fun…but who knows what the fuck goes through his head.  _

Sephiroth stared at him for a moment longer, then cleared his throat. “Well, any  _ other  _ objections?” he asked.

Genesis’ gaze flicked back up from the floor, and his mood shifted slightly. “Not really. But, it seems a little  _ soft  _ for your liking.” He smirked, but his tone of voice sounded hollow, as if he were going through the motions.

“It doesn’t  _ have _ to be played acoustic.” Sephiroth defended this by getting up and walking to his amp, flicking the knobs. With a strum, he broke the silence so abruptly that Zack nearly jumped out of his seat. The guitar sound was saturated with fuzz, barely able to discern the chords. “Here.  _ This _ is grunge.”

“What you always wanted to shoot for, wasn’t it?” Genesis remarked, rising from his lazy posture. “But grunge artists are poets, not virtuosos.” 

“I am an exception.”

“Uh-huh, and where are your lyrics?”

“Where are  _ yours?”  _

Genesis fumbled for LOVELESS sitting on the amp behind him, flipped it open, and shook out a folded up piece of paper onto the floor. It was old Shinra letterhead, covered in scrawl that Zack could barely read, and Genesis tossed it onto an empty folding chair. “There,” he said. “There’s something.”

“I’ll  _ consider  _ it,” Sephiroth replied, turning his nose up. “There is a riff I’ve been working on, and if it fits, then perhaps we can use it.”

“Of course, it all has to be for  _ you,”  _ Genesis retorted. “We have to always play by  _ your  _ rules.”

“This is  _ my  _ band, so they  _ are  _ my rules.”

“Oh, really?” 

_ “Guys,”  _ Zack sighed. “Are we gonna play or what?” 

“Yeah, really…” Tifa muttered in agreement.

The two squinted at them, Sephiroth sealing his disgust with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll start. Follow my lead.” 

Sephiroth began finger-picking at his guitar, and Tifa stared at his movement, tentatively dissecting the beat in the distortion of his melody.  _ You’ve got it,  _ Zack thought, nodding his head. He mimicked the chord progression, but didn’t play. When Sephiroth started to strum, Tifa began to tap the kick drum in time with him. 

“Just go all in,” Genesis muttered. “It’s not that hard, just  _ do it.”  _

Tifa’s face twitched, but she took a breath and played a simple beat along with it, brow furrowed to keep it tied together. Genesis soon joined her, not taking his eyes off the drumkit, while Sephiroth stepped up to the mic:

_ “Two jumps in a week, _ __   
_ I bet you think that’s pretty clever, don’t you, boy? _ _   
_ __ Flying on your motorcycle, watching all the ground beneath you drop…” 

He glanced back at Zack with an annoyed look, and Zack remembered that he was actually supposed to be playing, and strummed along in time with him.  _ Yeah, he surprised me too when he pulled this baby out,  _ he thought, wandering to the front of the stage to watch his chord progression closer.  _ But, it’s pretty simple. No fancy solos here. How much do you want to bet that he’ll try and squeeze something in, though?  _

Sephiroth cleared his throat and focused on the mic.  _ “Don’t leave me high…”  _ As he held the note, his pitch wavered, and he ended the phrase early. Shaking his head, he tried again on the next line.  _ “Don’t leave me dry… _ fuck.” His voice cracked, and he dropped off mic and off guitar, waving his hand. “Jesus…” 

“You’re pushing too hard,” Genesis grumbled, slapping a string on his bass, then whirled to Tifa. “And  _ you.  _ Don’t slow down.” 

“I’m not!” Tifa replied. “I’m watching both of you guys…” 

“I’m just sayin’. Don’t.” 

She rolled her eyes and slapped the drumsticks against her lap. In the meantime, Sephiroth paced along the front of the stage. “If we all harmonize, it will be fine…”

“Three part harmony?” Zack asked. “That seems like…a lot. On stage.”

“It can be  _ done,”  _ Sephiroth snapped. “Are you a professional or what?” 

Zack let out a hissing sigh. “Yes, sir…” 

“Don’t give me  _ lip.”  _ He glared at him before coughing to himself. “Damn it,  _ I  _ need to get this right first…”

“Um…” Tifa piped up. “Can I…could I say something?” 

Sephiroth whirled around fast enough to make his hair flutter out behind him.  _ “What.”  _

“Well…” she started, tapping her foot against the hi-hat. “It sounds like…maybe you’re singing from your chest too much?” She tapped against the center of her chest, just above her breasts. “Maybe…maybe if you sang up in your head? Or something? I dunno…”

Zack tilted his head in curiosity, while she sat up in her seat and sang the lyric herself.  _ “Don’t leave me high…”  _ Her hand quivered as she pointed up in the air to emphasize. “Y’know, kinda…less forceful…?”

The silence felt like a lifetime. 

“Hm,” was all Sephiroth replied with when he decided to break it. “I think I understand what you mean. Falsetto is the word you’re looking for.” 

Tifa snapped her fingers. “Y-yeah! Th-that one…” 

Genesis clicked his tongue. “Took you long enough to think of  _ that  _ one…”

“Hey man, don’t be rude,” Zack said. “Didn’t hear you have anything to say about it either.” 

He turned around to face the amp without another word.  _ Jackass.  _ “Whatever, let’s just…try again, yeah?” Zack suggested, running his hand through his hair as he eyed Sephiroth. “Yeah?” 

“Mm.” He nodded and glanced back at Tifa. “You start.”

“Oh…” She stared down at the kit, then clicked the sticks together four times before starting her groove again. It was stiff, but serviceable. Genesis picked up into it, still not facing her, with a small fill, and once he was settled in, Zack joined in. 

Sephiroth watched them play, then nodded and walked over to Zack. “Keep playing that. You’re going to be the foundation,” he said into his ear.

“What are you gonna do?” Zack asked.

“Fill between lyrics.”

_ See, there it is. There’s the showy, frilly shit.  _ “‘Kay.” 

Before he could say much of anything, Sephiroth turned to Zack’s amp and began fussing with the knobs. “Yo, what the fuck?” Zack exclaimed.

He ignored him, steadily making the tone fuzzier and fuzzier. He was about to scold him again, when he dropped a beat in his strumming, and attempted to flick his wrist to stay back in time. Instead, Tifa followed him, speeding up the beat, and dropping a couple more along the way. “Hey!” Genesis barked, turning his head. “Watch it!” 

“Sorry!” Tifa replied, but her talking made her falter more, until she was stuck only hitting the bass drum for time. “J-just--” 

“For fuck’s sake!” He groaned and stormed right in front of the kit, the cords of his neck sticking out. “Fucking pay attention!” 

“Stop talking to me, then!” she snapped back. “Let me  _ focus.”  _

“If you’re gonna play drums, your focus has to be  _ everywhere!”  _ He kicked at the bass drum from the outside, causing her to stop completely. Zack stopped playing as well.  _ Oh, shit, here we go… _

“Gen,” Sephiroth tried to reprimand, but he paid no attention to him. 

“I’m  _ trying!”  _ Tifa insisted, standing up. “Look, I just--”

“Well  _ try harder!”  _ Genesis shouted back. “We’d already be fuckin’  _ done  _ with this if it weren’t for you!” 

“Hey--!” Zack interrupted, putting an arm out to keep Genesis from nudging himself any closer to Tifa. The drumkit provided her a safe haven, but Genesis’ eyes glowed with fury, and it made Zack want to hold his breath. 

As soon as he noticed his arm, however, Genesis smacked it away. “Don’t!” he said, before returning his attention to Tifa. “We need someone better than a second-rate  _ beginner  _ to fill  _ his  _ fucking shoes--”

“Well, then  _ get someone!”  _ Tifa burst out, biting her lip hard. “I’m not Angeal, and I’m never gonna be!” 

Zack could hear the string of Genesis’ last nerve snapping in the air with the crack of his elbow as he pointed to the door.  _ “Get the fuck out of here!”  _ he hollered, thinly controlled. When he took another breath, it gasped in his throat. “Get it  _ right  _ or  _ get out!”  _

_ “Fine!”  _ In one fell swoop, she grabbed her jacket, sticks clattering from her lap, and ran out the door, knocking over a chair along the way. 

“Tifa!” Zack called after her. “Tifa,  _ wait!”  _

But the door slammed in all of their faces, hard enough to echo in the snare in the drum kit. Sephiroth couldn’t take a breath to stop her, and Zack couldn’t reach out to her again. “Fuck!” he exclaimed, stomping the ground. “God  _ damn it,  _ Gen!”

Zack stormed over to Genesis, who was still tense in front of the kit. “What the hell did I do?” he retorted between clenched teeth. “If she can’t take it, she’s not good enough to be here with us--”

“Well  _ maybe  _ if you wouldn’t fucking  _ yell at her  _ for every  _ tiny  _ mistake! And tell her to leave!” Zack ripped his hat off and slammed it on the ground. “She’s still learning, she’s not going to be perfect.”

“Well, why not?” Genesis hissed. Even with their instruments still around their shoulders, they got as close to each other’s faces as could be allowed. Genesis’ eyes were wild--red around the rims, but the absence of an accompanying scent tipped Zack off that it wasn’t because he was high. “He could’ve picked out someone better to be his...”

His throat choked. “To be his...”

Zack sighed heavily.  _ His replacement.  _ “Tifa’s not  _ bad,”  _ he said, a little softer. “Sh-she’s...she’s just--”

“She’s not  _ him,  _ though--!” Genesis spat, pacing around the kit and kicking over the stool. “She’s not him, fuck,  _ fuck--!” _

He inhaled sharply and faced toward the back wall.  _ I know, it’s hard for all of us now that he’s gone,  _ Zack thought, dragging a hand down his face.  _ It feels empty around here. Sometimes, I think I see him around the halls but...he’s gone. Angeal is gone.  _ He bit his lip.  _ Damn it... _

Behind him, Sephiroth hadn’t said a word, seated on one of the folding chairs with his guitar.  _ At least he’s got it together.  _ He finger-picked a cycle of chords, hair in his face as he hovered over the body of it.  _ But even he couldn’t stop her from running out like that. Hell, if it were me, I would’ve fuckin’ booked it too.  _ “So, what now?” Zack sighed.

Sephiroth didn’t break stride, his rhythm solid and unwavering. “Let’s do something else,” he muttered, then leaned back. “We can work without her for now.”

“Yeah? What if she doesn’t wanna come back?” Zack said, pointing back at Genesis. “Because of  _ him?”  _

“If Angeal thought she was worthy of playing with us, she will be back,” he replied simply. He paused only to pick up the sheet of paper tossed on the chair beside him, unfolding it to read it better. “Gen.”

He didn’t reply, having wandered to the amp in the meantime. Sephiroth continued regardless. “Don’t do that again. There’s no need for it.” 

Still nothing.  _ How are you going to get through to him?  _ Zack thought incredulously, shuffling in place.  _ He’s stubborn, and he won’t listen to anyone… _

_ (“Genesis will be suffering the most…”) _

_ I just-- _

_ (“He’s going to be selfish and an asshole--don’t cut him much slack, but go easy on him…”) _

Zack puffed out one cheek.  _ Dude’s making it hard. Really. Fucking. Hard. _

“Hey,” Sephiroth called again, resuming his chord cycle.  _ “Hey. _ Get over here.”

“What, what?” Genesis groaned, sniffing before making his way back over. His feet dragged in the mess of cords on the floor, almost tripping over them.

Sephiroth didn’t look up, even when Genesis stood right over him. “I’ve got an idea. For this.” His voice was a low murmur, such a drone that Zack jumped when he nodded up to him. “Go...play over this for a bit.”

Zack blinked. “Huh?”

“I said, play over this. Do whatever you want.” He stopped abruptly. “But when I stop fingerpicking, play this. This is going to be the chorus melody…”

He slid his hand up the neck, and played a high melody line that cascaded downward. It repeated in a similar manner once before he cut himself off. “Play it.”

“Uh...” Zack fumbled to turn up his guitar, and he played it back--slow, and not exact, but Sephiroth only nodded, sinking back into his rhythm.  _ Sephiroth is letting me solo? Without putting up a fight? _

“What kind of work can we do without a drummer?” Genesis scoffed, arms crossed. “We don’t--”

“Gen,” Sephiroth barked. “Sit down.”

He stared at him for a minute, then did as he was told, staring at his guitar. After a second, he joined in with the chords, playing long tones against Sephiroth’s solid fingerpicking. With a sigh, Zack started to solo over it, closing his eyes.  _ Angeal…you never told us, you never mentioned that anything was wrong. You were steady, you always helped me when I needed any advice. Even when we became peers. _

_ So, now what am I supposed to do? _

Sephiroth led him into the “chorus” section obviously, and Genesis followed suit, mouthing something silently to himself. _ Fuck, how did that go again?  _ With a second’s hesitation, he played what he believed to be the line Sephiroth had outlined for him.  _ This isn’t quite it, but it feels pretty good, anyway. And...he didn’t stop to bitch at me for it... _

Another cycle, another solo.

_ Angeal had it all put together, he knew...he was going to go. He trained Tifa to play drums, he organized all his stuff, and who it was going to go to...he gave me his sword. The Buster Sword, in his family for generations. What was it he wrote? “There’s no one left in my family tree to pass it off to, and you’re the closest thing I have. So, it’s yours. Don’t let them bury me with it. It’ll get rusty.” _

Sephiroth’s firm gaze stopped Zack dead in his playing--once he had achieved this, he looked to Genesis. “Take one,” he said.

Genesis rolled his shoulders and turned up his bass, fretting hand wandering over the fretboard in high lines.  _ It’s been hard for me...I haven’t wanted to be alone since the funeral. It’s lucky we have a full house. But, Gen...him and Angeal were best friends growing up. They’ve known each other for fifteen years, just about. Even outside of the band… _

(“Why! Why! Why!”  _ he screamed, kicking at it and ripping at his hair. His sentence disintegrated, but it picked back up in a frantic yelp. “You weren’t supposed to go--!” ) _

As the chorus turned around, Genesis easily mocked Sephiroth’s line without any flaw in his fingering.  _ He’s definitely had it the hardest. Guess the only way he knows how to cope is by making everyone else miserable,  _ Zack mused, watching his drawn face stare pointedly at the ground.  _ Angeal… _

_ We miss you... _

Sephiroth’s guitar rhythm had picked up into a loud flurry, and he stood up while he cycled through one chorus, nodding to Genesis. He followed in a trance, up to the microphone. “Ready? You got it?” Sephiroth said into it. They shared a look, before he counted off. “One, two, three, four...”

The two of them sang at the same mic, in an unstable harmony:

_ “Wait, this is more than I can take, _ __   
_ Time is just another demon I’d like to break, _ _   
_ __ When watching is all I can do...”

Sephiroth abruptly took a huge step back from the mic, giving Genesis the mic by himself. If he noticed, he didn’t react, eyes squeezed shut.  _ “When watching is all I can do, for you...” _

The two of them ended on a long note, and Genesis bowed his head. “Sh-shit...” he whispered, consonants amplified by the proximity of the microphone. “I-I...”

Sephiroth put one hand on his shoulder, letting it slide off through his back as soon as it made contact. “It’s fine,” he grunted. “Go home.”

He shook his head. “I-I don’t...damn it, I don’t...”

With a very heavy sigh, Sephiroth turned off his amp. “I’ll go with you,” he said, then his eyes flicked to Zack. “You go, too. You should catch up with Tifa.”

“E-er...yeah,” Zack stammered, shuffling over to unplug his guitar.  _ Fuck. _ He couldn’t take his eyes off Genesis, hunched over and laboriously trying to turn down all the knobs on his amp, face out of sight.  _ This is…that was… _ “I’ll...yeah.”

He packed up in silence, as quickly as he could, and left his other two bandmates behind.  _ I can’t watch that, God,  _ he thought. He raced down the hall, holding his breath until he was all the way down the staircase.  _ It only reminds me of how...how upset I am...that he’s gone... _

When he burst out into the smoking area, Tifa was there, a cigarette between her lips. Her face was still blotchy, but her eyes were dry. “Oh, that was quick,” she remarked, tossing it aside. “Sorry, I just--”

“Don’t, don’t,” Zack sighed, shaking his head. “I’m the one who should be sorry--”

“Why? It’s not you, it’s fucking Genesis,” she spat, wrapping her jacket tight around her. “I thought Seph was going to be the worst to deal with, but--”

“Yeah, joke’s on all of us. Motherfucker…” Zack sighed. “He’s just...upset, that’s all, I guess,” he tried to reason, staring up at the plate. His tone fell to a bare whisper. “We all are.”

Tifa opened her mouth, prepared to retaliate, but the urge died as she let the last bit of smoke trail from her nose. “Yeah.”

He glanced over to her. “Outta nicotine gum?” he asked. “You know Aerith--”

“Yeah, yeah…” she huffed. She pulled an almost empty pack of cigarettes out of her jacket and wiggled them in the air. “These have been in here forever, I never threw them out--”

“Hand ‘em over,” Zack said. As soon as they were in his hand, he wound up, and hurled them off to the side, toward the street. They zoomed out of sight without a trace. “There. Gone.”

To his surprise, she snorted. “You could’ve just…thrown them away.”

“Yeah, but now they’re gone forever.”

“They could’ve been gone forever in a trashcan somewhere.”

Zack snickered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Oh, man…”

Tifa ran her tongue over her teeth and stared at the pavement as they walked down the slope, further under the plate. “Y’know what?” she said. “Despite that--and I mean  _ all  _ that…” She waved her hand around to emphasize. “I’m going to keep drumming.”

“Yeah? You sure?”  _ I wouldn’t, if I were you. Then again, I deal with Sephiroth and I’m still here, aren’t I?  _ “‘Cause--”

“Yeah,” she affirmed. “I mean, if he pulls that shit  _ again,  _ I’ll probably walk out. But…I want to get better.” Determination sparked in Tifa’s eyes. “I’m going to prove that I can play. I  _ can  _ play, I was doing  _ fine.”  _

“Hey, there you go,” Zack said, patting her shoulder. “Knock those bastards outta the park.”

“Angeal…gave me some practice tapes, in with that box of stuff,” she said. “I can…play with those. Keep learning the techniques…he was teaching me…”

Zack nodded, a shudder rushing over him.  _ Yeah, you left a little piece of you with everyone, didn’t you? God.  _ “And…well, y’know,” Tifa continued. “I’ve gotta go back anyway. I need to give Genesis a real piece of my mind when I’m, y’know,  _ prepared.”  _

She cracked her knuckles, and Zack barked out a surprised laugh.  _ Fuck, she’s dead serious! _ “Girl--!” he exclaimed. “I’ll give you a thousand gil if you just  _ clock  _ him a good one.” 

Tifa grinned. “Just let Aerith and I have the bed more often when I sleep over, and we’ll call it even, okay?” 

“Fair enough,” he replied.  _ So, maybe not the best rehearsal. Not by a long shot,  _ Zack thought as the church loomed into view.  _ But, we’ve got to get through it. What would he say if we didn’t?  _

_ Keep moving forward.  _

_ That’s all we can do, right? We’ve gotta try.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two songs featured here! One is ["High & Dry" by Radiohead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFfFVSerQo), and the other is an original tune, simply titled "WAIT" that you can [listen to here!](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/160246926596/next-chapter-is-ready-to-post-so-heres-the)
> 
> Genesis is still a mess. That's not going to change for a while. I had a big chunk of this already written up (since last June, when I wrote the song), but had to tweak a bunch of it to fit the rest of the chapter. Hopefully it flows pretty well! Tifa's a tough cookie, and probably would've fought back a little more if she didn't feel a little self-conscious behind the kit. There are a lot of people putting pressure on her, after all…
> 
> We're going to get into that more next chapter, where we'll spend some time with Tifa in the practice room. With some passerbys. Stay tuned!


	78. Determination

Tifa whirled out of the rehearsal room, drenched in sweat, and jammed the button of the water fountain.  _ God, my arms are aching.  _ She pushed her bangs up and drenched her forehead in cold water, then took a long drink, slurping as she did so.  _ I’ve been here every afternoon…I sneak in through the back in the dead of the afternoon, when 3rds are taking their smoke break, then play until the night shift change. Then I go back, and work the night shift… _

_ (“Practicing for that band, huh?” Barret commented. “Take your mornings off.” _

_ “What do you mean?” Tifa said, idly rubbing the same square of the bar counter. “I’m--I’m fine--” _

_ “You’re falling asleep at the counter. I don’t want to see you overworking yourself. Get some rest.” _

_ “But--” _

_ “That Sephiroth came around the other day, said he had to set back the gig because they lost their drummer. You’re taking his place, aren’t you?” _

_ A lump crept in her throat. “W-well, yeah--” _

_ “Then you’ve gotta practice.” _

_ “What about--” _

_ “Marlene’s fine. Vinny’s been taking her out more…”  _

_ Barret rested a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. “Don’t worry about it, hon…”) _

Tifa wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and rushed back into the practice room, resuming her stool and picking up her Walkman off the floor. As she rested it on her lap, she attempted to wrap her ponytail up into a bun, but without another hair-tie, it unraveled to her back.  _ I should cut my hair. I barely do anything with it this long, anyway. It was Dad who never let me cut it… _

_ Anyway, where was I… _

She mashed her headphones over her head and rewound the tape, watching the gears spin in the tiny window on the tape player.  _ I’ve almost gotten through this whole tape of exercises. I can do them without much trouble.  _ As she clicked to stop the tape, heart pounding in her chest, she found herself staring at the cymbals without focus.  _ After this gig…I’ll be able to relax. Just a little bit. Maybe I’ll find a good middle ground, like Zack has. Somehow. Genesis hasn’t blown up again since that last time. He’s chosen to keep his mouth shut for the most part, which means I haven’t had to clock him, that’s great… _

She shook her head.  _ C’mon, Tifa. Let’s go.  _

With a sigh, she clicked the tape to play, the beat thrumming in her ears.  _ This isn’t so bad.  _ She tapped the hi-hat to count herself in, then rolled into a fill with the snare, playing along with the straight ahead beat.  _ I kinda wish he would’ve given these to me earlier. They would’ve been a great practice tool, considering we didn’t have two kits to work with-- _

Her focus was interrupted by Zack whirling in through the door in uniform. “Yo!” he greeted, dancing forward along with the beat. “Jeez, you’ve been here all week, haven’t you?” 

Tifa rattled the sticks to a halt as she watched him groove over to the amp. “Yeah, gotta practice,” she replied. “What are  _ you  _ doing here?” 

“Just stoppin’ by, y’know,” he said, bobbing his head. He pulled his guitar case out from behind his amp. “I could hear you from upstairs, I was  _ diggin’  _ it.” 

She raised an eyebrow.  _ Yeah?  _ “You seem…chipper.”

“Dude! I’m on my third cup of coffee,” he replied, his eyes a little too wide. “I feel  _ great!”  _

“That should be…illegal, for you.”

“Man, I’m on break before my overnight, I’m gonna need it.” He yanked out his guitar and slung it over his shoulder. “Besides, I can’t get this jam outta my head. Seph keeps pushing it off to practice it.”

“What song?” Tifa asked.

“‘Meet Virginia.’” 

“Oh, yeah.”  _ You play it on tape constantly whenever I’m over at your place. No wonder it’s stuck in your head.  _

Zack plugged in his guitar and strummed. “Yeah, Sephiroth keeps calling it ‘pop-country bullshit’, probably thinks it’s too easy. But, dude,  _ dude,  _ I just wanna sing it so  _ bad!”  _

His excitement threatened to leech whatever energy Tifa had left in her as she rolled her shoulders back.  _ Well, there goes my practice session,  _ she thought, watching him tune his guitar.  _ But, honestly, this is the most energy I’ve seen him have in a while. Even if it’s because of caffeine. Cloud and Aerith would be happy to see him back to his old self, more or less.  _

With one last strum, Zack appeared satisfied with his tuning job, and bounced over to the drumit. “Wanna play with me? Wanna jam?”

“Well, you’re here, so…” Tifa picked up her sticks and put one in each hand with a sigh. “Sure.”

“Nice, nice!” He began fingerpicking immediately, taking some time to fall into a steady rhythm. “You know how this goes, don’t you?”

“Yeah, you put it on all the damn time.” Her voice spoke annoyance, but her face didn’t quite show it, and it made Zack chuckle. She watched him wander around, fingerpicking as he made his way to the microphone.  _ Did he even plug that in?  _

As soon as he took a breath, he huffed and cursed. “Aw, shit. Gotta plug it in, plug it in…” He bent down and followed the cable over to the mic amp, flicking a few switches as he stayed low to the ground. “Plug it in, plug it in…” 

_ Aerith would be so endeared right now, if she were here,  _ Tifa thought. She tapped the rhythm of Zack’s former strumming against her thigh while he finished fiddling with the cords.  _ I hope when we get home, we can cuddle on the couch for a bit, just relax and watch something… _

“All right, all right, all right,” Zack said, each phrase getting closer and closer to the mic. “That’s better.  _ Now  _ we’re good. Cool!” 

This time, he didn’t bother to riff for too long before crooning into the microphone. “Yeah,  _ she doesn’t own a dress, her hair is always a mess; you catch her stealin’, she won’t confess…she’s beautiful…” _

He kept playing, but scooted around to look at Tifa, talking into the mic. “Y’know, this song reminds me of Aerith,” he said. “In a weird way. Y’know? Have I told you that?”

Tifa began to hit the pedal of the kick drum every other beat. “Uh…I don’t think so,” she replied. 

“Yeah. Reminds me of when we first met…” He repeated another couple bars on his guitar before he began to sing again:  _ “She smokes a pack a day,  _ oh wait, that’s me,  _ but anyway…”  _ He laughed to himself.  _ “She doesn’t care a thing about that hair, she thinks I’m beautiful…meet Virginia…”  _

She filled into a simple beat to accompany him, and fell into time easily, even if she slowed down a hair.  _ Zack doesn’t feel as rigid to play with. He’s loose. Maybe it’s just because trying to match Genesis is such a chore. He feels so…locked in.  _

_ “Well, she wants to be the queen, then she thinks about her scene, _ _   
_ _ Holds her hair back as she screams: ‘I don’t really wanna be the queen…’” _

His frantic strumming quieted back down, and she followed suit. Zack began to sing more to her than to the invisible audience, expression dancing on his face.  _ Last gig…I wasn’t paying attention to the band that much. I was working, even just a little, and then there was Cloud…  _ She bit her lip, letting the music saturate her ears and the beat flow out of her hands and feet.  _ That was a good night. I can still feel that kiss in the dark, in the hallway… _

_ “Holds her hair back as she screams: ‘I don’t really wanna live this life…!’” _

Zack screeched his hand up the fretboard, making Tifa jerk her head up. “Keep playing, keep going!” he insisted. “See, here’s where Seph’ll wanna do some sick guitar solo, like…” 

He crouched over his guitar and began playing obscene, nonsensical lines on his guitar. Without anything to back him, there was no way for Tifa to tell if what he was playing was “correct” or not. He pursed his lips and made exaggerated faces as he wailed on it, lifting the guitar neck up and down as well. Tifa brayed with laughter. “God!” she exclaimed, filling into the next bar.

“Whaddya think? How’s my Sephiroth impression?” Zack shouted in reply, laughing himself. “Oh man…”

He toned down his playing, reverting into his more lyrical style, watching Tifa the whole time so she could do the same, winding down into the previous groove. As they settled back in together, he winked at her before returning to the mic.  _ Y’know, if this is all I had to deal with, it’d be okay.  _

As he bridged into the last chorus, his silliness faded, focus returning to him as he sang into the mic. He closed his eyes and pushed his voice further, its tone shifting just enough to notice.  _ He’s getting into it,  _ Tifa thought, and as Zack’s guitar strummed harder to match, she drummed to a similar energy.

_ “…Pulls her hair back as she screams, ‘I don’t really wanna be the queen,’ _ __   
_ I, I don’t really wanna be the queen, I, I don’t really wanna be the queen, _ _   
_ __ I…”

_ This is the end of the song.  _ While Zack didn’t guide her, taking a huge gasping breath, she slowed down appropriately.  _ “I don’t really wanna live this…”  _

The tone of his guitar rang out in the cement walled room, as well as the cymbals, as well as his breathing right at the mic. “Ah…” he panted, a chuckle in the very back of his throat. “See, that felt…that felt good, huh, Ange…”

Tifa’s heart jerked in her chest.  _ I’m not…  _ The realization hit Zack around the same time, when his eyes flickered to the drum kit, up to her own eyes. “O-oh, fuck,” he muttered. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s…” she started.  _ I’m not Angeal. I’m never going to be.  _ Tifa opened her mouth to say her thoughts, but as Zack wiped a hand down over his eyes, through to his mouth with a shudder, she held back.  _ No, he knows that. He’s not like Genesis…he knows.  _ “I-it’s…okay.” 

Zack took a deep breath, staggering away from the mic and taking his guitar off. “R-really…I didn’t mean to--”

“I know, Zack.”

“Y’know, we used to do this sometimes…” he said. “Just…jam, without the others. Wish we could’ve…done it more.” 

He sniffled and shook his head as he put his guitar back away, but stopped abruptly.  _ What?  _ Tifa thought. Then, he straightened up and whirled toward the door. “Who’s there?”

Tifa followed his gaze, and while she saw a shadow pass, there was no one at the door. “Did you see someone?” she asked. 

“I dunno,” Zack muttered. “Felt like… _ someone  _ was watching, though.” He stared at the door for a moment longer, then shook his head. “Oh, well. What time is it…”

_ Someone watching.  _ Tifa continued to watch the door as she stood up from her stool.  _ I never see anyone through here, unless it’s one of the other guys coming here. What else is even on this floor?  _ “Man, it’s only been ten minutes? Felt a hell of a lot longer than that…” Zack remarked. As Tifa made her way around the kit, he put a hand on her shoulder. “You heading home?” 

“Probably should,” she replied. “For tonight, anyway…” 

“Cool.” He stretched his arms up to the ceiling, flexing his fingers against it. “You’re going to our place, right? Keep Cloud and Aerith company while I’m gone.”

She nodded. “Can do.”

* * *

 

Another day in the rehearsal room, Tifa abruptly stopped her drumming as she saw a figure pass the door.  _ There it is again.  _ She wiped her forehead with the back of her arm and dropped her sticks on the ground, rushing to the door.  _ It feels like someone’s been watching me the last few days. And I  _ know  _ it hasn’t been Zack, or else he would just come in.  _

She flung open the door, hard enough to let it hit the other wall. “Hello?” she called, voice echoing in the hallway. “Hello…?” 

There was no one in the hallway, but the door to the stairwell was still closing, and she made a run for it. “Hey! Who’s there!”  _ Who the hell is spying on me?  _ She dashed to the door and whipped it open. She glanced down the stairs, then up before she found her target.  _ “Hey!”  _

Already up almost a flight of stairs, Genesis stopped dead in his tracks without a word.  _ Of course it’s you,  _ Tifa thought with annoyance, hands on her hips. He was out of uniform, in his red leather, as if he was on his way out. “What are you doing?” she asked. 

He didn’t reply, but turned on his toe back down the stairs, the sound of his shoe against the grip of the stairs echoing in the stairwell. “Have you been spying on me all week?” Tifa demanded. “The last two?” 

With a heavy sigh, he staggered back down the stairs. “Ain’t just me,” he muttered. “Seph’s been here too--”

“Well, don’t sneak around,” Tifa said, eyes narrowed as he reached her level. “I know what you’re doing…”

Genesis glanced down at her with a bitter look. “Do you?” he replied. What bitterness was there was soon replaced with a tired sigh.  _ Yeah, you’re trying to still size me up, aren’t you?  _ Tifa thought.  _ You’re putting a lot on me, and I’m getting pretty damn tired of it… _

“You’re still practicing?” he asked, barely enunciated. 

“Yeah,” she replied. “Why?”

Genesis grunted, then continued back through the 3rd floor door. Tifa followed close behind, as he entered the practice room. Immediately, he walked behind his amp and pulled out his bass, flicking on the amp as he did so. “What are you doing?” Tifa asked.

“What the hell does it look like?” he replied, heaving his bass over his shoulder. He plugged in the auxiliary cable and twisted the volume knob on his bass. As soon as it was on, he fingered all four strings, letting them ring in the pseudo harmony that the notes made. “Are you gonna play, or what?” 

_ Rude! Rude asshole!  _ “I didn’t expect  _ you  _ to come by,” Tifa grumbled, but still wandered behind the kit. 

“Yeah, well…”  He snapped a string, staring down instead of looking at her. “I’m here now. If you can play alone with Zack--”

_ So, you were sneaking around then too, huh?  _ Heat flamed at the back of her neck and forehead while she gripped her drumsticks. “Well, you’re--”

Genesis’ eyes snapped to her, their mako blue gleaming with a surprising sharpness. At the same time, there was a tired understanding on his brow, and in the twitch of his lip, almost a smirk. “I’m what?” he said. 

_ A rude, pretentious, selfish, annoying asshole?  _ His tone and gaze tested her patience, and as he sighed, Tifa’s argument faded in the back of her brain.  _ It’s like he’s already heard it all before… _

He slid his finger up along the bass, and began playing a medium paced line. “Join in whenever,” he grunted. 

_ This is…one of the new songs we’re doing for the gig.  _ Tifa tapped her foot on the hi-hat pedal in time with the cascading bassline.  _ It’s called…”Casual Affair”, I think? By some alternative band…it sounds pretty cool.  _

She filled in to play along with him, keeping her beat simple.  _ It’s the guitars and everything else that makes it sound fancy,  _ she thought, while Genesis watched her sticks on the drumheads.  _ The drum part itself isn’t too much.  _

They looped the same few bars for a while, then Genesis nodded. “You know how the melody goes?” he asked, barely audible above the sound of the drums. 

“Uh…” Tifa tried to formulate an audible response, but her arms threatened to freeze.

_ “Don’t, _ don’t fuckin’ talk,” Genesis snapped, pedaling one note until she regained time. With an eyeroll that she  _ definitely  _ caught, he huffed. “Just nod or shake your head.”

Tifa nodded. 

“I’m gonna go into the chorus. Use your fills to play like that.” 

_ Oh yeah. Like Angeal…wanted to teach me before.  _ Tifa watched Genesis walk into the chorus section, and she rattled on the different heads, trying to remember the melody.  _ Ho, how does it go…”it’s a cas-ual af-fair--”  _

She hit the ride on the last syllable in her mind.  _ “…when ev-ry-bo-dy loves you…”  _ Genesis was also mouthing the lyrics at the same time.  _ “Oh, you’ll pay top dollar, they’ll make you wear the dog collar baby, when everybody loves you…” _

Genesis cleared his throat. “Again.”

They played the chorus section together, with Genesis stretching to relax a little more, only noticeable in his playing. His notes filled more, and were looser in the pocket, and it allowed Tifa to embellish beats as well.  _ I haven’t heard him play like this with me before… _

Before she could enjoy it, however, he cut her off by waving his hand. “Something else,” he muttered. “Something quiet. Something…something like…”

He played another bassline, slower this time, with a steadiness to it.  _ Oh, this is another one of the new ones,  _ Tifa realized.  _ The Live song. It’s kinda…haunting. A lot of the songs we’re doing are pretty…somber. I mean…I shouldn’t be surprised.  _

After he played the riff a couple times, she came in with a snare beat, to which Genesis immediately disapproved with a shake of his head. “Softer. Less,” he directed. “Play on the rim.” 

_ The rim?  _ She paused for a moment, then blinked with realization.  _ Oh, right.  _ She flipped one drumstick to the side and tapped it against the rim of the snare drum, while she played lightly on the ride cymbal with the other. It appeared to please Genesis, as he continued to play without further comment.  _ Even Zack gets entranced by this one. It’s almost like that time when they were playing with Aerith singing… _

_ I wonder if she’ll come do that again… _

_ (A wink from behind the mic before she goes to sing again…) _

While lost in thought, Genesis played a long note, and Tifa almost stopped playing. He glared right at her, as if to convey that he caught her.  _ Fuck, it’s the bridge.  _ She mixed up her beat with a more creative kick drum, but found nothing else coming to mind.  _ It’s all spacey through here, with the guitar and vocals…so I dunno…what… _

It was enough, as Genesis noodled through the section, then lifted his bass neck before hitting one last long note. She tapped the ride cymbal in finality as the note rang.  _ Well, so far, so good.  _ Tifa waited until Genesis slid his hand back up the neck of his bass before breathing again.  _ Is this some kind of test? I mean, he hears me play during rehearsal, and if he’s been snooping on me while I’ve been here-- _

“‘Kay, that’s easy shit,” he muttered to himself, running a hand back through his fringed, red-brown hair. “I’ve got it. Swing.”

“Uh…”  _ That’s a jazz beat…right? I remember Zack saying that these guys didn’t like jazz, even though Angeal did.  _ Tentatively, she tapped the ride cymbal in a standard swing beat,  _ tshh tk-tk tshh,  _ eyeing him for approval. 

Genesis stared at the cymbal as she played for a moment. “Faster,” he muttered. “Add more to it.”

She tilted her head once, then flicked her wrist faster, adding the kick drum into the mix as well.  _ A little faster isn’t so bad.  _ She swallowed, then attempted to add in snare. Thankfully, she coordinated everything properly in time, only slowing down momentarily as she put everything together. Genesis nodded, then began walking a bassline along with her.  _ Oh, isn’t this…one of the songs Zack sings?  _

_ (“Hey, uh, can we do ‘This Charming Man’?” Zack asked, bouncing on his toes. His eyes kept shooting over to Cloud sitting beside her in the audience. “Just real quick--” _

_ Sephiroth sighed, over-exaggerated. “Fine,” he huffed. “Are you able to play along as well?”  _

_ “Well, if these guys don’t speed off on me!” Zack groaned. _

_ He glared back at Angeal, who only chuckled. “You only wanna play it ‘cause Cloud’s here,” he remarked. _

_ Zack flushed pink and stood up straight. “Well…” _

_ Angeal shook his head, then whacked the back of Genesis’ thigh with one of his sticks. “Hey, you ready to swing, man?”  _

_ Genesis rolled his eyes. “If I have to.” _

_ “Don’t be a spoil-sport…”) _

Genesis closed his eyes as he played, fingers walking effortlessly through the progression.  _ He says he doesn’t  _ like  _ it, but he’s good at it. I guess he has a history of it… _

_ …with Angeal… _

As he walked into what sounded like a turnaround, he muttered out loud. “Faster.”

_ Faster? Okay…  _ She stopped to hit the hi-hat to reestablish her time.

“Hey, what are you doing?” he snapped suddenly. “I didn’t fuckin’ tell you to stop.”

“I’m not! Here!” She rolled on the snare and started up the beat again, slightly faster this time, and Genesis soon joined in. His playing was just as relaxed, perhaps even more despite the faster tempo.  _ What does he want? What does he want? _

“Faster,” he repeated. “Again…”

_ Damn it!  _ Begrudgingly, she picked up the pace, her forearms just starting to ache.  _ This is pretty fast still…how fast does he want to go?  _ Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him wandering from his amp, wandering more in front of the kit.  _ Is he…smiling?  _

“Faster.  _ Faster.”  _

_ God, what the fuck?  _ Tifa bit her lip as she pushed herself to make quicker time,

_ (“Don’t hold the sticks too hard.”) _

trying to keep her rhythm together. But, as she loosened her grip, the stick that was hitting the snare flew back out of her hand and onto the floor.  _ Shit!  _ Genesis paid no attention, engrossed in his own playing, staring at the ceiling as he grinded out the riff.  _ This is impossible--! _

She held her breath as she tried to keep swinging on the ride cymbal, fingernails digging into her other empty palm.  _ Come on, come on, come on, keep pushing…God, how did he even do it? How did he ever keep up with him?  _

At last, Genesis snapped his fingers against the strings and barked out a laugh in conclusion. “Fuck!” he exclaimed, while Tifa’s other stick fell from her hand. “God damn…”

Tifa frowned as she picked up her sticks off the floor, arms aching and sweat beading on her forehead.  _ Son of a bitch…  _ She caught her breath as quietly as she could while glaring up at him, still smirking at the ceiling.  _ But… _

Finally, he glanced down at her. “Ah, shit…” he sighed. Then, he squatted down to his bass case and pulled out a metronome, fussing with it for a moment. He let the digital click ring in the air, about as fast as they were playing. “280? Not bad. The highest Ange and I could get was…fuck, 350, I think? Fuckin’…our director’s old metronome couldn’t even go that high…”

“That’s too fast,” Tifa grumbled. 

“Bullshit,” Genesis replied. He stood back up and leaned against his amp, staring off into space. “You have fun when you’re doing it…”

_ Do you?  _ she retorted in her mind.  _ Maybe if you have fifteen years of experience behind you, but…that’s not me. Don’t you get it?  _

His expression faded as he began to play a different riff, slower. It turned somber, distant, even as he looked over to her. “You know this one?” he muttered. 

She listened carefully as he repeated it. “Y…yeah, actually.”  _ It’s on the tape Aerith gave me, before we started dating. First song on side B. “The Chain”.  _

_ (“…I can still hear you saying, you would never break, never break the chain…”) _

Tifa pedaled the hi-hat at first for time, then retracted.  _ No, that’s…it’s a roll of some kind. On the snare?  _ She played on it, and withdrew immediately.  _ That’s too sharp. Toms?  _ She switched from the lowest drum, and eventually settled on the second from the highest, playing below Genesis’ line.  _ That’s better.  _

He nodded to her. “When you’re ready.” 

She waited for the turnaround, then ramped up her volume, filling into a straight-ahead rock beat. Despite her aching arms, it was easier on her as a whole, and she settled into the feel easily while Genesis continued to play.  _ Wouldn’t have guessed he liked this. Haven’t heard them play anything like it. I really like this song… _

As the groove didn’t require as much of her attention as the relentless swing, Tifa was able to look up over her drum kit. Genesis strayed from the repetitive riff to solo on his own, hunched over his bass. He walked up to a high note, then threw his head up into the air, teeth clenched.  _ Oh… _

He whirled around where he stood, walking down at the same time, and gestured wildly with the neck of his bass. Then, he played initial riff in slow motion, and Tifa followed with hits along with each note. He wouldn’t look at her, but his wide-eyed look, down at the drums, combined with a hitch in his breath, spoke more than words. 

They stayed in this pose long after the ring faded out from the amp. 

_ I have to say it,  _ Tifa thought, as the seconds ticked by.  _ I have to.  _ “Hey…”

“What?” he whispered. He stood up straight, but kept his eyes down at the same spot on the floor with a sniffle.  _ “What?”  _

“I’m…I’m not Angeal,” Tifa said, as gently as she could muster. “I’m never…going to be.” 

His head lifted up, then turned it to the side. “R…right.” 

Genesis staggered to the amp, pulling off his bass in a sweeping motion. Then, he paused. Then, he stared up at the ceiling again. “Fine,” he muttered. “She’s not…you, but…she’s good enough.” 

He leaned his bass against the amp, not bothering to put it away, flicked off the amp, and continued to stare at it.  _ “My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I?”  _ he recited, lips barely moving.  _ “All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter…”  _

He sucked in air hard through his teeth.  _ “N-no matter…where the winds may blow.”  _

With that, he staggered backwards, then lurched ahead to the door. Stumbling out, he stopped just as he opened it, turning in profile. “Keep practicing,” he said, his tone barely strung together. “Seph’s gonna want it…perfect for the gig.” 

And then he left. 

Tifa let out a long sigh, peeling herself off the stool, thighs sticking to the plastic leather.  _ God, God.  _ She ran a hand back through her bangs, watching the black feather hanging off the headstock of Genesis’ bass finish fluttering back and forth.  _ I’m…tired. But, at least he seems to  _ get  _ it. I’ll take that.  _

As she was embracing the silence and absence of Genesis presence, she wandered back around the kit, humming to herself.  _ “Chaaain, keep us together…”  _

_ “Running in the shadows…~.”  _

Aerith’s singing sent Tifa’s heart fleeing into her throat. “Ack!” she yelped. “Wh-wh-what are you doing here…?”

“I’m picking you up!” she chirped, dancing over to her and immediately wrapping her arms around her waist. “God, I had to hide so Genesis couldn’t see me--”

“You were  _ listening?”  _

“Just a little!” Aerith pushed out her bottom lip, and Tifa found herself unable to be terribly upset. “I mean, you guys were playing Fleetwood Mac, how could I  _ not  _ listen. I was even singing!” 

“O-oh? I couldn’t hear…”

“Well, you probably can’t hear anything that isn’t hooked up to an amp behind that drumkit.” 

“True…” 

Tifa slipped her arms around Aerith as well, just above hers, and held her close. “So, how’d it go?” Aerith asked quietly, close to her cheek. “He didn’t give you a hard time, did he?” 

“Not this time,” she replied. “For  _ once.  _ I think…I dunno, I think he realized something. I think he got it.” Tifa sighed and rested her chin on Aerith’s shoulder. “God, I’m so sick and  _ tired  _ of being the emotional dump…”

“I hear you, sweetie,” Aerith replied, combing her fingernails through her hair. “It’s worse for you. You don’t even  _ like  _ this guy.” 

Tifa snorted.  _ That’s for sure.  _ “Zack’s doing better, though.”

“Zack’s a  _ lot  _ better. He’s a tough cookie.” Aerith peppered Tifa’s cheeks with kisses, speaking in-between them. “You know who  _ else  _ is a tough cookie?” 

“H-hon, not here…” Tifa protested weakly, her eyes darting between the door and her. “Neither of us are staff here, and my excuse is flimsy at best…”

“Oh, no one’s even  _ on  _ this floor,” Aerith replied, mushing her lips against the corner of her mouth. “And I love you…” 

“What if Genesis comes back? What if  _ Sephiroth  _ comes by?”

“Oh, you worry too much. Besides, I think I intimidate him.”

_ “What?!”  _

Aerith used Tifa’s moment of disbelief to plant a huge, full kiss on Tifa’s lips, squeezing her tight in her arms.  _ Ah…!  _ She responded in turn, her shoulders relaxing as she tilted her head into the kiss.  _ You got me…  _

Just as soon as her eyes fluttered close, Aerith broke the kiss, but stayed close to her face, noses brushing. “Mm…” she uttered, a chuckle in the back of her throat. “You’re pretty…” 

“A-ah…!” Tifa squeaked, picking out the light freckles on her nose, a faint reminder of the summer gone by. “Y-you are too.” 

Aerith poked her cheek with one finger. “You’re cute when you’re pink, too,” she said.

“Oh, stop it…” 

She bounced on her toes and kissed her again, quick and loud this time. “C’mon, let’s get home. The boys are probably waiting for us.” 

_ Home,  _ Tifa thought as Aerith grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the drumkit.  _ Looks like I’m staying over then… _

“I can’t wait to hear everything all together,” Aerith remarked. “Zack said you guys are doing all new songs? I’m excited. You’re gonna sound great.” 

“Thanks, I…hope so,” Tifa replied with a sigh. “I mean,  _ hopefully  _ there won’t be any hitches…”

“If there are, you can deal with them.” She winked at her and squeezed her hand. “I know you can!” 

_ All of you sure have a lot of faith in me,  _ Tifa thought, smiling weakly.  _ You, Barret, and even Angeal, confident that I can do all of this. I guess if so many people do…that’s gotta count for something.  _

_ We’ll see at the gig, though… _

She snapped the light off in the rehearsal room with one hand, and let her girlfriend drag her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music roundup! If you'd like a roadmap for the little jam between Tifa and Genesis, I did a rough recording of it [here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/160519383041/next-chapters-about-to-post-so-heres-a-mega) Otherwise, Zack and Tifa run through "Meet Virginia" (again); Genesis and Tifa go through "Casual Affair" (a song referenced in an [earlier chapter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6380188/chapters/17166655), but now they're actually going to play it), ["T.B.D."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t18t1Nj_FU), "This Charming Man", and ["The Chain"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P160_odTwyY). 
> 
> I had a bunch of different ideas for this chapter, cut a few of them, and it still ended up a bit long. Wanted to give some resolution between Tifa and Genesis, as well as show her working hard for the band as well, while they're still grieving. Like Aerith says, she's very tough. 
> 
> Next time, we'll jump right into that gig they keep talking about. Stay tuned!


	79. Send-Off

The ringing of cymbals, feedback from the amp, and roaring applause all echoed in a cacophony in 7th Heaven’s dimly lit bar. Instead of being behind the bar, Tifa was situated behind the drum kit, sticking her sticks between her legs as she rubbed her bare arms.  _ I can’t believe Barret hasn’t turned the heat on in this place yet,  _ she thought.  _ If it weren’t for all the people around, you could probably see your own breath… _

In front of her, Zack was quick to grab the mic.  _ “Hey, hey, how’s it goin’?”  _ he said, voice booming in the small venue.  _ “Having a good time so far?”  _

The small crowd cheered, and Tifa could easily pick out Aerith’s whooping from the front of the bar. Sephiroth took a drink of water by his amp and rolled his eyes.  _ You really don’t like fun, do you?  _ Tifa thought to herself. Genesis stayed near his amp, staring pointedly at the floor.  _ Then there’s you, who’s been virtually silent since we started unloading… _

Zack cleared his throat, his posture dropping as he readjusted the mic.  _ “N-not too long ago…we lost our drummer, Angeal Hewley, to AIDS…”  _ He tried his best to sigh off mic, but it still picked up like static over the speakers.  _ “He was a great friend to all of us, made a big impact on everyone around him and…he’s gonna be missed.”  _

The crowd had gone silent, so much that even the faint feedback from the amps around them seemed deafening. Zack let the moment ring around them, head at the ground.  _ “So…th-this show’s for him.”  _

He turned around to face Tifa, guitar neck in hand. She was relieved to see that his eyes were dry. “Ready?” he asked.

“Mmmhm,” she replied

She clicked her sticks together three times, hit the snare on the fourth, and the band came in with her in a steady rock beat.  _ This whole intro is instrumental,  _ she thought, watching the group out of the corner of her eye. Sephiroth and Zack circled around the kit, while Genesis barely took a step forward, but kept them in sight.  _ It’s upbeat…but it’s melancholy.  _

After several bars, Sephiroth widened his eyes, then brought his guitar neck down to signal the cue into the verse, and Zack skipped back over to the microphone. Genesis turned his focus to Zack, and Tifa played a simple cymbal fill to lead him in:

_ “I’ve never been too good with names, _ _  
_ _ The cellar door was open, I could never stay away…” _

As he sang, Sephiroth wandered around the kit, and dipped down to hiss in her ear. “Hey,” he said.

_ God, what is it? Don’t fuck me up, not on stage, you  _ know  _ I can’t talk when I’m playing…  _ Nonetheless, Tifa replied. “What?” 

_ “It’s a shame about Ray. _ __  
_ In the stone under the dust his name is still engraved. _ __  
_ Some things need to go away, _ _  
_ __ It’s a shame about Ray…”

“We’re doing the other song too,” he said. 

“Wh…what other song?” she managed to ask, barely hanging onto the bridge. Genesis whipped his head over to assess her, glaring at her stickwork.  _ Fuck you, Seph! What are you even on about?! _

She bit her lip hard as she kept the fills going into the next verse, and once she was able to find time again, Sephiroth’s voice was back in her ear. “You know. For  _ him.”  _

_ Him?  _ Suddenly, Tifa’s eyes widened.  _ Oh… _ that  _ one. The one that Genesis… _

_ (“I think we should do it,” Sephiroth said. _

_ “No. Fuck you,” Genesis spat, crossing his arms. “I ain’t gonna fuckin’ sing.”  _

_ “You can manage to sing with us.” He twisted his mouth. “I wouldn’t sing that song. I don’t think Zack needs anymore songs.” _

_ From the hallway, Zack choked on a mouthful of water. “Hey! I can hear you! Asshole!” _

_ Both of them ignored him as they stared each other down, blue-green against pure blue. Genesis broke the contest by turning toward his amp. “I can’t sing,” he muttered. “It’s nothing…” _

_ “Then why do you keep coming up on mic for this one?”  _

_ Zack came in with a boisterous clatter, cussing under his breath, and Tifa couldn’t hear what Genesis had to say for himself…) _

Tifa nodded. “‘Kay.” 

_ “If I make it through today, _ _  
_ _ I’ll know tomorrow not to leave my feelings out on display…”  _

“Don’t wait too long. I’m making him do it,” Sephiroth continued. “Just count it in. Zack and I will be with you.” 

He strolled away, edging toward Zack and the front of the stage. Zack was completely absorbed at the mic, eyes closed and crooning. 

_ “I’ve never been too good with names, but I remember faces…”  _

The last word dripped off his tongue, and the band left room for it before diving into the chorus again.  _ Has he asked Zack? Does he already know?  _ Tifa thought, anxiety suddenly creeping up from her stomach and threatening to strangle her throat.  _ God, this is so risky. What if Genesis just freaks out instead? What if he walks out?  _

She shook her head and forced herself to focus on the drum heads immediately around her.  _ Sephiroth is a perfectionist. Even though I’m surprised as anyone that he wants to give anyone else the spotlight…if he didn’t think this through already, he wouldn’t do it.  _

_ So… _

_ “It’s a shame about Ray…”  _

Zack held out the last syllable as he backed away from the mic, then furiously played the end riff, spinning around on his toes. From the crowd, she could hear clapping begin early, and another cheer from Aerith.  _ I bet Cloud’s cheering right along with her.  _

Despite the thought of her partners, her anxiety bubbled to a peak, stinging in her hands and toes as she closed the song with one ride cymbal hit.  _ Don’t wait too long.  _ The crowd cheered, and she managed to look up to her bandmates. Genesis was facing his amp, barely paying any attention, but Sephiroth was staring at her, as if to say  _ what are you waiting for?  _ Zack also gave her a nod.  _ You got it?  _ he mouthed to her. 

She bit the inside of her cheek, then narrowed her focus.  _ Yeah. I’ve got it.  _

With a deep breath, she hit her sticks together four times, then Zack and Sephiroth joined in for the next song. 

Genesis didn’t come in right away, jerking his head up. “Wh- _ what?”  _ he exclaimed, whirling around. “What the  _ fuck?  _ This wasn’t on your sheet!” 

Sephiroth shook his head. “Get up there.”

_ “No!”  _ Genesis had to scream to be heard, but she could hear the desperation straining in his voice, stretching the muscles in his neck. “N- _ no!  _ No, I--”

“You  _ have to!”  _ Sephiroth turned his back to the audience in order to not be picked up by the microphone with his commanding tone. “Isn’t that what you said to me?” 

Genesis bared his teeth. He began to play his bass along with the rest of the group, but it took a few more repetitive bars before he dragged himself to the microphone. And even then, he hesitated trying to shrink back. Sephiroth responded by staying a pace from his back, glaring daggers. But, Genesis cleared his throat, and with a raspy start, began to sing:

_ “Waiting for something to break, _ __  
_ Left my heart out to bake, _ __  
_ Nothing there in my glass, _ _  
_ __ Wasn’t air made to last…”

* * *

 

“Holy crap,” Aerith said, swiveling back on her bar stool to talk at Cloud. “Is Genesis  _ singing?”  _

“I…guess?” Cloud replied. His head buzzed from the commotion around them, but he managed to keep focused on the stage. “That’s new…” 

* * *

 

At the mic, Genesis’ voice was strained, and with every breath he took, he looked like he wanted to escape. But, Sephiroth hovered beside him, playing with his eyes glued right to him.  _ Well, his plan worked,  _ Zack thought, strumming along to the beat.  _ Swallowed his ego to let him at the mic. Give him a chance to sing to Angeal… _

_ Ain’t that what we’re all doing?  _

_ “Hoping my past…” _

Genesis stood closer to the mic, almost grabbing for it, but slapped a string on his bass instead. He squeezed his eyes shut as he sang, ignoring everyone around him:

_ “All the way down to the lake, I found the lake was wet, _ _  
_ _ How much more could I take? Better yet…”  _

Zack had been ready at his own microphone, clearly to sing harmonies, but glanced over as Genesis seemed to be taking the entire song by himself.  _ And there he goes, off the books again. It’s supposed to be a two-parter here, like we rehearsed.  _ He shook his head with an eyeroll.  _ Oh, whatever… _

_ “Walked back home to my place--”  _ Genesis grinned, although it was bitter.  _ “Yeah, I’m tired of getting high, but I guess I don’t wanna die…”  _

He barked out a bitter laugh, barely off mic, before sweeping off to return to the chorus. As Zack stood beside his mic to watch, he was rudely shoved aside by Sephiroth. “Yo! What gives?” he exclaimed, staggering back into Sephiroth’s amp. 

Sephiroth only tossed his bangs out of his eyes, then joined Genesis in singing the chorus, albeit in a lower octave.  _ Fine.  _ Zack shrugged and glanced out to the audience. Aerith was still watching attentively, and upon noticing him, she gave him a wave. For the first time that night, he spotted Cloud as well, peering over her shoulder, and he gave him a wink. His grin back to him was unmistakable.  _ Love you.  _

With his spirits restored, at the breakdown, he whirled back around to Tifa, whose forehead was a complete wrinkle as she struggled to feel time. She was doing well, but Zack still caught her eye and made his strumming exaggerated so she could follow.  _ It is kinda hard to hear back here, does she need her amp turned up?  _ He tried edging over to the small amp turned toward her, but was interrupted by Genesis--he was wailing so loud into the mic that it was beginning to feedback.  _ Okay, later,  _ Zack thought, jerking up and rushing to the front of the stage.  _ Right now… _

Genesis’ lips were pressed to the mic, a sheen of sweat on his forehead and his arm tense on his bass while he sang: 

_ “Waiting for something to break, _ __  
_ Left my heart out to bake, _ __  
_ Slipped my mind that I could use my brain _ _  
_ __ I’ll stay up all night, and crash on the plane…”

He shouted incoherently off mic, tossing his bangs before returning.

_ “A ship without a rudder’s like a ship without a rudder’s like a ship without a rudder…”  _

Suddenly, he gasped and whirled around. “Fuck!” he screamed, vaguely at the drumkit, but above Tifa’s head instead of at her. “Shit, no…” His arms fell from his bass, leaving it to hang by the strap, and he used one to cover his eyes. “A-ah…”

Sephiroth glared at Zack and Tifa. “Repeat those bars!” he shouted, then kicked at Genesis’ leg. “Get back up there!”

_ “No!”  _ he wailed. Although Zack couldn’t see his face well in the dim light, he could see his shoulders shake. Soon, Sephiroth dropped out as well, to put his hands on his shoulders, leaving Zack and Tifa to play alone.  _ Yikes.  _

“Come on! Mother _ fucker!”  _ Sephiroth gripped his shoulders and shook him. Genesis let his body be shook, chin dropping to his chest. “I let you sing and now--”

His hold on him wasn’t as hard as was thought, as Genesis slipped out of it with ease, staggering back to his amp. When he was there, he stood over it, hands on the sides as if it was the only thing holding him up.  _ Fuck,  _ Zack thought, biting his lip,  _ fuck, fuck.  _

With Sephiroth staring at him with barely contained rage, he bounced on his toes and scampered to the mic. “Yo! I’m takin’ it out!” he shouted back, mostly to Tifa, then sang:

_ “Ship without a rudder’s like a ship without a rudder’s like a ship without a rudder, _ _  
_ _ Ship without a rudder’s like a ship without a rudder’s like a ship without a rudder…” _

He made sure to cue the ending with a huge downswing of his guitar, and Tifa was there to follow him to the end. Despite the hodgepodge of an ending, the bar still roared with applause.  _ “Genesis Rhapsodos!”  _ Zack said into the mic, but even despite this, he didn’t budge from the amp, back still shaking.  _ God damn…I thought I was gonna have a hard time with my song…then again, it wasn’t sprung on me like that. Boy oh boy… _ He stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment.  _ Wish you were here… _

Suddenly, Sephiroth’s voice was in his ear. “Sit down,” he muttered. He had traded his electric guitar for his black acoustic. “Take a break, or something. So Gen can have a break…”

He wandered to the edge of the stage. “Can I get a barstool?” 

Barret manifested one from behind the bar, dropping it right by the entrance behind the counter. Sephiroth grabbed it with one hand, and situated it behind the mic. Behind Zack, Tifa tapped on his back. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s take a breather while we can…” 

He nodded, then jammed the volume down on his guitar, heaved it off his shoulder, then propped it up to his amp. He followed her to Aerith and Cloud at the bar, and he immediately stood before both of them, grappling for a hand each. “Hey, guys…”

“Hey,” Aerith said, stretching up in her seat to steal a short kiss from his lips. “So, Genesis singing solo, huh?”

“Wild, ain’t it?” Zack replied with a chuckle. “We sure sprung that on him…” 

Tifa circled around to his other side, pushing him aside with her hip as she took Cloud’s other hand with both of hers. “Did Sephiroth tell you about it before? He fucking…told me in the middle of the song.” 

“He mentioned it when we were loading,” he said. “But he didn’t really confirm it ‘til before I hit the mic for my song…” 

“Wow,” Cloud muttered. “Seemed…intense.”

“What else would you expect?” Tifa commented. “I learn more about these weirdos every day…” 

Aerith chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her nose. She giggled even more when Tifa scrunched her face, shaking her head and frowning. “God, you’re cute,” she breathed. “And sweaty.”

“Drumming’s hard work,” Tifa mumbled, rubbing circles on Cloud’s hand with her thumbs and swaying back and forth. 

At the stage, Sephiroth began to play open sounding chords. “And him playing acoustic? What kinda gig is this?” Aerith remarked. 

“Well, y’know,” Zack started, a veil of melancholy draping over his shoulders. “It is a different one. It’s…it’s for Angeal.” 

_ “Hello, I’ve waited here for you, everlong. _ __  
_ Tonight, I throw myself into, and out of the red, _ _  
_ __ Out of her head she sang…” 

Aerith squeezed Zack’s hand, then brought it to her face, kissing his knuckles. Her emerald green eyes met his deep blue, careful and plaintive.  _ Are you okay?  _ they asked. 

He chose to answer out loud. “‘Mm’okay,” he replied. “It’s okay.” 

Zack felt a squeeze from Cloud, and he whipped his head down to him. “Hm? What’s up?” 

He twitched his head, barely swaying the spikes on the top of his head. When Zack leaned down, he smelled the familiar, fresh laundry scent he associated with him, and it made his heart skip. “You…” Cloud began, voice close and low in his ear. “You’re sounding good tonight.” 

Zack smirked. “Thanks, babe,” he replied, then kissed the side of his neck, blocking the view with his head so no one else could see. “I love you.” 

“L-love you, too…” 

When he lifted his head, Cloud was bright pink, and kept his smile down toward his lap.  _ Ah, I can’t wait to get you home, cute chocobo,  _ Zack thought, returning his attention to the front of the stage.  _ For now…gotta keep focused.  _

_ “And I wonder, if I sing along with you… _ __  
_ If everything could ever feel this real forever, _ _  
_ __ If anything could ever be this good again…” 

Genesis finally lifted himself up from the amp, and staggered over behind Sephiroth. He attempted to lean down to the mic over his shoulder, but when he found the position too hard to maintain, he wandered to the other mic. He slid it down from Zack’s height to his own, and joined Sephiroth in a shaky harmony. The latter only acknowledged him with a small nod, and didn’t let it interrupt his performance. 

_ Y’know what?  _ Zack thought, holding hands with his partners and watching Sephiroth and Genesis sing.  _ If this guy, this mess of a human being, can come back up and sing to get through this…I think we’re all going to be all right.  _

* * *

 

_ “Hey, y’all have a good night!”  _ Zack shouted into the microphone, as Sephiroth abandoned it to solo into the end of their closing song.  _ “Keep an eye out for our next show…which is gonna be…uh, gonna be…”  _

“Get off,” Sephiroth grunted, pulling at the back of Zack’s shirt. “We’re done here, help pack this shit up…” 

Cloud and Aerith managed to fight through the crowd to the front of the stage, to which Sephiroth curled his lip in disgust. “What do you want?” he asked. “They need to help us pack--”

“Oh, don’t be so sour,” Aerith said waving her hand. Cloud tensed immediately.  _ How can she talk back to him like that? I would rather die.  _ “We came up to say what a  _ wonderful  _ job you did…” 

Nearly immediately, Sephiroth lifted his chin with a smug smirk, and straightened his shoulders back. “Thank you,” he said, much smoother than before. “Not many people appreciate greatness…”

Zack widened his eyes, and made brief eye contact with Cloud before covering his mouth and looking pointedly away. Cloud also bit back a snicker.  _ He’ll take any compliment, won’t he?  _

Aerith twisted her mouth, but kept her cool. “Mmhm. Also, there’s a gentleman at the bar who says the same thing.” She jerked her thumb back to the end of the bar, where Vincent continued to sit amidst the commotion of people coming and going. “If you want to…”

“That old man?” he remarked, peering over. “Hmph. I will see.” 

He abandoned them to make his way over to the bar, and as soon as he was gone, Aerith embraced Zack in a quick hug. “Here, we’re gonna help you clean up,” she said, going to work unplugging the microphone. 

“Huh? Really?” he said, lifting his hat up to scratch his head beneath it. “Thanks…”

“W-well, we kinda want you home…as soon as we could,” Cloud said. “Uh…what can I take?” 

“Hey,” Genesis called from the opposite side, toward the door. “I’m gonna have a smoke.” 

“Sure,” Zack replied with a hand wave, then huffed. “Well, it looks like we’re going to need it…here, just start unplugging stuff, or go help Tifa…” 

_ That sounds like a better idea,  _ Cloud thought.  _ Better than unplugging the wrong thing, or something… _

He walked over to Tifa, who was unscrewing one of the drum heads from its holster. “I shouldn’t--y’know what? I’m just going to leave it,” she huffed, slapping her thighs. “Are you giving us a hand?” 

He nodded. “I’ve got it.” 

With one hand, he lifted the bass drum and the toms attached to it by the center stem up in the air. The cymbals rattled beside it as they were jostled, but he lifted it free with relative ease. Tifa gaped at him. “C-Cloud!” she exclaimed. “You--”

He gave a soft smile, although he bit back most of its brightness. “I’ve got it,” he said. His arm was burning faintly, but without fatigue, he backed up and took it outside. Only out of Tifa’s sight did he allow himself to smile.

Outside, a Shinra company pickup truck was parked, and Genesis was leaning against it, smoking his cigarette. He looked him over, then shook his head, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth. “Show-off,” he muttered, flicking ash off the end. 

Anxiety prickled in the back of Cloud’s neck, but he ignored it in favor of using his other hand to lift the drums above his head and into the back of the truck.  _ You and Sephiroth show off all the time… _

“Angeal could lift up his whole kit in his arms,” Genesis continued, without prompting. Smoke continued to drift lazily from his nostrils. “Surprised himself the first time he did it.”

“Y…yeah?” Cloud felt the urge to scamper off, but his body stayed put. 

He nodded. “He never did it that often, though. He was the heaviest lifter out of all of us…I mean, he did wrestling in high school…” 

He trailed off, mostly in order to take another long drag of his cigarette. He held in the smoke, then blew it up at the plate above them, a cloud above his head. “What’d you think?” he asked the metal plate. “Wasn’t too bad. You even got to hear me sing…” 

_ I’m going to go,  _ Cloud thought, finally willing his legs to move, and he bolted back inside, nearly running into Zack on his way in. “Easy, bud!” he said with a laugh. “We’re not in  _ that  _ big of a rush!” 

“Aw, Cloud just wants to get you home, that’s all--!” Aerith said, wrapping a cable up from her hand to her elbow. “Our rockstar~!” 

As he returned to the drum kit to take more of the equipment out, Tifa stopped him. “Hey,” she asked, eyes still wide with amazement. “Since when have you been that strong?” 

“Since they gave me the mako,” Cloud replied. “Although, I’ve done some strength training since then…” 

Tifa’s eyes ran over his arms and shoulders, a gentle flush in her cheeks. “W-well, it’s paid off,” she remarked, still distracted as she hoisted a cymbal stand into her arms. She opened her mouth to say something else, then thought better of it and bit her lip, scurrying off outside.

_ Yeah?  _ Cloud thought, smirking to himself.  _ Growing up, I picked fights I couldn’t handle, and could barely gain any strength, no matter how much I worked out. I thought I was going to die in BASIC. Now, I could probably pick you up… _

_ (hoisting her up into his arms, her hands around his neck, flush and laughing…) _

He jumped when he felt a bump at his hip. “She’s dazzled,” Aerith muttered, with a sly grin and an armful of cables. “Pretty lucky to have herself someone who can do both.”

“H-huh?” Cloud replied.

“Someone who can be pretty  _ and  _ handsome.” She winked up at him, then trotted off with a skip in her step. 

_ Ah.  _ Cloud’s heart stuttered in his chest, then slowly began to relax to its natural rhythm.  _ Right. A little bit of both. That’s…that’s good enough for me.  _

“Strife! Are you going to help or what?” 

Sephiroth’s commanding voice as he returned from the bar jerked Cloud back to attention, his back as straight as a board. “Y-yes, sir!” he barked on instinct, then shuffled together another load’s worth of equipment into his arms.

* * *

 

Despite the speedy cleanup, it was still late by the time the four of them got home, and they immediately all collapsed on the couch. The tired piece of furniture creaked under their weight, but still held steady, even with all of them squished together. 

“That was a good show,” Aerith said at the far end. She was squished right into the armrest, but soon abandoned it to sit on Tifa’s lap. “Both of you were  _ awesome.”  _

“Th-thanks,” Tifa replied with a sigh, leaning back. “We got through everything, and no one freaked out--”

“Well,  _ almost,”  _ Zack corrected beside her. He took his hat off and tossed it somewhere behind him, oblivious to where it would land. “We just…improvised.”

“That’s the name of the game, isn’t it…?” Tifa wrapped her arms around Aerith’s waist and laced her hands together at her stomach. “Dunno how I feel about it…” 

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Zack said. “I mean--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but…” She shrugged. “I’m still having fun right now. I’ll stick around.”

“Just give Seph like…oh, I dunno, a month’s notice before you bounce, or else he’ll friggin’…smoke’ll start pouring out of his ears.” 

A chuckle rose from the group. The dilapidated couch creaked as Cloud leaned against Zack’s shoulder with a yawn. “Tired…” he managed to get out, eyelids drooping.

“Me too, babe,” Zack replied, slipping an arm around his shoulder. He leaned down and kissed his hair. Then, he glanced over to the girls beside him. “So, who’s got the bed tonight?” 

“I mean…” A teasing lilt crept into Aerith’s voice, accompanied by a spark in her eyes. “I think the performers should get the bed. Y’know--”

“Oh, I am  _ not  _ sleeping with Zack,” Tifa replied immediately, hands up. 

“Aw, but he’s cozy!” Aerith insisted.

“Yeah, I’m cozy!” Zack parroted in agreement. 

“You’re a bedhog,” Tifa retorted with a frown. “I barely get a sliver of space whenever  _ you’re  _ in there.”

“Listen, it’s a God damn full-sized bed, you’ve gotta take what you can get.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can sprawl out! Look at you, you’re the tallest one here! You’ve got--you’re too long!” 

“Aerith’s never said that.” Zack winked at her and squeezed Cloud against him. “Neither has Cloud, I don’t think--” 

_ “Ugh!”  _

Both Zack and Aerith brayed with laughter, but drowsiness had taken Cloud enough for him only to utter a small chuckle. “We’re just teasing you, sweetie~,” Aerith apologized, and he heard the repeated smacking of kisses. “We love you~.” 

“Yeah…” 

“Hey,” Cloud managed to mumble, trying to straighten himself up. “I’ll…I’ll take the couch, if you guys wanna…”

“You sure?” Zack asked. 

He yawned again. “Yeah, I’m used to it…” His yawn persisted through the rest of his sentence, and he waved his hand to try and brush it away. “It’s…it’s cool…”

“Well, I’ll sleep with you,” Zack replied. He slipped his arm further down Cloud’s back, then grabbed his legs with the other. In one, swift motion, he rose from the couch with him in his arms, carrying him to the bedroom. “C’mon, let’s get ready…”

“You hog Cloud  _ so much,  _ hon,” Aerith remarked, twisting herself to peer over the back of the couch. At the same time, her chest mashed into Tifa’s face. 

“Well, I like him!” Zack called back from the bedroom. 

“You sure do,” Aerith said, quieter, then arched her back to look down at Tifa. “How’s the view?” 

“G-great…” she replied, muffled slightly by her chest. 

Aerith giggled and dropped down, planting several kisses to Tifa’s forehead, her nose, and her cheeks, leaving the last one for her lips. “I love you,” she murmured, then smiled. “You’re my rockstar, too.” 

“Ah…” Tifa bumped her forehead against Aerith’s, and answered her with a kiss.  _ Maybe,  _ she thought, closing her eyes to enjoy the mild taste of Aerith’s lips.  _ For a little while, anyway.  _

_ (“…just until they get back on their feet…”) _

_ Yeah. And they’re already starting to…even the worst of them. Even…even the best of us. We’ll be okay, in the end. _

She smiled into Aerith’s lips.  _ We’re all going to be okay.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! I know 8tracks is passé now, but I made [a mix for this gig as well](https://8tracks.com/shadsy/think-about-me-gig-2), so you can listen to all of the tunes. It has annotations as well! I skimmed the songs for the important ones, but they do a full set. 
> 
> So, Gen singing, that's something! If you follow flashes, you'll especially see that he's not really a fan of doing this, but…he has to, for Angeal. I had to push for this chapter to come out, so…I don't have a ton of liner notes.
> 
> At any rate, we're pretty much done with the grieving process, and we're onto the final lap. We're going to catch up with Zack back at work next time, while he has a bit of a revelation. Stay tuned!


	80. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"But I won't cry for yesterday,_  
>  There's an ordinary world somehow I have to find.  
> And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world,  
> I will learn to survive." 
> 
> ["Ordinary World", Duran Duran, _Duran Duran_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1PnQT4emS0)

Zack kicked his legs up on the break room desk, wearing his company jacket like a cloak over his bare shoulders. “Gee whiz,” he sighed with a shudder. “When are they gonna turn the heat on in this place?” 

Across from him, Reno glanced at the bottom of his boots before taking a drink of coffee. “Least you’re moving around all day,” he replied. “Y’know, if Sephiroth sees you like that, you’re toast.”

He snorted and waved his hand. “Seph ain’t got nothin’ on me.” _I've seen him taking hour long saunas in the showers,_ Zack thought with a snicker. _That's my bargaining chip, and I'm sticking to it._  


Reno didn't seem convinced. “Uh-huh. What about Tseng?” 

“Eh…” Zack’s knees flinched, but ultimately, he stayed where he was, fishing a folded up piece of paper from the inside of his jacket. “W-well, he’s cooped up in his office all day, right? Besides, this is the 1st’s break room, what are  _ you  _ even doing here?” 

Reno shrugged. “Change of pace.” He rested his coffee mug on the table and tipped back in his chair. “If  _ I  _ had a space heater in  _ my  _ office, I wouldn’t leave either…” 

_Yeah, like you ever use “your” office,_ Zack thought with a huff through his nose. _I’ve seen it, and it ain’t much._ He unfolded the piece of paper to reveal Angeal’s handwriting, neat and careful on the page. _It’s been a couple months now. It’s really gotten cold, but no snow yet. It doesn't snow here like it does back home, but they pile it all up in the streets, so it_ looks  _like a lot. Not_ quite  _the same, but you can make use of it…_

“Whatcha got there?” Reno asked, pointing to the letter.

“Ah, it’s just…” Zack started. He wiggled the paper, then let it, along with his hand, drop to his chest. “It’s…from Angeal.”

Reno nodded slowly. He stared at the back of it, then looked off. “Miss having him around here still.”

_ You’re not kidding,  _ Zack thought.

“They’re thinking of bringing another 1st down to help with training. Someone from the canyon, probably.” He took another drink of his coffee. “Or maybe they’ll bring Farron down, out in Nibelheim.”

“Fuck, I sure hope not,” Zack remarked. His eyes scanned the letter over and over again, the shapes on the paper not fully realizing themselves into words. “I saw her when we went up to see Cloud’s folks, she nearly tore my head off.”

Reno laughed. “Yeah, well, you’d better hope you can promote a 2nd sooner than later, or else that’s what’s gonna happen.”

“Dude, I keep trying to rec Cloud, but--”

“Man, you can’t rec him. Or,  _ you  _ can’t.” Reno shook his head. “You guys’ve got too much history, know what I’m sayin’?” 

“Yeah, yeah…” Zack sunk down in his seat.  _ Even if they don’t know that we’re dating, everybody around here knows that I’m the guy who busted into the labs and punched the former science head in the face to make sure he made it out alive. So, I’ve got a bias.  _

_ (“Do you think he’s ready to be rec’d?” _

_ “No, not by a long shot. But, in the future.”) _

Zack forced his eyes to focus.  _ At least Seph has my back on that one. Wonder how long it’ll be…  _ Words formed and began to make sense on the page.  _ Feels like it’s been ages since you left us… _

_ …time just keeps…ticking on.  _

_ “…Don’t let time pass you by.” _

His eyes skimmed down toward the bottom of the letter.  _ Christ. Isn’t that what’s been happening? Everything’s felt like a standstill, while we’ve been trying to get back on our feet. We still did the gig. We’re back in our…routines, all of us, but…it’s all the same, ain’t it? Shit.  _

_ Ange wasn’t even 30. Fucking hell…I’m 24, that’s only six years away. So, what am I gonna do? Am I gonna just…hang around like this? Or… _

Zack blinked a couple times, holding the letter in one hand and twirling his feather necklace between his fingers with the other.  _ No use lying about it, life is fucking fragile. I thought I got it, going away to fight in Wutai…then again, how much fighting did we do? And I didn’t know anyone who died then…so it didn’t matter.  _

_ Ugh, but now… _

He shook his head and drew his attention to the top of the page.  _ I shouldn’t depress myself before my break’s over. I don’t wanna keep… _

_ …dwelling… _

A sentence caught his eye. 

_ “When are you gonna marry her?”  _

His lips parted.  _ Aerith.  _ Her face shown like a beacon in his mind’s eye.  _ Aerith… _

_ (“I love you.” _

_ “I love you, too. So much.”) _

_ Yeah…what am I…waiting for? I mean…I’ve got the ring. Mom gave me the ring a while ago, I keep it buried in the dresser. I should. What am I waiting for? _

_ (“Zack?” Cloud said, quiet in the dark. _

_ “What’s that, baby?”  _

_ “Mm…” He could nearly feel him blush, close to his shoulder. “I…love you. I’m happy we’re here…”) _

_ Oh, yeah. It was him. A guy I met during his BASIC who I just…couldn’t forget about. Wouldn’t forget about.  _

(“And now I know most of me is getting there…”)

_ (“We’re a big family now!”) _

Zack stared up at the ceiling, folding the letter in half. “Why not?” he muttered.

“Huh?” Reno said. “What’s that?” 

_ Why not? I mean, we can get married, but that doesn’t mean…that doesn’t mean we can’t still be together with Cloud and Tifa. We  _ are  _ a big family. And we’re not getting any younger. What am I waiting for? _

_ What am I waiting for? _

In a swift motion, Zack kicked his feet off the table and scrambled out of the chair, nearly tipping both of them over. “Jesus!” Reno exclaimed, grabbing his coffee before it was knocked over. “What’s gotten into you?” 

“I gotta go,” he said, clumsily forcing his arms into his jacket. He backed up toward the exit. “I, uh…I’m taking a half day. I’ve got something…I’ve gotta do.”

“Uh…’kay?” Reno replied, an eyebrow raised. “Bye, I guess--” 

Zack backed all the way out the door--that was, until he stepped on someone else’s boot. “Whoa--!” he shouted, carrying his momentum backwards out of the way.

The person in mind was Genesis, although his expression was mild for being stepped on and backed into. “Why’re you in such a hurry?” he asked, tongue lazy.

_ Ugh, there’s that stink again. Fuckin’ weed.  _ Zack wrinkled his nose. “Things!” he explained, waving him off as he dashed down the hall.  _ Forget him, though… _

_ Let me think…today’s Thursday, isn’t it? I could probably run to HR and grab my paycheck. That’s a good start. There’s gotta be a jeweler around too.  _ He nearly ran into a pair of standards down the hall as he skirted into the elevator.  _ Oh, shit. I don’t even know Cloud’s ring size. He doesn’t wear any rings, does he? Just that earring. And I gotta get Tifa’s done too… _

He twisted his mouth, then shook his head.  _ Nah, it’s no big deal. No problem! I can just…guesstimate. After all, what am I waiting for? What am I waiting for?  _

“Zack?” 

He jolted himself back to his surroundings to Cissnei, with her hand hovering over the elevator buttons with a smirk on her lips. “What floor?” she asked. “You didn’t press a button when you flew in here.”

“Oh! Oh, sorry,” he replied with a sheepish grin, fluffing the back of his hair. “Been a little distracted…uh, wherever HR is?”

She chuckled as she punched the button for the 21st floor. "Really, how long have you been here? You ought to know…"

"Jeez, a lot's been happening! Can't you cut a guy a break?" He stuck his tongue out at her.

To his surprise, she returned the gesture before turning her back toward him.

* * *

 

No less than five minutes after Zack sprinted from the 1st-class break room, Cloud wandered down the hall with his hands in his pockets.  _ He should be on his break right about now,  _ he thought.  _ The only good thing about patrol days is that I can go do this without having to worry about getting in trouble… _

As he approached, though, neither of the voice echoing out of the room belonged to Zack. “Yeah, you want some?” “I dunno, man…oh, all right. I’ll take one home.” “Have it now.” “No! I’m not gonna do that--” “Please, by the time it kicks in, it’ll be 4, and then you’ll be practically done…” 

Cloud lingered at the edge of the doorway, but as soon as he got there, the conversation stopped. “Who’s there?” Genesis said. “Wait, wait…blond spike. Strife?” 

_ Oh, damn it.  _ Cloud sighed through his nose as he stepped into full view.  _ It’s always my damn hair. I thought they couldn’t see me.  _ There, Genesis and Reno were sitting around the round break room table, a bag full of brownies squarely in the middle. “Sir…” 

Genesis, lazily splayed out in the seat before him, waved his hand. As he brought it back, he pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and stuck it in his mouth, drawing his eyes away from him as he spoke. “What do you want?” he asked.

“Well, uh…” Cloud started. “I was just, ah…”

Reno, on Genesis’ other side, raised an eyebrow. “Looking for Zack?” 

_ Christ. Am I that obvious?  _ “Yeah…” 

“Just missed him,” Genesis said, flicking his lighter several times before it lit. “He was in a rush…”

“You’re going to set off the fire alarms,” Reno said, pointing above them. “They’re gonna be pissed.” 

“I don’t see you stopping me,” Genesis replied, taking a drag off his cigarette and letting the smoke curl upwards. “Are you gonna take one, or what?” 

“Um…do you guys know where he went?” Cloud asked. 

Reno shook his head while reaching for the brownie bag. “No clue. It was like he had an epiphany or something. Just ran off.” 

Cloud bit his lip.  _ Just ran off? I mean…that would be like him, but… _

_ (Zack suddenly stood up from the couch, staring into space. “Babe?” Aerith asked. _

_ “I…” he said. “I’m…gonna take a walk.”  _

“Now?”  _ she replied, blinking at him. “It’s almost 10, don’t you know where we live?” _

_ Zack continued to stare straight ahead, the look in his eyes distant. “I’ll be fine,” he muttered. “I just…gotta go out and clear my head.”  _

_ Aerith stood up and gently held his arm. “Let me go with you,” she suggested quietly. “You know--” _

_ He shook his head, making her huff. “Or take Cloud! I don’t want you to go alone--” _

_ “Yeah, I can come with,” Cloud said, scooting forward on the couch. “It’s no big de--” _

_ “I’ll be  _ fine!”  _ Zack insisted, with a little more force. Upon a closer look, his eyes appeared glassy, even from only the flickering light from the TV. He shook Aerith off his arm and shuffled to the door. “I-I won’t be long, just…”) _

With a sigh that heaved his shoulders, Cloud stared down at the floor.  _ I can’t help but worry. Last time he did that, he was out for a while…didn’t come back until midnight. He was fine, but Aerith couldn’t stop pacing. I was trying not to…show anything.  _

_ Zack… _

“Cloud,” Genesis asked, then gestured to the bag with a smirk. “You’ve had some of these before, yeah? Take another one for the road.” 

He blinked, then shook his head, taking his time making it go from shoulder to shoulder.  _ No, thanks. I’m outta here.  _ He paced down the hallway without another word to them. 

As he cleared the next hall, a persistent beeping drilled into the back of his head. “Shit! See, I told you!” he heard Reno shout. “Just take the batteries out of the damn thing! Fuck’s sake!” was Genesis’ reply, but by the time Cloud made it to the stairwell, the shenanigans behind him were properly dampened. 

With the new quiet, he pulled his pager out, scanning through the names until he found “FAIR” blinking back at him. “Hey, Zack,” he started. “T-tried to catch you by the break room, but…ah, Reno and Genesis said you left. If you wanna meet up…j-just let me know.” 

As soon as his finger left the call button, he cursed to himself. “Shit!”  _ I should’ve told him it was me…oh well, he knows my voice, right? That’s…good enough. I hope so.  _ Cloud stuffed his pager back into his belt and jogged down the stairs. He rounded the flight to the next floor and pushed open the door, just as his pager beeped at him.  _ Response already?  _ He sighed in relief.  _ Okay… _

Cloud held his pager to his ear, leaning against the wall.  _ “Yo! Sorry, I had to run to do some, uh…errands! Yeah. Sorry, I’ve really gotta run, but I’ll catch you when we get home, okay? Love you!”  _

His forehead wrinkled in confusion.  _ Hmm.  _ As he stared at the pager, his heart rate began to speed up again.  _ He…sounds fine. But…dodgy. Like he’s trying to hide something.  _

Cloud covered his mouth with his glove as he pushed himself off the wall, pacing down the next hallway.  _ Sounds like he didn’t tell the others where he was going, Reno or Genesis…I wonder…would Sephiroth know? Would it be worth calling him? What if Zack’s just been putting on a face for all of us, but he’s still upset about Angeal? God… _

His fingers twitched at his side, and his pace stuttered, the environment around him fading as he got lost in his thoughts.  _ What would I even say? “1st-class Cetra, it’s 2nd-class Strife”…or is that too formal? These are official communications, I really should address Zack by rank on base. Are we eventually going to get in trouble for dating? Will it matter if I make 1st?  _ He chewed on his lip and began to weave.  _ One thing at a time, one thing at a time… _

Like a puppet, Cloud dragged his pager from his belt once again and tried to focus on the names clicking by on the screen. He passed “CETRA” twice before finally hitting it, pulling over against the wall to collect himself.  _ Okay. Okay. I’ve got this.  _ He inhaled deep, through his nose, then out his mouth, before clicking the “call” button and raising the pager to his mouth.

“Ah…1-1st-class Cetra, this is…” He paused just for a moment, just as his eyes rested on black boots passing him. “This is Cl--I mean, 2nd-class… _ ah!”  _

When his gaze followed up, and  _ up  _ from the floor, seeing the silver hair at the SOLDIER’s waist, he yelped and dropped his pager. Sephiroth stopped in place and stared at him, while Cloud bent over to grab his pager. “S-sorry…sorry, Seph--I-I mean, 1st-class…” 

“No need,” Sephiroth muttered, barely moving his lips. “I am used to others trembling in my presence.” 

_ Oh, for God’s sake.  _ Cloud huffed through his nose, staring at the floor for a split second before rising up.  _ Of course, it had to be him walking by.  _ As soon as he was on his feet, Sephiroth’s pager rang, and Cloud waved his hand without making eye contact. “D-don’t…i-ignore that, that was just…me…”

Sephiroth silenced it with the flick of his finger. “So? Did you need something?” he asked, voice still low. 

“I…”  _ Just spit it out! Spit. It. Out!  _ He bit the inside of his cheek so hard, he swore he tasted copper. “J-just wondering if you knew where Zack was. He, ah…wasn’t in the break room, and he wouldn’t tell me where he went…I-I saw Reno and…1st-class Rhap--”

“Like  _ I  _ would know where that clueless puppy runs off to on a whim,” Sephiroth scoffed, tossing his bangs out of his face. “No, I don’t know where he is.”

“Ah…” Cloud swallowed hard.  _ Figures, he wouldn’t know. He and Zack aren’t real close. So, where did he run off to? Damn it.  _ His voice dropped to a mumble. “W-well, thanks anyway…” 

Sephiroth grunted, taking one stride forward to dismiss him, but hesitated. “Strife.” 

His back straightened perpendicular to the floor. “Yes?” 

“As a 2nd, you have limited authority over standard-class cadets and 3rd-class SOLDIER.” 

Cloud tilted his head slightly. “Y…yes?” 

Sephiroth made eye contact with him, and Cloud maintained it, even as his throat threatened to close up entirely. “I know you have not had proper 3rd-class training, but would you be interested in managing a standard-class company?” 

“U-um…” Cloud forced his hands to stay still inside his gloves, even though they longed to fidget. He compromised by pulling one finger out to play with the feather tied to his glove. “I-I guess…a-as long as it doesn’t interfere with my 2nd training. Getting to 1st, I mean--”

“I think it would improve your chances of getting recommended,” Sephiroth said. His lip twitched. “It would also improve your confidence. If you plan on becoming 1st-class, that will be a valuable asset.” 

Cloud’s eyes widened, and he stopped fidgeting.  _ Is…Sephiroth Cetra… _ encouraging  _ me?  _ “S-sure. Yeah.” He swallowed hard, then took a deep breath and stood a little taller. “I’ll…yeah, sign me up.” 

Sephiroth nodded. “I will have a company assigned to you by the beginning of next week.” 

“Thank you.” 

He lifted his chin, gaze sharp, before flicking his hair behind his back. With that, he walked toward the elevator and called it, tapping his boot as he waited for it to come down.  _ That’s…that’s pretty cool. And if Sephiroth,  _ the  _ Sephiroth thinks I can handle it…then I must be ready.  _ Cloud smirked to himself before he turned on his heel back toward the stairwell.  _ I can’t wait to tell-- _

_ Ah, Zack…still haven’t solved that.  _

As Cloud opened the door to the stairs, Sephiroth barked at him. “Wait.”

“Huh?” Cloud spun around. 

Sephiroth held the elevator door open with one hand as he squinted. “You said you saw Genesis in the break room?” he asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Uh, he…offered me a brownie--”

Before he could continue his sentence, Sephiroth sighed so loud that Cloud expected it could be heard from the ground floor. “Fucker,” he cursed under his breath. “Well, his brief period of sobriety was good while it lasted. You said he was in the 1sts breakroom?” 

Cloud nodded, and Sephiroth vanished inside the elevator.  _ Ah. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t bother taking the elevator.  _ He turned into the stairwell and began jogging down the stairs, the white cement blurring before him.  _ I don’t wanna be around to see whatever that’s going to be… _

_ Should I call Aerith? Would she know anything? I can’t remember what she’s working today…whether she’s at the church or at the flower shop. If I call her and she  _ doesn’t  _ know what he’s up to, then all that’s going to do is make her worried, no matter how chipper she sounds. I’m getting to know her pretty well too… _

He reached the ground floor, out to the unusually quiet front lobby.  _ Damn it, I only know the number for the house, anyway. And Tifa wouldn’t know anything.  _ He clenched his fists in his gloves and furrowed his brow.  _ So, I’m gonna have to wait, aren’t I…? Wait until I get home, like he said.  _

“Oh, look! It’s snowing!” 

The voice floated through and cut his thoughts, and he jerked his head toward the huge, double glass doors. The sky outside was white with clouds, and against the dark pavement, small white flakes fell from above, melting as soon as they made contact. The strain in Cloud’s forehead lifted, making him realize how concentrated he really was.  _ The first snow… _

He shuffled toward the doors, and they opened automatically for him as he drew close enough.  _ I shouldn’t go too far, I shouldn’t be out here at all,  _ he thought, but pushed it to the back of his mind as the cool, crisp air burned against his cheeks.  _ The fresh air is…nice.  _

He held his hand out and caught a snowflake, stark against his black glove. It lingered only for moments, before it melted away to nothing.  _ This’ll be my first winter here. Zack was telling me there’s a spot that’s good for sledding… _

_ (“Yeah, it’s over in Sector 5. Above the plate, y’know. They pile up all the snow over near the fence by the 2nds training ground, and there’s like…” Zack exaggerated his hand motions, creating a sloping motion and used his other arm to create a “sled”. “There’s an alley! And you can slide right down!”  _

_ Cloud giggled with amusement, unable to suppress it even as they walked through Shinra’s floors. “Is that right?” he remarked. _

_ “Dude! And they never salt that alley, so it’s all ice, and  _ vroom!”  _ Zack laughed, booming at the ceiling. He wrapped an arm around Cloud’s shoulder, tugging him close and making him stumble. “It’ll be so fun, kids use trash can lids and just cruise down it! I can’t wait to take you…”) _

Cloud bit his lip, steam trickling out his nose.  _ I hope everything’s okay. I’ll…see you when I get home. Hopefully. God, hopefully… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was editing this, "Ordinary World" came up on my radio, and I remembered that I _really_ wanted to put it in here, and y'know what? I think it's appropriate! The gang is starting to get back into the swing of normal life again. Even Genesis, for better or for worse. Cloud is a wicked worrywart--even though there isn't anything for him to fret over, he's still going to fuss over this for the rest of the day. 
> 
> Next chapter, we're going to catch up with Zack as he runs home. See you then!


	81. A Proposal

Zack skidded on the pavement as he scampered into the alley.  _ “And in this charming ca-aaar,  _ whoa!” he sang, waving his arms to catch his balance. His motorcycle was still parked by the stairs, accumulating a light dusting of snow over the seat and the engine.  _ Damn, I’ve gotta get a cover for that thing. I don’t think she’ll survive another winter.  _ Taking a deep breath, he skipped taking the stairs altogether, leaping straight down to the door and landing with a thud. He ignored the pain in his toes and scrambled for his keys.  _ What time is it? I hope she’s home, otherwise I rushed back here for nothing… _

The metal was warm from his pocket against his cold fingertips, and he managed to undo one deadbolt before the door broke free, and he burst in. “Hello?” he called, barely stepping in. “Sunflower?” 

“Shut the door!” Aerith called from the bedroom. She was shrouded in an oversized sweatshirt that Zack immediately recognized as his, the sleeves hanging off her arms. She cocked her head--her mouth held a smirk, but her eyes were tense. “Where have you been, pup?” 

“Huh?” he asked, shuffling off his boots as he glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m not late, I’m home on--”

“I got a call from Cloud a little while ago,” she said, waltzing over to him. Despite the huge sweatshirt, Zack noticed the only thing that was covered was her feet, in mismatched socks. She crossed her arms and stood on her toes. “He said you left work early.”

He chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I was just running errands--”

“Did you  _ tell  _ him that?” 

“Course I did! He paged me about it, and I told him!” _Kinda._

“Well,” she sighed. “He had that nervous strain in his voice, y’know. You left on a whim, it sounded like.” Aerith cocked her head, brushing her tall bangs to the side of her face, and she reached out to touch his cold-flushed cheek. “Everything okay?” 

Zack tilted his head to kiss her palm. “Yes. Better than okay.” 

He slipped a hand onto her back and guided her to the couch. She watched him with wide green eyes and a raised eyebrow as he took a seat beside her, pushing his jacket off his arms behind him. “You didn’t even change, look at you,” she remarked with a shake of her head. “You’re something.”

_ No, you are,  _ he thought, a dazed smile on his face as he studied every feature--from the shape of her chin, to the slender curve of her neck, her collarbone just peeking out from beneath his sweatshirt she was wearing, to the way her shoulders were engulfed by it. He connected the dots of the small moles on her face, by her lips, and one on her forehead, to the light brown of her hair, still shimmering with the remnants of summer highlights.  _ You are… _

Zack brought himself back to the present with a shake of his head and a laugh. “It’s cool, it needed a wash, anyway,” he dismissed, then reached for one of her hands to hold in both of his. “Listen, I wanted to…I wanted to talk to you about something.” 

Immediately, Aerith tensed. “Hm?” Her eyebrows fled upwards, and her focus sharpened. But, she masked it with an easy tone, loose in comparison to the rest of her body. “Important enough to bail out of work early on a Thursday?” 

“Definitely.” Zack took a deep breath.  _ Oh, God. I didn’t rehearse this. Aren’t you supposed to do that for this sort of thing? Oh well.  _ “Aerith…when I met you, two years ago…” He chuckled to himself, trying to dispel an unfamiliar anxiety that was creeping into his shoulders. “When I fell into your flowerbed…I-I didn’t know I was gonna meet the sweetest angel in the whole world…”

“Oh, Zack…” Aerith reached out with her free hand to muss his hair and bangs. “What’s this about?” 

“Listen, I was a lonely guy at the time,” he continued, shaking his head to try and rearrange his hair. “I asked you out on a whim, I didn’t think…I didn’t think you’d say yes.” 

“Well, you’re cute.” She winked at him. “Thought I’d give it a shot.” 

Aerith smiled, and Zack felt his face grow hot.  _ Your smile is beautiful.  _ “I’m glad,” he said gently, every syllable carefully considered in a hushed tone. “I’m…so glad.” 

He felt the space between them, the breath that Aerith took that made him believe she was going to comment again. But, she didn’t. She only stared at him, straight into his deep, blue eyes.  _ I wonder if she’s already guessed what’s going on,  _ Zack thought as he idly reached behind him.  _ Aerith always…knows these things. She’s so perceptive… _

“I’ve just been…I’ve been thinking about what Angeal wrote to me,” he continued, fussing back in his jacket while keeping his eyes on her. “And realizing…y’know, we get into a routine of stuff going on. But…I mean, we aren’t gonna…l-live forever.” 

Aerith only nodded. Somehow, her quiet made him more fidgety. “And I just…wanna make the most of everything. Like, what’s there to wait for?

“Sunflower…i-it wasn’t right away, but I’ve known for a while…that you’re the girl that I wanna spend the rest of my life with.” 

Aerith squeezed his hand, and she bit her lip. “Ah…” 

As his fingertips felt a long box, he suddenly hissed. “Oh, shoot,” he muttered.  _ That’s right. It’s here. I’m an idiot.  _ He scooted himself up off the couch, bent down and kissed Aerith’s hand. “One sec. I, uh…”

He dashed into the bedroom and flung open the top drawer of the dresser in the corner, skidding on one of Aerith’s satin slips on the way.  _ Where is it, where is it… _ He tossed over rolls of socks and boxer briefs, digging into the far corner, until he saw a faded, maroon velvet box.  _ There.  _ Heart pounding, he yanked it out of the drawer, along with a pair of socks, which flopped on the floor. Fumbling, he hid it behind his back as he plopped back on the couch in front of Aerith, making the springs creak. “Ho-kay,” he huffed. 

“How’d you do?” Aerith asked, a smirk still on her face. 

“Good!” Zack chirped. He reached for her hand again, this time lacing their fingers together. “Now, where were we?” 

Aerith grinned wider, unable to hide even with a bite of her lip as her eyes gazed down. “I dunno,” she replied coyly. “Where  _ were  _ you?”

_ Oh, she  _ definitely  _ knows now.  _ Zack puffed out his cheeks with a sigh.  _ That’s all right. I can handle this.  _ “Y’know, telling you that you’re the…the most beautiful, kind-hearted, toughest, sweetest person I’ve ever met in my life--”

“Mmm?” she goaded, leaning closer. 

“A-and I…I…” Zack felt himself edging closer as well, gazing at the shape of her lips, her nose, and the gentle flutter of her eyelashes. “I…love you so much.”

Aerith swallowed hard, with a little nod. “I love you too,” she whispered. 

They touched foreheads. Zack barely resisted the urge to kiss her, clenching the small box in his hand behind his back.  _ It’s all or nothing.  _ “Aerith…Aerith Gainsburough…will you…spend the rest of your life with me?”

He finally brought the box out in front of him, and flicked it open with his thumb. Inside, the emerald and opal ring was still intact.

“Will you marry me?” 

Aerith nodded against his forehead, then tilted herself forward to kiss him on the lips. It was long, and warm, and Zack sank himself deep into the moment.  _ I wanna remember this for the rest of my life,  _ he thought, freeing his hand from hers in order to cup her face.  _ I want to make you happy, so happy, forever… _

She broke the kiss and surveyed him, a small chuckle in her throat. “Babe,” she said. “I want to, but…”

Zack’s heart plummeted to his feet. “B-but…?” he stammered, face falling just as fast.  _ What? What is it? What is it…oh, God, what could… _

“Hey, don’t make that face.” Aerith scooted up closer to him and pecked his cheek. “You  _ do  _ know we’re dating more than each other, right? What about Cloud and Tifa?” 

“Oh, that? Well…” Zack heaved a huge sigh of relief, and he twisted around into his jacket. With a flourish, he brought out a long, slender box and winked at her, despite his pounding heart. “Y’see, that’s what I ran out for today…” 

He flipped it open, and it revealed four rings--they were all matching, in a simple braided gold and silver pattern. “Picked these out special,” he said. “I had to guess on sizing, but the guy said I could have ‘em resized free of charge--”

“Oh, my  _ God,  _ honey…” Aerith cupped her hand over her mouth as she stared at the jewelry. “Th-this must have cost--”

He hushed her quickly. “I just picked up my paycheck, so it’s all taken care of.”

She opened her mouth again to protest, but the words kept catching in her throat. Instead, all she could do was run her fingers over the metal of the rings, light enough to barely skim the surface. “Y-you…” she breathed out. 

As Aerith took another breath in, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Zack, squeezing him tight and rocking. She tucked her face in his neck, forcing the turtleneck of his uniform out of the way to reach his skin. “Yes, yes,  _ yes,”  _ she said, over and over. “You spontaneous, incredible puppy, you…” 

“God, you’re gonna call me a puppy until the day I die, aren’t you?” Zack chuckled, dropping the ring boxes off on the coffee table in order to hold her just as tight. He peppered kisses to the top of her head, although it was difficult with how wide he was smiling. 

Even as she clutched him, mouth against his neck, she still teased. “I can’t  _ believe  _ you blew your paycheck on those.”

“Wh-who said I blew my  _ whole  _ paycheck…?”  _ Oops.  _

“Rings are  _ expensive,  _ baby. And how long have you been holding onto that other one?” 

“Oh, since…geez, it’s from my mom, so back when we visited…not this last time, but the time before. She just gave it to me.”

“Well, at least I have your parents’ approval.”

“And Angeal’s.” 

She nodded against his neck, then finally lifted herself up. Her face was slightly damp, but from the looks of it, she did not appear to be actively crying--only smiling wistfully up at him. “Something from the whole family, then,” she said.

Zack nodded.  _ Yeah. The whole family.  _ A twinge seized his heart.  _ I did it, Angeal… _

Aerith sighed and looked off behind him. “I never had a father around, so you don’t get to ask him permission. It would’ve been cute to see you squirm.”

“H-hey…!” 

She giggled, and placed a finger on his pouting lips. “I’m kidding. I’m sure Mama would’ve loved you.” 

_ She usually refers to her own mom as just “my mom” or “my mother”. Huh.  _ “W-well, that’s good.” 

Aerith kissed his nose, wiggling in his lap. “So,  _ that’s  _ why you were vague with Cloud. I thought you might get him in on it.”

“Ah, I kinda wanted to…well, uh…” 

“You didn’t think of that, did you.”

“I wanted to surprise him too! You know--”

Her grin grew wide and devious. “Oooooh, you wanted to  _ propose  _ to  _ him  _ too,  _ didn’t  _ you~?” 

“H-hey!” Zack’s body temperature rose, along with his heart rate in his chest. “Like,  _ maybe,  _ but--”

As he floundered, Aerith brayed with laughter, rocking them back and forth on the couch. “Oh, you--!” she exclaimed. She rocked with enough gusto to push him back on the couch, so he was on his back with her on top of him. When there, she raked her hands back through his hair, stroking in a slow rhythm. “I’m just…I’m so happy,” she murmured, her laughter trailing off.

“Good,” Zack replied. “I’m glad.” 

“I wouldn’t…” She bit her lip. “I don’t think I would’ve met any other person who would’ve…done this with me. You know…make this kind of relationship, with others…not to mention wanting to  _ commit  _ with them…”

“I fell in love again, too,” he said with another kiss to her cheek. “And I mean, if it weren’t for you--”

“You would’ve pined over that cute standard  _ forever,”  _ Aerith finished for him with a giggle. “And you would’ve locked yourself in the closet.” 

“I don’t think so, y’know--”

“Zack.”

“Well…”

_ “Zack.”  _

“Wh-what’s  _ that  _ look for?” he said, throwing his hands up. Unfortunately, this left his stomach wide open for Aerith to dive her fingers into it, tickling him in a frenzy. “Hey,  _ hey! Ahh--!”  _

He cackled laughter, squirming and kicking under her fingertips, until she collapsed on top of him, breathless with laughter. “Oh, my God,” she panted, hugging him. “We’re going to get  _ married.  _ Like, for real--!” 

“For real!” Zack exclaimed. “We can go on out to Gongaga, out by that sunflower field…” 

“No church wedding?” 

“Nah. I don’t think so. Unless you--”

“I’m in a church most of the time, it’s nothing special.”

“Okay, it’s settled!” Zack shot up, bracing Aerith in his arms as he bounced upright. “We’ll go tomorrow!” 

_ “Zack!  _ No!” She laughed as she protested. “It’s  _ snowing,  _ for crying out loud! And if you want to do the sunflower field, then--”

Her sentence was broken by the clicking of the locks on the door. “Oh, that’s them! I bet,” Aerith whispered, an excited hush. “I’ll bet you anything Cloud went to grab Tifa on his way home.”

Zack situated her on his lap, wrapping his arms around her hips. “So, how are we gonna tell ‘em? You wanna take Tifa separately, or--”

“They’re coming! Here, hide the rings.” Aerith leaned over and swiped the ring boxes off the coffee table and shoved them into his jacket, still discarded beside them. She sprung up just in time as their other partners entered--first Cloud, and then Tifa. 

“Welcome home~!” she greeted brightly. 

“Hey, guys!” Zack said immediately after her. 

“Hey…!” Cloud sighed so deeply that it moved his entire chest. Instead of focusing on his worry-worn face, Zack glanced at the snow built up on his spiked hair, even on the very tips. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah, Cloud told me you ran off in a hurry,” Tifa said, flicking off her shoes with her feet. Snow had accumulated on the top of her head as well, and she sniffled from the cold. “Did anything happen?”

Zack and Aerith exchanged a look.  _ Here we go.  _ “Well, kinda--!” Zack said. “C’mon, we’ll tell you about it…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, very exciting things happening! Zack's spontaneity is cute. We'll continue this conversation next chapter!


	82. Party of Four

Cloud let Zack drag him into the bedroom, anxiety making him stumble more than Zack’s enthusiasm. “What’s going on?” he asked, mouth dry as he stood right at the edge of the bed. 

“Sit down, babe,” Zack ushered, hopping on the bed before him and letting himself bounce. He twisted his long legs into a pretzel and patted the space in front of him. With a sigh, Cloud climbed on as well, mimicking his posture and sitting close enough so their knees were touching.  _ Zack… _

Zack took his hands and laced them together, rocking back and forth. “God, I’m…” He chuckled and grinned. “I’m remembering back when we first got together. This is where we had our first kiss.”

_ Yeah. That was nice.  _ Cloud smirked to himself, shying his gaze down toward the bed.  _ That night felt like it lasted…forever. Maybe it was because I was still recovering from the mako poisoning. But… _

“Hey,” Zack said in a hushed voice. “I, uh…I was reading Angeal’s letter to me earlier, and I realized something.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Well…” He sighed big enough to move his chest in his uniform. “Long story short, I wanna live to the fullest. That was…the big thing. So, I went ahead and did something I’ve been sitting on for a while…”

Cloud felt light-headed. Combined with his lingering anxiety prickling through his bloodstream, it was not pleasant. “Wh-what’s that?” 

“I asked Aerith to marry me.” 

“O-oh.”  _ Of course he did. That’s…that’s…  _ “What did she say?” 

Zack beamed at him. “She said yes!” 

Cloud forced out a chuckle. “Th-that’s…wow, that’s great, Zack.”  _ It is. I still want to throw up. _

_ (you knew he would pick her over you) _

_ We can’t even…but we can’t…that’s not the point, that’s not how this goes! That’s not how any of this, any of  _ us  _ is supposed to work! Shut up, stupid brain… _

“So, we’re going to do our thing,” Zack continued. He acted as if he did not see the drawn, false look on Cloud’s face, but his eyes stayed steady on him. Their hands stayed clasped, and Zack squeezed them. “But…I still want you to be my boyfriend, y’know.”

_ Oh, thank God. Thank God.  _ The relief saturated him, soaking through his skin and making his whole posture slump. “A-ah…” 

“You get yourself  _ all  _ worked up,” Zack commented, pulling him forward by the hands so he could kiss his forehead. “Man oh man…” 

“I-I can’t help it…!” Cloud protested weakly. “I-I’m just…”  _ You’re one of the best things that’s happened to me, you’ve helped me be more confident, even when in the end, I’m just an anxious mess…you helped me when I needed it, you’ve always been at my side, and I love you so much… _

“It’s okay, buddy,” Zack breathed. “Take a deep breath…” 

Cloud did so, tapping his fingers against the top of Zack’s hands.  _ You don’t make fun of me for any of it, you’re so good, so full of energy, so much of everything… _ Cloud’s mind raced as it frantically tried to equalize itself from the panicked state it had gotten itself into.  _ I’ll take another deep breath… _

“Like I was saying…” Zack continued. “I don’t wanna, y’know…just because Aerith and I are gonna make that kind of commitment, doesn’t mean  _ you  _ have to. I mean, the way things work now, we can’t even do that sorta thing.”

“R-right,” Cloud said. “Like…you can’t marry more than one person.”

Zack cocked his head back and forth. “Yup. Them’s the breaks.” 

He yanked Cloud forward again, this time letting go of his hands and scooping him up into his lap. “But you know what? I think we can deal,” he grunted, nuzzling their noses together. “I wanna keep being a big family.” 

“Me too,” Cloud murmured. “It’s…good.” 

_ “More  _ than good.” Zack pecked Cloud’s lips, then grinned. 

* * *

 

“So, what’s up?” Tifa asked, tugging on her bangles. “I don’t know much of what’s going on myself…”

Aerith scooted closer to her on the couch. “Well…” She held her breath, as if she was going to build up to it, but soon burst out with glee. “Zack asked me to marry him!” 

Tifa blinked.  _ Oh, so that was it…!  _ “Oh, my God--!” she exclaimed. “Th-that’s sudden…!” 

“No kidding.” Aerith reached beneath the coffee table and brought out a small box, popping it open to reveal the antiqued, emerald and opal ring inside. “This is a family ring, isn’t it beautiful…?” 

“I-it is…” Tifa found herself unable to move anything except her mouth. “W-was it his grandmother’s, or something like that?” 

“I haven’t asked. It all happened so fast!” She chuckled and bounced on the couch. “I dunno if I could’ve expected it to go any other way…” 

Tifa nodded and forced herself to smile. “Oh yeah, you know Zack…” 

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Aerith cocked her head, bouncing her ponytail on her shoulder. 

_ Well, yeah, do you blame me?  _ Acid bubbled in her stomach.  _ Come to think of it, I’ve never really been anyone’s first choice, have I? So, of course when he asks you to marry him, you say yes.  _

_ (“Don’t forget! You’re important, too!”) _

A wave of emotion shook her, bringing a tide of tears to the shores of her eyes. She desperately tried to blink them back.  _ Is that right? Is it right?  _ She couldn’t bear to look at Aerith, with the ring in her hand, and instead focused on her lap, twisting her hands over and over.  _ Maybe it is, maybe it  _ was,  _ but now… _

In her blurred vision, both of Aerith’s hands came into view. “Honey.”

“Hm?”

Aerith’s fingers wormed their way in the spaces between hers. “I  _ only  _ said yes to him under one condition.”

Tifa managed to look back up, despising the stray tears that dripped from her eyes. “Wh-what’s…ah…”

Aerith’s gaze was calm and steady. “I  _ wasn’t  _ going to go for it unless  _ everyone  _ was involved.” She leaned forward and kissed the couple of tears that were sliding down Tifa’s cheeks away, and licked the salty taste off her lips. “You know?” 

“Mm, yeah, I-I…” Tifa’s mind raced as she squeezed Aerith’s hands.  _ I’m so stupid! Of course, because Cloud’s there too, and Zack would do anything for him…! Stupid Tifa, jumping to conclusions, damn it.  _ She forced a chuckle. “W-well,  _ obviously…”  _

“You’re okay.” Aerith kissed her cheek again, and then her nose. “See?” 

She relinquished one of her hands to reach below the coffee table once again and pull out the long ring box. She struggled to open this one with one hand, but eventually revealed the four matching rings. “Four of them. He thought a  _ little  _ ahead.” 

“F-four…”  _ Four rings. For all of us. Even for me.  _

“I know that we haven’t been dating as long as Zack and I have,” Aerith said. “Same with you and Cloud. So, I mean…we want you guys to still  _ be  _ here, but like…you and Cloud don’t have to run out and get married just because of us.” 

Tifa nodded. “R-right.”  _ Since when are Cloud and I the type to “run out” and do anything? We take our time. The only reason it  _ seemed  _ like Cloud ran out to SOLDIER was because he had been mulling it over for years and years.  _

“I just want us to stay a big family,” Aerith continued, setting the ring box back down on the table. “Because I love all of you.  _ Especially  _ you.” 

Tifa’s face crumpled again.  _ You do? You do.  _ With a deep breath, she bear hugged Aerith with enough force to push her down on the couch, burying her head in her shoulder. “I-I…I…” Tifa stammered.

“Shh, you’re okay, baby,” Aerith soothed. She stroked her back and kissed her hair, holding her tight. “I know, this is a lot all at once, huh?” 

Muffled in her shoulder, she heard the bedroom door creak open. “Whoa, everything okay out here?” she heard Zack ask.

“Yeah, it’s--oh my  _ God,  _ do you have to carry him everywhere?!” Aerith exclaimed. 

“Aw, c’mon, he likes it! Don’t you, Cloud?” 

Cloud sheepish voice warbled out. “Yeah…”

Tifa wiped her eyes on Aerith’s borrowed sweatshirt before lifting her head up. Indeed, Zack was carrying Cloud in his arms, bridal style as he swung over to the couch. He didn’t let go when they sat down, instead keeping him on his lap. Immediately, Zack reached over and patted Tifa’s shoulder. “You okay?” he asked.

She could only manage to nod.  _ Yeah, I’ll be fine. You’re not so bad after all, Zack.  _ Cloud’s eyes on her were more concerned, worry creases in his forehead.  _ I’m okay, hon…I’m okay.  _

“So, are we all up to speed?” Zack asked. “Are we ready to go?” 

“Oh my God, I  _ told  _ you, we’re not going  _ now!”  _ Aerith huffed, reaching over to slap his thigh. “Spring. We’ll aim for spring.”

“As  _ soon  _ as it gets warm,” he compromised.

“That’s still…kinda soon? Aren’t weddings a big deal?” Tifa asked. “I-I mean, I’ve never been to one, I’ve only seen them on TV…”

“Me too,” Cloud chimed in. “There’s this whole ceremony and stuff--”

“Aw, c’mon, you guys are from the country! You know it ain’t gotta be that fancy!” Zack began to mime at the air, pushing Cloud off his lap and onto the couch. As soon as he was there, Cloud reached for Tifa’s hand, and she laced it with hers immediately. “I mean,  _ I  _ don’t want nothing fancy…”

“I haven’t thought about a wedding since I was a little girl,” Aerith said with a sigh. “I’d given up on it. But you know what? I think something simple would be nice…as long as there are lots of flowers.”

“We’ll get  _ all  _ the flowers you need,” Zack said, then ruffled Cloud’s hair. “Yeah, we’re gonna go to Gongaga, to that big field I showed you guys, where all the sunflowers are…! Oh,  _ shit,  _ here, look at these!” 

Zack scrambled for the ring box and scanned the four rings. “Let’s see…which one was for you…this one? Maybe?” He plucked the one on the far side out and squinted at it. “I just guessed on sizing.” 

He took Cloud’s free hand and slid the ring on his finger. “U-um, it’s a little…loose,” Cloud muttered, face flushing pink. 

“Here, try me,” Aerith said, thrusting one of her hands out. “My hands are…kinda the same size?” 

“Babe, I already got yours, yours is  _ this  _ one, the smallest one,” Zack replied. “Because--”

“Okay, let  _ me  _ try,” Tifa said. “My fingers are definitely a bit thicker.”

Cloud took the ring off his hand, reached beside him, and placed it on her ring finger. It wasn’t a perfect fit--it squeezed as soon as it met the base of her hand, but it didn’t slide off like it did on Cloud’s hand. “How’s that?” he asked quietly.

“I think it’s good,” Tifa replied, almost as soft. “Maybe a little looser…”

Zack peered over them with a chuckle. “Well, like I said, the jewelry guy said I could go get them resized whenever. Free of charge!” 

Aerith snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s because I’m sure most people don’t waltz in and go ‘yeah, let me buy  _ four rings,  _ and here is a huge wad of  _ cash--’”  _

“Hey, now!” Zack retorted, resting his chin on top of Cloud’s head. “Only the best for my sweethearts--!”

“Hon, you could’ve cranked out a ring out of a bubblegum machine and it would’ve been perfect,” Aerith said with a wry grin. “Because it was from  _ you.”  _

“A-aw, shucks.” It was Zack’s turn to bloom pink, and he tried to hide his face in Cloud’s spikey hair.

Cloud wouldn’t quite let him, as he tipped his head back into his chest. “He always goes above and beyond, though,” he said. “I mean, you wrote a  _ song  _ for us.”

“W-well, I-I was stressed out, y’know…!” Zack vainly tried to attempt himself, but his reddening face continued to deceive him. “You were real sick, and I wasn’t sure…well, y’know--”

“Well, that’s  _ over!”  _ Aerith exclaimed, reaching out to pinch Zack’s cheeks. “The fact of the matter is that you’re  _ gay.”  _

“I’m not gay!” he replied, “I’m bi at best.” 

“Close enough,” Aerith said. She mushed his cheeks before throwing her arms up in the air, nearly whacking Tifa in the face. “Who cares, we’re getting  _ married!”  _

_ “Ahh!”  _ Zack shouted in reply, raising his arms up as well, and reached around both Cloud and Tifa to hug Aerith. It mashed the two of them together, cheek to cheek, and they hugged each other with a chuckle. 

“I love you guys,” Aerith said. “So, so, so much…”

“We love you too,” Tifa managed to say, even with her mouth right against Cloud’s cheek. While she was there, she gave him a kiss, and he returned it with one to her lips, as soon as he turned his head around.  _ Yeah, we do…I do… _

Aerith popped up, snatching the small ring box from the table, and rushed over to Zack. “Here, you gotta put this on me! That’s how it goes!” she exclaimed, waving her hand in front of him.

He chuckled and took the ring box from her. “Okay, okay…” 

In the meantime, Cloud and Tifa stayed as they were, foreheads touching as they arranged themselves to be close and comfortable.  _ Aerith had a point,  _ Tifa thought, breathing easy in his presence.  _ I don’t think I’d want to get married so fast. I mean, I’ve known Cloud forever…but still. This is different.  _ She pushed her head forward to give Cloud another light kiss on his chewed, chapped lips.  _ Still… _

_ …four rings. For all of us.  _

“We’re lucky,” she whispered. 

“Mmhm,” Cloud replied.

“Aw, look at them,” Aerith teased. “They’re in their own little world, isn’t that cute?” 

They ignored her. Cloud even raised an eyebrow, before meeting her lips again with more force, as if to spite her.  _ I’m okay with that,  _ Tifa thought, wrapping her arms around Cloud’s shoulders. She watched with one eye open as Zack and Aerith stared at them in amusement.  _ You guys are getting married, after all, so let us…have our little moment too.  _ As soon as the novelty wore off for them, they carried on without them, letting Tifa close her eyes and sink into the kiss

“I’ve got to tell everyone. I’ll tell Elmyra, Barret, Vincent--”

“So early?”

“Well, yeah! I’ve got a ring to show off, remember?” 

“Oh, yeah…man, I dunno how impressed the people at work will be…” 

“You never cared about that before, when I was your  _ girlfriend.  _ Now I’m your  _ fiancee.”  _

“Fiancee…I like the ring of it. Then you’ll be my wife.” 

“Ah--!”

“Mrs. Zack Fair…”

“Oh, my  _ God,  _ I’m gonna  _ freak!”  _

“I’d better call Mom, tell her the good news…say, are we going to do Christmas there, or around here this year?” 

The mention of the holiday drew Tifa’s attention, and she broke the kiss to perk up. “Oh, yeah,” she said. “I-I mentioned to Barret that I’d stick around for the holidays…”

“Better than going to Nibelheim,” Cloud stated. “Besides, who knows how the snow’ll be this year…a couple years ago, the town was blocked off for about a week. Completely snowed in…”

“Holy shit, that’s crazy!” Zack exclaimed. He had roped Aerith back into his lap, her now wearing the emerald and opal ring on her finger. “I don’t think it’s ever gotten that bad back home.”

“I’d kinda like to stay around here myself,” Aerith said. “The church usually does a dinner.”

“I’ll see how much Ma complains,” Zack said, sticking his tongue out. “If all goes well, we can spend it all together.”

“R-really?” Tifa said. “I didn’t think you’d all be on board…”

She glanced back at Cloud, who nodded. “I’ll see what my Mom says too. I think it’ll be okay.”

“Y’know, Barret’s invited me to spend Christmas there before, but I never took it up,” Aerith commented. “We’ll all have to get presents for Marlene, that’s the rules!” 

The group chuckled, and Tifa leaned back into Cloud, absently staring at the ceiling.  _ This feels so much more like home than home ever did. With everyone here, and everyone at 7th Heaven, too… _

_ There really wasn’t any reason for me to worry, was there?  _

_ What a relief.  _

Her gaze drifted from ceiling to catch Aerith’s eye, and Aerith beamed at her.  _ Such a relief.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Cloud and Tifa have their insecurities, but they're quickly dashed away. Ending this chapter was a doozy…hope it turned out all right. Decided to do a little set-up for a chapter that, surprise surprise, I didn't plan for initially! I think I told someone recently "no new chapters", but, well…here we are. It'll bridge events a bit. And it's cute!
> 
> So! Next time, Christmas at 7th Heaven! We haven't hung out with Barret, Marlene, and Vincent in a while anyway. Stay tuned!


	83. Holiday

On Christmas Eve, contrary to years past, 7th Heaven closed and locked its doors to the general public. A modest evergreen tree was set up in the corner of the bar, decorated in popcorn strings, simple ornaments, and white string lights. Around it, several bar stools were set up, and Marlene dashed around all of them in an excited fervor. “When are we gonna open presents?” she pestered.

With her second lap around, Barret at the far end scooped her up and sat her in his lap. “You’re an impatient rascal--!” he teased, ruffling her hair. “You’re not even going to wait for Santa?”

Aerith swung her legs on her stool with a giggle. “That’s the most exciting part of Christmas, y’know,” she said. “If you’re five years old.”

Zack ran his hand down her back, in a knitted, oversized blue sweater. “Dude, I got my guitar for Christmas when I was 13,” he reminisced. “That was _probably_ the best Christmas ever.”

“I’d say,” Barret said. “Baby blue, right? Pretty thing.”

He beamed. “Hell yeah. I think it’s all I talked about for a year…”

Cloud sat on the floor near the tree, chuckling to himself. _That sounds familiar. Some things never change, huh?_ The scent of pine masked the ages of alcohol seeped into the floorboards, and he eyed the small stash of presents tucked under the tree. _I can see the ones from us. Not many…but I’m guessing Barret hasn’t set out any presents from him for Marlene yet. Those would be from “Santa”._

“Hon, are you okay on the floor?” Tifa asked. “I can get you something--”

He shook his head. “I’m okay,” he replied.

With a scrape of the floor, Vincent finally carried his barstool over to the others, setting it off in the corner. Instead of his usual trenchcoat, he was in a dark sweater himself, with his dark mane of hair tied back in a loose ponytail. It brought out his pallid skin and tired eyes, as well as a faint scar near his hairline on the side of his head. _He’s a little less intimidating,_ Cloud thought, trying not to stare. However, he still restrained himself from flinching when he met his eyes. _Just a little less._

Vincent grunted. “Lot’s been on that floor,” he managed to say.

“I-I’m sure,” Cloud replied.

His eyes bore into him. Suddenly, the sweater Cloud was wearing felt very itchy. “Won’t…come out with soap and water.” He coughed and cleared his throat, yet it made his voice sound even more gravely. “Or bleach.”

“O…kay.” _That’s comforting._

Barret chuckled. “Don’t scare the poor kid, Vinny,” he said. “If it’s good for Marlene, it’s good for you, too.”

“I don’t wanna sit on the floor!” Marlene insisted, wiggling in Barret’s lap. “I’m comfy here!”

“Well, you sure aren’t making it comfy for me, hon…” Barret tried to keep her there, but as she giggled and wiggled, he eventually let her slide away and toddle off.

“Cloud, grab the present we got for her,” Aerith stage whispered, pointing beneath the tree.

“Oy, she’s not supposed to open stuff ‘til tomorrow,” Barret grunted, crossing his arms.

“Aww, c’mon! It’s only one thing,” Zack whined.

“Yeah, Daddy! Pleeeeease!” Marlene pouted and clasped her hands together, standing on her toes. “Just _one!”_

“Jesus, both of you…!” Barret shook his head and chuckled. “Okay, just _one.”_

 _“Yay!”_ Marlene cheered and rushed back over to the tree, where she eagerly scanned each wrapped present under the tree. “Where is it! Where is it!”

Reaching behind him, Cloud grabbed a squishy, hastily wrapped gift, and held it out to her. “This is from all of us,” he said with a quiet smile. “Just a--”

“Is it from you, too?” Marlene asked with wide eyes.

“Uh-huh.”

“Yay!” With that, she snatched it from his hands and began shredding the paper at an alarming speed. _Was I like that as a kid?_ Cloud thought as he watched with amusement. _So much energy…I remember Christmases being a lot quieter, somehow._

With strips of shiny wrapping paper on the floor, Marlene held her gift in the air above her. It was a stuffed, brown and white cat, plump with a crown on its head. “Oh--!” she exclaimed. “A kitty!”

“Now Red can have a friend,” Tifa said with a wink. As Cloud looked back at the rest of them, he spotted her and Aerith loosely holding hands between barstools. “We saw that out shopping, and I thought of her…”

“Yeah! Now Red has _two_ friends.” Marlene thumbed the side of the cat’s face as she wandered over to Barret. “Kitty and the behemoth!”

“Behemoth?” Zack asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Ah, right,” Barret replied with a chuckle. “Vinny took her to the zoo a few weeks ago--”

“Whoa, whoa,” he interrupted. “There’s a _zoo_ in Midgar?”

“Honey, how long have you been living here?” Aerith teased, poking his side. “Granted, it is kinda tucked away--”

“It’s over in the back side of the city. Half of it’s at sea level, outside the plate,” Barret explained. “Anyway, they came back with a behemoth doll…she loves the thing.”

“Yeah!” Marlene said brightly. “It looks just like--”

Vincent flinched, as did Barret, who patted her head. “Ah, _ah,_ that’s enough, hon,” he said. His voice lilted with a nervous edge to it, causing curious looks from the rest of the group. _Just like what…?_

Much to everyone’s surprise, Vincent broke the silence by clearing his throat and slipping out of his seat and trudging to the far side of the tree. There, he bent over and pulled out four, small boxes. Muttering to himself, he shuffled them around, and passed one off to Cloud. “Here,” he grunted.

“Th…thanks,” Cloud said. After he passed him, he realized he was holding his breath.

Vincent passed out the rest to Zack, Aerith, and Tifa. “Oh, you shouldn’t have--!” Aerith exclaimed, rolling over her small box in her hands.

“Not…just me,” he mumbled. He sighed with a furrowed brow as he tried to continue his sentence. “I…I, ah…”

“I helped a bit,” Barret finished for him, patting Vincent’s back as he shuffled back to his seat. “He wanted to get something for all of you, so I gave him some advice.”

Aerith beamed, swinging her legs beneath the barstool. “You guys are so sweet--!” With that, she ripped open her box with nearly as much enthusiasm as Marlene. Beneath the paper was a thin, jewelry box, and she gasped upon opening it. “Oh, this is _beautiful…”_

On a thin, gold chain was a pink, gemstone flower. It was delicate and simple, and she immediately unclasped it and fastened it around her neck. “Oh, I love it--!” she cheered. “Thank you so much!”

Barret did his best to hide his smile, but with little effect. “Good,” he said. “Oh, I remember years ago, when you were pushing that flower cart around--”

“It wasn’t _that_ long ago,” she said.

“You were a teenager, that’s long enough,” Barret insisted. “Y’know what, I would’ve taken you in here if I had known any better. Marlene was just little, though, and Vinny had only just started coming around--”

“A-aw, that’s okay.” Aerith turned a shade pink with gentle embarrassment. “I made it out okay.”

“I know. Could’ve been better though, huh?”

She looked off. “Maybe.” Soon, she turned her attention over to Tifa and leaned against her shoulder. “What’d you get?”

Tifa was peering into a square box, before she pulled out a set of silver bangle bracelets, reflecting back the string lights with a glittery sheen. “Wow,” she breathed. “Thank you…”

“You’re always fussing with the ones you’ve got,” Barret said. “Those are nice ones. Aren’t those real silver?”

Vincent nodded slowly in reply. “There are…earrings in there too. Same…kind of thing.”

“Oh, yup, there they are.” The earrings were the same diameter the bangles were, and she smiled to herself as she held them up to her ear.

“You like big hoops, don’t you?” Aerith remarked.

“Yeah…” Tifa replied shyly. “Should wear them more, but they get in the way when I’m working…”

Cloud had spaced out watching Tifa’s face, and when he blinked back to himself, he noticed Zack was watching him. He still had his present untouched in his lap. _I thought he’d be first to open his,_ Cloud thought. “What did you get, hon?” Zack asked.

“Oh…” Cloud turned his present over in his hands, before carefully peeling the tape off the sides and attempting to unwrap his present in one sheath.

“Oh, you’re one of _those_ guys,” Zack commented. “Dude, do you need a knife?”

Cloud shook his head, his face growing warm as he felt new pairs of eyes fall on him on the floor. _Just makes less mess later…_ His box was the smallest, and he lifted the cover to reveal a pair of earrings. _Are these…diamond studs?_ “Ah…”

“Sorry, we didn’t have too much to go on for you,” Barret apologized. “I didn’t wanna tip off Tifa that we were getting presents, but I know you’ve got that earring there…”

He pointed to his ear, and Cloud automatically reached for the wolf earring and tugged on it. “A-ah, yeah,” he said. “Actually, I don’t have both of mine pierced, but I should get ‘em done…”

“We can do it at home!” Aerith chirped. “I’ll get a needle, and--”

 _“No,”_ Tifa and Zack said in unison.

Barret burst into hearty laughter at this, and Marlene accompanied him through sheer glee. Even Vincent chuckled, only visible by the gentle shaking of his shoulders. “Aw, you guys!” Aerith pouted, swiveling in her chair. _“No_ fun!”

“I think it’d be a good idea to get it _done_ someplace, actually,” Cloud suggested, tugging at the back of his hair. “I only did that before because there was no place else, and I would’ve gotten chased out of town if, y’know…”

“Who says a guy can’t get his ears pierced?” Barret remarked with a huff. “It’s almost the 21st century, after all…”

“I’ve got mine done,” Zack mentioned, balancing his package on his lap while he tugged his ears. “Don’t really switch ‘em out much. It’s cool!”

 _“You’re_ cool,” Aerith remarked, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Open your box!”

“Oh, yeah.” He turned to peck her cheek before diving into his package. Inside was a deep blue, leather guitar strap. “Ooh, _dude!_ This is sweet! Real leather, too…”

“Your band…” Vincent muttered. “…sounds good.”

“Aw, thanks, man,” Zack said. “It ain’t my band, though. It’s Seph’s, and I bet you just _saying_ that is making him break out into a cold sweat.”

Vincent’s brow furrowed as he stared at the floor. “Sephiroth…”

All eyes turned to him. _Every time someone brings Sephiroth up, he gets like this. Like he knows him somehow. But, Sephiroth has never talked about Vincent before…_

Aerith leaned forward in her stool. “You got to talk to him the last time they played here, didn’t you?” she asked, trying to coax more out of him.

Several more moments of silence passed. “Yes,” he managed. Slowly he shook his head. “He’s…talented.”

With a note of finality, he reached behind him and took a drink from his glass tumbler. Cloud exchanged a look with Zack--the one he got from him was tinged with exasperation. _Yeah, I’m sure you know all about that,_ Cloud thought. _But, looks like we’ll never know with Vincent…_

A hollow wind rattled the windows of the bar. “Jeez, should get those replaced too, now that the door’s fixed up,” he commented. “It can be like a wind tunnel under here.”

“You think one day they’ll start heating things under here?” Aerith asked. “I mean, I think they’ve got the infrastructure to do it--”

“No way,” Barret sighed. He reached out and placed a drowsy Marlene in his lap with her new stuffed animal. “They don’t give a shit about what happens underneath this big, metal pizza…”

Tifa snorted. “Pizza, huh?”

“That’s right. That’s an old term now…”

“No, I’ve heard that one before,” Zack remarked. “Back when I was first training here…”

“You were running around like crazy,” Barret said with a smirk. “What, you were trying to work here, train up for 2nd class, and God knows what else--”

“I was busy, and I needed cash!” Zack said. “SOLDIER pays, but you don’t see much of it in your hand, not then…”

“Ain’t that right.” Barret leaned back in the barstool, adjusting Marlene in his arms. “Jeez, one minute you’re just kids, then next you’re getting married. I can’t believe it.”

Zack and Aerith chuckled, as Zack coaxed her closer beneath his arm. “We weren’t _kids,”_ he said. “How old are _you,_ anyway?”

“Old enough," Barret grunted, brushing the comment aside. "So, when’s the date?”

“We…uh, dunno.” Zack shrugged sheepishly. “Sp…riiiiing?”

“You don’t know? How are you going to invite anyone?”

“You know him, he flies by the seat of his pants,” Aerith dismissed. “Besides, it’s not going to be a big thing…”

“It’s a good thing she’s asleep,” Barret said, dropping his voice as he let Marlene’s head rest on his chest. “She’d be whining for _weeks_ about being your flower girl.”

“Oh, God, that’s right.” Aerith covered her mouth. “But, yeah, Zack wants it done right away, but I wanted something at least a _little_ nice, so this is our compromise.”

“I’m guessing you’ll be going?” Barret asked Tifa.

She nodded with a small start. “Oh! Ah, yeah. Me and Cloud will be there. Probably Zack’s parents…” She tucked her hair behind her ear before glancing between Cloud and Aerith. “That’s…it, right?”

“Probably,” Zack said. “Loire might show up if he’s around, but we’re not sending out invitations or anything.”

“Not when there’s no date, you’re not.” Barret rolled his eyes, but his expression quickly softened. “Well, congratulations to both of you.”

“Congratulations,” Vincent echoed.

“Thank you~!” Aerith said, hugging Zack’s side. “It’s going to be good.”

“Maybe it’ll get you a chance to move on up and out,” Barret said. “Get yourselves out from under the plate.”

“Yeah, that’s the dream,” Zack sighed. “We’ve been looking at bigger places recently.” He tugged on the collar of his sweater. “I bet we could’ve taken Angeal’s place if it were bigger, but it’s only a one bed.”

Aerith reached around and rubbed his back. “We’ll find something, sweetie. Something for all of us.”

“All of you, huh?” Barret asked.

Cloud froze, and stopped breathing in order not to draw attention to himself. _Shit, does he even know we’re all together in different ways? I mean, he must, shouldn’t he? After all the times we’ve stopped in and everything? Oh, God, God, God._

Even though Tifa was staring at Cloud, Barret took no notice of him. “You thinking of having kids someday?” he asked.

“Oh, I dunno!” Aerith replied, too immediately. “We haven’t talked about it that much. Maybe someday…”

“I can’t imagine a kid from the two of you. They’d be a rascal, that’s for sure…”

Cloud allowed himself to breathe, although he jumped again when Tifa sat next to him, crossing her legs. “How are you doing?” she asked quietly, while the conversation still bubbled before them.

“Okay,” he replied. He leaned against her shoulder. “Are you staying here tonight?”

“I might,” she said. “Barret might need help playing Santa.”

Cloud slipped a hand on her lower back, playing with the hem of her shirt. “I can come over, if you want,” he offered.

Tifa bit her lip. “You could stay the night, if you want.”

They shared a quiet look. _Ti. We used to get together on Christmas, in the middle of the afternoon when there was nothing going on. We’d go for a walk around town…we never exchanged gifts, even though I wanted to…_

_(“Sorry.”_

_“What for?” Tifa asked, steam filtering out of her nose. “What’s there to be sorry for on Christmas?”_

_Even though his fingertips were freezing, he still held his cigarette out, and took another drag before speaking again. “Didn’t…ah, get you anything,” he mumbled._

_“Oh, Cloud,” Tifa huffed. “Christmas isn’t just about presents, you know, it’s about spending time with the people you…”_

_She hesitated, glancing at him quickly before staring at her shoes. “Th-the people you care about, y’know? L-like your friends, and stuff.”)_

Cloud smiled to himself. _The people you love._

“So, Zackary,” Aerith purred, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Aaaare you coming with me tomorrow to help at the church.”

“Hon, you _know_ I’m not a Zackary,” Zack groaned, rolling his head around until he knocked it against hers. “My own mother doesn’t call me that…”

“Really?” Tifa asked. “You’re just ‘Zack’?”

“Yup, that’s all she wrote. Official and all.” He kissed Aerith’s forehead. “And sure. I’ll come with.” He glanced over to Cloud. “What’s your plan?”

“Ah…w-well, I’m thinking of staying the night here,” he said, looking over at Barret. When he said nothing, he continued. “I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow night.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Aerith said. She yawned, then reached down to grab for Zack’s hand, lacing it in hers. “This has been one of the more low-key Christmases, but…it’s nice.”

“Yeah,” Tifa agreed.

“It is nice,” Barret said.

“Mmm,” Vincent muttered, then rose from his seat while draining his glass. “I will be…downstairs. Good night.”

“Good night, Vincent!” Aerith chirped. “Merry Christmas!”

Vincent smiled and patted her head as he passed, and nodded to the others before walking over to the trapdoor in the other corner of the bar. _He always wears that coat, I never realized how hunched over he is,_ Cloud thought. _That means he’s probably even taller than he looks._

Barret sighed loud and rose from his stool as well, holding Marlene by the bottom as she continued to doze. “I’m gonna take Marlene up to bed, but I’ll be back down,” he said. He took a couple steps back, and the cat plush fell from Marlene’s grasp. “Oops…”

“Gotcha.” Zack toed it with his foot, using it to give the doll leverage to grab with his hand. He handed it over to Barret, who took it in his one hand with Marlene in his other arm.

“Thanks.”

With a nod, Barret disappeared up the stairs, leaving the four alone in the bar. Immediately, Zack hopped off his stool and jumped down to sit in front of Cloud. “Hey,” he muttered, before taking Cloud’s face in his hands and yanking him forward.

He kissed him deeply. Cloud let himself get lost in it. At least, for a moment.

“You are _something,”_ Aerith teased, standing behind him to scratch behind his head. “You miss him already?”

Zack broke the kiss. “Hey!” he said. “Look at you!”

“What?” Aerith said innocently. She had already wormed herself into Tifa’s lap with her arms around her. “What’s up?”

Zack laughed. _“You’re_ the one who’s something! Pot calling the kettle black is what’s going on!”

Aerith stuck her tongue out before leaning her lips against Tifa’s pink cheek. “Uh-huh,” she said. “What are you going to do about it, hot shot?”

Zack squished Cloud’s cheeks between his hands, even as Cloud fidgeted his hands against his knees. He kept eye contact with him, cyan blue against deep blue. “I dunno,” he said with a little smirk. “How long until Barret comes back down?”

“Not too long, I wouldn’t think,” Aerith said, still spoken against Tifa’s cheek.

Cloud’s heart began to race. “Z-Zack…” he mumbled, lips mushed apart. “You’re not gonna…please…”

“Aw, all right,” Zack sighed and let go of his cheeks, leaning his forehead against his. “I won’t rile you up while we’re here.”

He reached across for Aerith’s hand. As soon as they took hold, Tifa took one of Cloud’s free hands, her eyes drifting down. Cloud looked between all of them, all with gentle smiles on their faces, expressing the same emotion in their own ways. Illuminated beneath the string lights and laced with the scent of pine needles and stale popcorn, he felt a rise in his heart.

But this time, it wasn’t due to anxiety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 6/8/17: Added a little quip from Barret that I thought of before I wrote the chapter, but forgot about during. Barret is old enough to have a kid and his own business, but not old enough to go gray yet. :P
> 
> Merry Christmas in…June?! Sometimes these things happen. 
> 
> Zack is wearing one of Angeal's old sweaters in this chapter. I'm not a fan of calling Zack "Zackary", and he echoes my distaste…I feel like I've mentioned that in a previous author's note, but I can't remember. I've been working on this fic for a while. 
> 
> Next time, we're getting married! Or, Zack and Aerith are, anyway. Stay tuned!


	84. Wedding

As soon as the snow melted from the streets of Midgar, and the fields below Gongaga’s mountains were green with the young stalks of future sunflowers, Zack stuffed everyone in a company car and drove them out to his hometown. The temperature peaked at around 65 degrees, with the sun at its highest in a pale blue sky. With a fistful of legal documentation, he rounded up all the people he needed--his parents, and the only priest in town--and let Aerith arrange everything else.

Soon, he was standing in front of her, hands shaking as he fumbled to put the silver and gold braided band on her finger. He almost dropped it, but her hand shifted to keep it between them. She wore her hair down, in long, beautiful bushy waves, with just a bow in the back.  _ Pink, just like the one I bought for her,  _ he thought. Her head was adorned with a crown of white flowers, bright and gently fragrant. She wore a pale blue sundress, so pale it was nearly white, but not quite, and it fluttered in the wind at her knees. He matched in a blue dress shirt, pressed and neat despite his urge to roll up the sleeves. While he kept his dog tags in his pocket, he still wore the feather over his chest, visible in the sun.  _ God… _

Aerith’s hands didn’t shake as she placed his ring on him, but her lips quivered.  _ Yeah, we’re doing this.  _

The priest cleared his throat. “Do you, Zack Fair, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” 

“I do,” he said, his head spinning.  _ I’m getting married. Ho boy. This is so…surreal.  _

He swallowed hard, throat dry, before his eyes wandered behind Aerith. Tifa and Cloud were holding hands, both in pale blue, watching with smiles. Being the center of attention, he caught both of their eyes, and gave Cloud a wink. 

_ (“Aw, do we  _ all  _ gotta match?” Zack asked in the department store while Aerith led the party. “I mean, we’re not doing anything  _ super  _ formal--” _

_ “Oh, hush! Let me have this!” Aerith insisted. “I can’t believe I’m shopping in a retail store to begin with…” _

_ “Your wedding dress should  _ not  _ be a Goodwill dress,” Tifa said, arm-in-arm with her, even though she had to keep skipping steps to keep up.  _

_ “Although…” Aerith said as she peeked at a tag on a sundress. “I have seen some old ones on the rack--hey, Cloud, this would look cute on you…” _

_ Cloud’s weak voice came from behind them all. “N-no, thanks…not this time,” he sighed. “I-I’ll manage a dress shirt, as long as it’s not too tight…” _

_ “Aw, but you’d look so cute!” Aerith pouted. “Well,  _ I’m  _ going to try it on. You could too. You don’t have to wear it to the wedding, but maybe another time…?”  _

_ Cloud glanced up and down the dress, then nodded. “Sure,” he conceded.  _

_ As Aerith scooped the hanger and dress into her free arm, Zack hung back in order to allow Cloud to catch up. “If she gets too excited, you can reel her in, y’know,” Zack muttered. “She’s a tough girl, you can tell her so--” _

_ “I-it’s okay.” Cloud offered him a small smile. “Maybe another time…I’ll dress up like that…”) _

To Zack’s surprise, Cloud nodded back, with a small wink of his own. 

“And do you, Aerith Gainsburough, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

She was much more confident, chin out with her head held high. “I do,” she said, “for all of my days.” 

The priest chuckled, while Zack bit his lip. He squeezed her hands, his beginning to feel clammy even with the cool breeze. 

“By the power vested in me,” the priest continued, closing the book in his hand with a snap. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He nodded to Zack. “You may kiss your bride.” 

Zack burst into a grin, and before he could blink, Aerith relinquished his hands and tugged him down by his shoulders. In a split second, in a voice only he could hear, she whispered, “kiss me, handsome”, and met her lips with his. 

Even with the sparse crowd, the clapping resounded in his ears as he wrapped his arms around his bride and lifted her into the air. Aerith broke the kiss to place her hands on his cheeks, green eyes shining. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you,” Zack replied, face aching from the force of his smile. 

She giggled and took off her flower crown in order to put it on Zack’s head, then kissed him again.  _ I’m so happy, so happy… _

_ Aerith… _

Feeling dizzy, by the time he set her down and opened his eyes, he was confronted by his mother, tears streaming down her face. “Oh, congratulations, honey--!” she blubbered, hugging him with full force.

“Thanks, Ma,” Zack said, tears pricking at the corner of his own eyes. “Woo…”

She immediately took Aerith into her arms. “And  _ you,  _ sweetheart, welcome to the family, ooh, I’m so  _ happy!”  _

“Hooray…!” Aerith coughed, trying to catch her breath. “I can really call you ‘Mom’ now…”

His mother wailed and continued to squeeze her.  _ Yeah, that’s Ma for you,  _ he thought. Before he had much reprieve, Zack’s father approached him as well, giving him a quick hug. “An outdoor wedding, I like it,” he remarked. “Better than a stuffy church.” 

“I thought Mom might’ve made us for a sec,” Zack sighed, shaking his head quickly to keep them from leaking. “Y’know…”

“Oh, yeah.” He winked at him with a clap on his shoulder. “Your new wife is a smooth talker.” 

His father left to speak with the priest. In the meantime, Cloud and Tifa rushed up to them, the latter with a camera in her hand. “Here, let’s get a picture of you…”

Aerith gasped as she was finally freed from Zack’s mother’s grasp. “Ooh, good! I was gonna ask if you brought it!” She slipped an arm around Zack’s waist and beamed. “Cheese!” 

It was a good thing Zack was already smiling, because he barely had time to look up before she snapped the picture, the Polaroid cranking out a sheet of glossy, photo paper in a moment. Tifa bent down to set the camera on the ground, along with the picture, then rose with her hands clasped near her face. “God, you guys look…” 

Her voice quivered, then she ran into Aerith’s arms, staggering her backwards. “Sweetie…” she said, peppering her hair with kisses. 

Zack wrapped his arm around her as well, as well as drawing Cloud into the cluster. “Bring it in, everyone,” he said. “We’re all in this together…”

They rearranged their arms, putting them around each other’s backs so they created a circle at the foot of the sunflower field. “A happy wedding,” Aerith said, her voice light and airy. 

“I ain’t gonna lie, this is one of…the happiest moments of my life,” Zack said with a sigh. “Cliche as it is--”

“It’s your wedding,” Cloud said. “You can be cliche if you want to.” 

“Guess so.” He lifted his head up to gaze at the bright sky above them.  _ The only thing that would’ve made this better…would be… _

Aerith finished his thought as she bumped his hip with her own. “Wish Angeal were here, huh?” she said. 

A lump crept into Zack’s throat that was hard to swallow. “Y-yeah,” he managed. “I mean--”

Suddenly, a gust of wind kicked up, and it blew the flower crown off Zack’s head, nearly tumbling off the cliff. “Ack,  _ hey!”  _ he exclaimed, bursting out of the group to try and grab it. He ended up dragging Cloud with him as he retrieved it, careful not to damage the flowers.  _ Yeah, you would’ve been here if you could, wouldn’t you?  _

_ Even without the fancy ceremony, I would’ve made you my best man. Probably would’ve dressed in a suit and everything, huh? Ah… _

“Zack?” Cloud asked. “Everything okay?” 

He had been staring at the flower crown, turning it over in his hands, before he came back to himself to glance down at Cloud. Zack’s eyes wandered from his bright eyes, down to the hand where his ring was on, sparkling in the sun.  _ I’ll be all right. I’ve got my beautiful wife, (god, my  _ wife),  _ and you, my boyfriend, my partner for as long as you’ll have me… _

Zack chuckled and tossed the flower crown onto Cloud’s head. It landed crooked on his head, but it was charming all the same, and made him giggle, a flush in Cloud’s pale cheeks. “Yeah, I’m all right,” Zack replied, and bent down to kiss his cheek. “Love you.”

Cloud tried to adjust the crown on his head, but ultimately left it in its haphazard state. “Love you, too.” 

“Boys!” Aerith called, holding hands with Aerith. “We’re gonna go get dinner! You coming?” 

“Yeah, baby!” Zack wrapped his arm around Cloud’s shoulder and unbuttoned the top of his collar. “Let’s go celebrate!”

* * *

 

The four had ridden a Shinra vehicle down to Gongaga, and returned it in the evening just as the sun was setting. They found themselves walking arm-in-arm as they walked out of the garage--Cloud, Tifa, Zack, and Aerith, all in a huge line. “Y’know, we  _ probably  _ could’ve stayed the night,” Tifa said, staring at her feet to keep her pace. “I mean, tomorrow’s Sunday--” 

“I know, but…” Zack sighed. “We’re still short on base, I  _ really  _ had to twist Seph’s arm to get today off.” 

“You don’t normally work weekends,” Cloud stated. 

“Nope.  _ But,”  _ he continued. “He gave me this bullshit on ‘oh, well, you need to be on call more now’, blah blah blah…” 

“Well,  _ too bad,”  _ Aerith said with a skip. “It’s  _ our  _ weekend! So, no calls!” 

“Babe, I don’t--”

“Let  _ me  _ answer your pager! I’ll insist, because now I’m your wife, and they can’t say no to me.” 

“Aerith…!” Tifa exclaimed. “Don’t think it really works that way…”

A raspy voice hollered from somewhere behind them.  _ “Hey!”  _

They all turned in unison, back toward the side entrance of HQ, where Genesis was leaning against the wall with smoke pouring out of his mouth. He coughed a bit then called again.  _ “Fair! Get over here!”  _

“Oh, God, what now,” Zack muttered, unlinking himself. “Here, lemme just see what’s up real quick…”

He strode off on his own, but found that Cloud was shortly behind him, followed by Aerith and Tifa in a less urgent pace.  _ Ah, well.  _ He held his breath as he got closer, but found that the smoke was from cigarettes instead of something more pungent. “Dude, you better not be dragging me in for a night shift,” Zack said, still waving smoke away from his face. 

“Nah,” Genesis replied, flicking the ash off his cigarette. “Heard you got married.” 

“W-well, yeah,” he said. Cloud stayed a half-step behind him. “I told you guys that’s why I wanted the car, and the day off--”

“And you didn’t invite your band mates?” Genesis continued. “Harsh, man.”

“More  _ importantly,”  _ Sephiroth said, emerging from around the far corner like a spectre. Cloud took another half-step back. “You didn’t invite  _ me.”  _

“Oh, my  _ God,”  _ Zack groaned, slumping his shoulders and rolling his eyes. “You wouldn’t have wanted to come  _ anyway!”  _

“The offer would have been appreciated,” he scoffed, taking a drag of his own cigarette. He took his time taking a hit, then blowing out the smoke above his head. “Even if I were to just say no.”

“Well, what the fuck,” Zack said, throwing his hands up and letting them slap against his hips. “Is that all you’ve got for me? ‘Cause we wanna get home--”

“Yeah, go home and fuck, whatever,” Genesis dismissed, reaching into his back pocket. “Here. Little something.” 

He produced a thin envelope and held it out to him. It was slightly crumpled, and had “Zack and Aerith” scribbled on the front in red pen. Zack took it between two fingers and blinked. “Huh?” 

“It’s a wedding gift, what do you think?” Sephiroth huffed, pulling out an envelope of his own, much more well preserved, and handed it to him. “Just because I’m not a fan of such…displays of romance, does not mean I’m not aware of the customs.” 

_ You’re unbelievable,  _ Zack thought, taking the second envelope. His exasperation was overshadowed by curiosity and disbelief as he shuffled between the envelopes.  _ But still, what the hell…?  _ “Well, thanks…I guess--”

“Should be enough to get you out of that shithole under the plate,” Genesis remarked. “By the church, right?” 

Zack frowned. “Hey, it may be a shithole, but it’s--” He cut himself off as he registered what Genesis actually said. Then, his eyes grew huge and he waved the envelopes in front of them. “Wait a sec, is this  _ money?”  _

“What  _ else  _ would be in an envelope that small?” Sephiroth said. “I don’t know about Gen’s, but mine has something a little extra.” 

Genesis took one last drag of his cigarette, then tossed it on the ground and crushed it with his foot. “Don’t even think about giving it back,” he remarked. “If Angeal couldn’t make me keep my money, neither will you.” 

With a wave of his hand, he flung open the door back into HQ and disappeared behind it. Sephiroth followed suit, but held it open for a moment, glancing back at Zack and the others. “Congratulations,” he muttered. Then, too, he was gone. 

As soon as the latch clicked, Aerith zoomed right beneath Zack’s arm. “What was that all about?” she asked, peering up at the envelopes. “What are those?” 

“A…wedding gift? Fuck, I think they’re checks.” Zack shook his head, then tore open the one from Genesis. Indeed, there was only a single check on the inside, written out in red pen with Genesis’ sloppy signature on the bottom. “Holy  _ fuck,”  _ he breathed. 

Aerith snatched the check from him, then gasped. “Jesus!” she exclaimed. “That’s…honey, this is more money than I’ve ever seen in my  _ life.”  _

“God, I can’t take this…” he muttered, looking back at the closed door.  _ But, he did say that he wasn’t going to take it back. Angeal…used to tell us about Genesis just buying shit for him, for the band. All that percussion equipment and stuff…didn’t even bat an eye. Isn’t he an heir or something?  _

“How much is it?” Tifa asked. 

“A  _ lot,”  _ Zack managed to say.

Tifa clapped her hand over her mouth as she peered at the amount on the check over Aerith’s shoulder. “That’s like…a  _ year’s  _ worth of rent, oh my God…”

_ “Enough to get out of that shithole apartment”, he said,  _ Zack thought, turning over Sephiroth’s envelope.  _ Sure fucking is enough. So, what’s in here?  _

He tore it open, and inside was yet another check, as well as a slip of paper. Sephiroth’s hand was much neater all around, as well as his signature, and Zack felt some relief upon seeing the amount. “Okay, that’s still  _ a lot,  _ but…more reasonable, I guess,” Zack sighed. 

“You mean Seph didn’t try and outdo someone for once?” Aerith asked. “That’s impressive.” 

“Yeah, no shit,” Zack muttered. He examined the slip of paper included, which was a handwritten note:

_ “If you are thinking about having children, consider adopting. _ __   
_ Midgar Foster Sanctuary _ __   
_ Lower Sector 2 _ _   
_ __ (777) 555-8911” 

“Huh,” Cloud said, reading along with him. “Kinda…odd advice.”

“And getting ahead of himself,” Zack said. “‘Consider adopting’? We haven’t even thought that far ahead…” 

Tifa chuckled. “Sure, and what does Sephiroth, of all people, know about that sort of thing?” 

Aerith, on the other hand, tapped her finger to her chin. “Zack, didn’t you say that Sephiroth was adopted?” she asked. 

“Uh, yeah, think so,” he replied. “Why?” 

She shrugged. “Maybe that’s it then,” she said. “I mean, if that’s the case, he’d know, right?” 

_ I guess you’re right,  _ he thought, beginning to pocket the note.  _ Seph and Gen are…weird fucking people. But, they come through in the end, somewhat…even if they’re dicks about it.  _

Cloud touched his wrist, sending an odd shiver through his shoulders. “Hey,” he said, “could I…hold onto that? Ah, the note, I mean…” 

“For what?” he asked. 

“I dunno…” Cloud replied, shying away even as Zack handed it over. He watched as Cloud met Tifa’s eyes for a brief second, then looked back down. “Maybe…I-I mean, sounds like a good idea…” 

“Now  _ you’re  _ getting ahead of yourself,” Zack remarked, grabbing for his hand as soon as it was available, and started heading back down the street. “What, do  _ you  _ wanna be a dad?” 

“Well--”

“Don’t pressure him,” Tifa scolded gently, taking his other hand. As Cloud gave her a grateful look, they kept the contact for a significant time, ending in them both nodding at each other.  _ Man, that silent thing they’ve got going on  _ kills  _ me sometimes,  _ Zack mused, keeping a chuckle in his throat.  _ That’s some next level chemistry… _

Aerith swarmed to Zack’s other side with a pat to his ass. “So,” she said, with a devious smile. “Whaaaat are we gonna do when we get back?” 

Zack found himself grinning. “Well, it  _ is  _ our wedding night,” he replied. “So we  _ should  _ make the most of it.” 

Tifa sighed. “I’m guessing you guys are going to want the bedroom, then…” 

Zack and Aerith exchanged equally coy looks.  _ We can play this game too,  _ Zack thought while staring into her bright green eyes.  _ And I know just what you’re thinking.  _ “Sure,  _ but,”  _ he said slowly. “Y’know something, we really haven’t gotten a chance to get any shoebox pictures of Cloud.”

_ “Or  _ you, baby,” Aerith said, leaning forward to wink at Tifa. 

“A-ah…” Cloud said, squeezing Zack’s hand in lieu of fidgeting. “I mean, well…”

“Let’s face it,” Aerith stated, breaking the chain of hands and skipping out ahead of the group, walking backwards. “In the end, even though it was me and Zack’s day, this is a day for  _ all  _ of us.” She clapped her hands together. “So! We should celebrate accordingly, right?  _ Right?”  _

“Right!” Zack affirmed.

“R-right…” Cloud concurred, a little less enthusiastically. 

Tifa took her time to mull the proposition over. “Well…I dunno if I want my picture taken right  _ now…”  _

“But will you come to bed with us, sweetie?” Aerith pleaded, making a tremendous pout.  _ “Pleeeease?”  _

“I’ll be there too, Ti,” Cloud assured her, drumming his fingers against her hand. He bit his lip. “So…”

Tifa twisted her mouth, then smiled with a small sigh. “Oh, all right,” she replied. “It  _ is  _ your wedding night…” 

_ “Yes!”  _ Aerith jumped in the air, then grabbed her by her free hand, dragging Cloud along with her. “Then c’mon, c’mon! We have to get home!” 

Zack hung back, using his long strides to keep up with them. With his hands empty, he slipped them in his pockets, smiling to himself.  _ Looks like we’re gonna have a fun night to end a good day,  _ he thought, watching Aerith enthusiastically bounce around Tifa and Cloud.  _ A really fun night, by the sounds of it… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy wedding! Nothing too fancy, just a little something to show their love. You'll notice I didn't specify the exact amount of gil Seph and Gen gave them--just assume it's a _lot_. A whole lot. 
> 
> So, next chapter's going to be a NSFW one! We're finally going to see the poly have sex, which means I'll have to up the rating on this fic. It could probably use an M rating anyway at this point. For those of you not into that, I don't think it'll have any major plot things in it--we're right at the end, anyway. Stay tuned!


	85. Full-Sized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains sexually explicit content. Reader discretion is advised.

Cloud never realized how small their bedroom was until all four of them were in it at one time. Aerith and Tifa were seated near the headboard, with Cloud at the foot of the bed, and Zack rooting around underneath it. “So…what exactly is this ‘shoebox’?” Tifa asked. 

Aerith chuckled as she turned her back toward Tifa. Instinctively, Tifa reached for the zipper at the back of her dress and pulled it down her back. “Well,” Aerith said, wiggling her shoulders out of the straps. “It’s just a special little thing…”

“Oy, here we go,” Zack grunted. He rose up from beneath the bed with said shoebox, wearing away at the corners, and tossed it between all of them. It bounced once, with the cardboard lid rattling on the top. “We keep pictures in there, mostly for when I’m away on duty.” 

“Oh,” Tifa replied. She stayed in her dress, slim fitting as it was, and reached across to poke at the lid with her blue, painted nails. “I’m guessing they’re…uh,  _ naughty  _ pictures…”

Aerith and Zack burst into laughter, and even Cloud couldn’t help but chuckle, leaving Tifa to fume red and cross her arms. “W-well! What else are you gonna call ‘em?!” she exclaimed with a huff. 

_ “‘Naughty’,  _ Jesus…” Zack wheezed.

Tifa crawled up to him and pointed right in his face. “Don’t make fun of me!” she reprimanded. 

“Hey, you’re not _ wrong,”  _ he replied, leaning back with his hands up. “I mean, nothing too much worse than what you’d see in a girly magazine…” 

“But with more than  _ just _ girls,” Aerith amended. 

She popped the top off the shoebox and idly sifted down into it with one hand. She crinkled the sheet of lined paper back, revealing the stacks of pictures and handwritten letters, as well as an extra pack of Polaroid film deep down.  _ I’ve stumbled on this before,  _ Cloud thought. He caught a glimpse of a picture he recognized--Zack smiling smug at the camera, the shot panning from his chest to just above his crotch.  _ I sure have… _

“O-oh,” Tifa gulped. Her eyes fell toward the corner, where there was a picture of Aerith spread out on the bed, very naked, one hand fondling one breast. “Yeah, these are some…pictures.”

Zack stripped his shirt, along with the tanktop underneath it, and tossed both of them to the side of the bed. “Like whatcha see?” he said with a grin and a wink. He glanced over to Aerith’s exposed back and gestured to it. “Well, you’ve got her halfway there--”

“Shush!” Tifa huffed, hands leaping to her shoulders, sliding Aerith’s straps down to her elbows. As soon as she realized what she had done, she buried her face into her long, bushy hair. “You’re awful!”

“I think you have to move her hair out of the way,” Zack said.

_ “I know!”  _ Tifa’s voice was muffled, but still frantic. “Not…what I’m doing!”

Aerith giggled and reached back to stroke her face, while Zack turned his attention on Cloud. “I think I’m giving your girlfriend too much attention,” he said, crawling closer. “She doesn’t like being in the hot seat.”

“Yeah.” Cloud swallowed hard.  _ God. He’s using his “sexy” voice. The one that’s lower, just a little raspy, a little soft, a little bit of…everything.  _ As if on command, Cloud’s face began to grow hot, and he bit the inside of his cheek. 

In the meantime, Zack traced his finger over Cloud’s chin, down his neck, and through to the collar of his shirt. “Can I take this off?” he asked quietly.

Cloud could only nod.  _ You can do anything you want, just as long as it’s your hands on me…hoo boy. Yeah, I’m gay, though there really wasn’t any doubt about that.  _ He watched as Zack undid the buttons of his shirt, one at a time.  _ Especially since I used to fantasize about this sort of thing before we were even together… _

_ (dirty dirty dirty)  _

_ Uh-huh… _

Zack’s hands were big, but gentle as he pushed the shirt off Cloud’s shoulders, revealing him in his undershirt. It fit him tight, and was a soft, sheer material. Zack pulled at the hem of it and rubbed it between his thumb and finger. “Is this Aerith’s?” he asked, in the same tone. 

“Mm,” Cloud replied, matching him. “It’s…soft. I like it…” 

“You’re soft,” Zack said, homing in on Cloud’s neck, resting his lips against the tender skin. Cloud desperately tried not to sigh too loud as he made room for his head, and he felt Zack’s fingertips slide beneath his undershirt, smoothing against his sides and back.  _ “Mmm…”  _

Cloud’s eyelids fluttered, but could still make out Tifa’s eyes on him, watching with intent he had never quite seen before.  _ Ti…?  _ The bed creaked as Aerith got up, but Cloud lost track as soon as Zack began to lay more kisses against his neck. “O-oh…” he murmured. 

Zack chuckled against him and slowly lifted up his shirt, exposing his stomach. “Nice?” Zack lifted his head up for just a moment, putting his lips right next to his ear. “Hey, you can come over…” 

Not taking her eyes away from him, Tifa nodded, before crawling closer to Cloud, until she was right in front of him. When there, her hands returned to her lap, fidgeting together, while she kept her eyes on his exposed stomach. Zack didn’t speak any further, only resuming to kiss Cloud’s neck while continuing to lift his shirt. Before he could help himself, Cloud’s head lolled back, and he let out a sigh, parting his lips as he sank back into Zack’s warm, bare chest.  _ Ah, God… _

Hands touched his stomach--one, then two, then roamed up through his chest, and pushed the tanktop up and out of the way. Tifa pulled it over his head, creeping closer and closer until she was nearly in his lap, her dress hugging her chest and waist. She bit her lip, a flush forming in her own cheeks. “Um, Cloud…”

Cloud lifted his head just enough to shake some of the daze he had fallen into, in order to address her. He pushed some of her hair behind her ear, then let his fingertips graze down over her marvelous cleavage, skimming the surface.  _ I can help you out of that… _

He reached behind her and felt for the zipper, and pulled it down as she leaned forward, forehead touching against his. Their noses brushed, breathing mingled, and as soon as he couldn’t pull anymore, he pushed his lips forward for a kiss against her own. As they kissed, her dress fell around her waist, and she pressed her chest against his.  _ Ah, she didn’t wear a bra with this dress,  _ he thought as their kissing intensified, the pressure of her breasts soft against him. Zack’s hands wandered to Cloud’s hips, thumbing in the belt of his dress pants, as he continued to lick and kiss at his neck.

Aerith’s giggle signified her return, and Cloud broke the kiss to glance up. She was suddenly topless as well, only in her underwear, and held the Polaroid right at her chest. “Are you warmed up a bit?” she asked with a wry grin. 

“Ah…” Cloud glanced up at Tifa, who was sitting up, and back over to Zack. “M-maybe…”

Zack laughed and gave him a quick hug around his middle, before scooting back and standing up to stretch. “That’s  _ one  _ way to put it,” he said.

Aerith peered over and around her camera to examine him. “I think  _ you’re  _ pretty warmed up,” she commented, pointing at Zack’s crotch. “You’re easy.”

Mid-stretch with his arms in the air, Zack glanced down at himself. “What? That’s nothin’, it’s always like that.” 

“Oh, not  _ that  _ again.” Aerith playfully shoved him aside, before holding the camera up to her face. “What do you say, hon? Wanna lay back and we can get a couple shots?” 

Tifa quickly scooted off the bed, holding her chest in one hand and clumsily shuffling off her dress with the other. “Um…sure, yeah,” Cloud agreed. His own pants felt tight, and one hand automatically drifted toward his belt. “Where should I…what should I do?” 

“Just lay down. You can take off your belt if you want,” Aerith instructed. “Hell, you can take off your pants, whatever you want.” She winked and wiggled her butt. “Just get comfy~.” 

Cloud smirked and undid his belt, sliding it off before flopping back on the bed. With one arm above his head, he absently wandered his other down toward his crotch, smoothing it out.  _ I got a bit excited too, by what I can feel-- _

“Oh, that’s good,” Aerith said. 

With a snap and a flash, she took a picture of him just as he was. The flash made Cloud squint, and he lifted his head up. “Hey…” he protested, very weakly.

“Sorry, the candid ones tend to come out better actually,” Aerith remarked, taking the picture out of the Polaroid and waving it. Zack came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and tried to sneak them upwards. “Hey, hey…” 

“Hi.” Zack kissed her head, then perched his chin on top of it. “Hey, Cloud,  _ could  _ you take off your pants? Or just undo ‘em…”

“I see you have  _ ideas,”  _ Aerith teased. 

Cloud unbuttoned his pants, and slipped his thumbs on either side to slowly drag them down, and Aerith snapped another picture. “Isn’t that film expensive?” Tifa asked, hand half over her lips. Her arms and elbows were carefully positioned to cover her chest. “Last I saw, the film was just as expensive as the camera itself--”

“Oh, it’s not  _ that  _ bad,” Aerith said, peering into the viewfinder. As Zack’s hand crept up to fondle her, she swatted him away and craned her head back. “Hey, grabby hands, why don’t you help your boyfriend?”

Zack left her with a kiss to her temple and unzipped his own pants along the way, stepping out of them before returning to the bed. He glanced at Tifa for a split second, careful not to linger. “You bashful?” he asked as he situated himself next to Cloud. “We’re all friends here. I’ve seen your boobs before. Remember that time--”

“I remember,” Tifa said coolly. Despite her frown, she was still flush. 

He only chuckled as he scooted closer to Cloud, spooning him from the side while he was still on his back. “I’m pretty good with my hands,” Zack whispered into his ear, before nibbling the lobe and letting his hand wander to the band of his boxer briefs. 

Cloud squirmed in anticipation, and his vision dimmed as he let the sound of Zack’s breathing and very slight sounds wash over him. Above them, the camera clicked again. “I like the instant gratification, anyway. There’s something charming about Polaroid pictures,” Aerith said. 

There was a distinct pause, and Cloud managed to open one eye, even as Zack’s hands wandered all over his thighs. Aerith had dropped the camera, and was torn between watching the two of them, and Tifa sitting at the edge of the bed. “Hon,” Zack said. “C’mon over…”

She took careful steps to the bed, approaching from the side that Tifa was on. Even though Aerith’s gaze was on Zack, lips parted, as soon as she was beside Tifa, her attention was immediately diverted. In a smooth, fluid motion, she wrapped her arms around her, and planted a long, deep kiss on her lips.  _ “Mmm…”  _

Feeling comfortably warm, a shadow passed over Cloud as Zack straddled him, still ghosting his hand over his crotch. “Just a taste,” he muttered, then bent down to give him a needy, hot kiss, overwhelming as his tongue jammed in his mouth. Cloud moaned, arching his back and twisting his hands on the sheets while they kissed, kissed, and kissed.  _ Zack, Zack… _

As soon as he started, at least to him, the shadow disappeared--Zack crawled over him and over to Aerith, settling behind her and trickling his hands down her smooth back. The moment Aerith lifted her mouth from Tifa’s to glance back at him, Tifa stole kisses along her collarbone, making her sigh. She didn’t stop there, however--she continued further down, right until she reached her chest, where she began to lick at her chest, sucking on her nipple. “O- _ oh!”  _ Aerith exclaimed, leaning further back into Zack.  _ “Ah…!”  _

Zack reached around and fondled her other breast, running his thumb over her other nipple. He smiled as she squirmed between both of them, suddenly panting from the attention. “Nice?” he asked.

Aerith swallowed hard. “V…v-very,  _ haaah…”  _

Cloud just managed to roll over to his side, his hard on much more present, before someone took notice of them. “Hey, yyyyou… _ mmn,  _ you stay there,” Aerith managed to say, even as she was sandwiched between Zack and Tifa. 

He blinked, trying to keep his eyes open to watch the three of them--Zack was beginning to grind his hips against Aerith, his touch growing fiercer, while Tifa rose up to kiss Aerith, open mouthed and panting. “Wh…what do you mean?” Cloud said, a chuckle in the back of his throat. “You’re just…gonna make me watch?” 

Aerith smiled into her next with Tifa, and in turn, Tifa did as well, and they both turned to him. Aerith swept her bangs out of her face with a smug smirk, while Tifa did a similar motion, pushing most of her long hair back with one hand, face flush.  _ Ah…  _ “Maybe,” Aerith teased. “See how long you can squi-- _ aaaah~!”  _

She was interrupted by Zack sneaking a hand above her thigh, creeping below her ass and at her crotch. She arched back into him, just as he rose as tall as he could on his knees, towering over her. With her arms slipping away, Tifa backed up and crawled over to Cloud, deep auburn eyes trained on his entire body. Zack had turned Aerith around to kiss her, hard and intense, but soon Tifa’s body hovered over Cloud, blocking his view with all of her. “Ti…” he breathed. 

Tifa smiled, then reached out to him running two fingers over his face, up his cheek and along his temple. Her full lips parted, ever so gently, and Cloud was mesmerized by their shape. His thighs twitch, and he took her hand with his own just as it tried to slip down his neck. He brought it to his lips and kissed the side of her finger with soft, loose lips, lazy and warm. It didn’t take much of that before Tifa jerked her hand away and replaced it with her lips, and they kissed at a slow, lazy pace. 

_ Whenever Zack and I do anything, it’s always frantic, like we’re gonna die if we don’t keep our hands on each other,  _ Cloud thought, eyes fluttering shut. Beside them, the moans and heavy breathing coming from Aerith and Zack were palpable as they flopped down on the bed. There was also a  _ thunk  _ as the headboard hit the wall.  _ But, Ti and I…we go so slow… _

_ We take our time… _

_ It’s all ours… _

His hand skated up the curve of her waist, soft and pliable beneath his touch, all the way until he reached the swell of her breast. Cloud relished in the sound she uttered when his thumb circled her nipple, mouth open against his lips. There, he took the opportunity to lick his tongue against hers, and so they kissed deeper, deeper, and deeper. 

As he swept her hair from her back in order to run his hands over it, a much larger hand grabbed at his cock beneath his underwear, and Cloud yelped. Tifa jumped as well, and whipped her head back. “Hey--!” she exclaimed. “Really?” 

Cloud opened one eye to spot Zack grinning on his back beside him. His long arm had incredible reach, even with Aerith straddled on top of him, grinding her hips over his significant hard-on. “I wanna play with  _ all  _ of you,” he replied, his vowels drawn and slow.  _ “Mmn,  _ hey…” 

Zack scooted closer to Cloud, using one hand to pull down his boxer briefs further so he could stroke him, and kissed him with a moan. It coaxed Cloud to make some noise too, still groping gently at Tifa, but losing the limited finesse behind it.  _ “Ah, aahn…”  _ Tifa drifted away from him, but so did his underwear, as she pulled it the rest of the way down and off his legs. 

Aerith hopped away from Zack and pushed him by his ass closer to Cloud with a light smack. “Boys, am I right?” she commented. “No patience  _ whatsoever.” _

“I think that’s just Zack,” Tifa remarked, shaking her head. “Can’t keep his hands off him…”

“Do you blame him?” 

“No…” 

Cloud shuddered as Zack stroked him, every breath he took a keening sigh, relishing in his hot tongue against his.  _ I could do this for hours,  _ he thought, fumbling to get his hands on him. He clumsily forced Zack’s underwear down and grappled at him, hard and warm.  _ “Ah,”  _ Zack moaned. “You think you can handle my sword, baby?” 

“Good  _ God,”  _ Tifa groaned. “I’m taking your wife away, and you’re never going to see her again if you make another crack like that.” 

“What?” Zack drifted from Cloud’s mouth, leaving him to kiss at his chest. “What’s wrong with a dick joke?” 

_ “Everything.”  _

Aerith wrapped her arms around Tifa and grinned close to her ear. “We don’t need  _ those  _ where we’re going,” she said, making a kissing face at him. 

Zack’s face fell. “Baby--!” 

She giggled, dragging her hands all the way down Tifa’s back, down through her hips, and sliding below her underwear so she could grip her ass. “Be good,” she said with a wink, “and I might give you a ride~.” 

“Aww…” Zack scooted up and started to stroke Cloud’s hair, keeping him close to his chest. “You’re gonna tease me like that?” 

“Of course,” Aerith replied. “You know, you guys could do something for  _ us.”  _

With a coy look, she tilted her head and brought two fingers up to her lips. She dragged them across her lower lip, right to left, pushing her lip out. When they reached the opposite corner of her mouth, she split them apart, and darted her tongue between them.

Zack’s eyes grew huge as he froze, jaw dropping. “Oh, ho  _ ho,”  _ he chuckled, sitting up and bringing Cloud with him. “Hey, hey, looks like our work’s cut out for us.” 

In a daze, Cloud shook his head as he wrapped his arms around Zack’s neck for support. “Huh? Ah…”

Zack eased him down on the edge of the bed, while Aerith and Tifa situated themselves near the headboard, still in each other’s arms. “Zack’s tall, so we have to scoot way back,” Aerith stated with a grunt. “He knocks stuff over with his feet otherwise…” 

“One day, we’ll get a bigger bed,” Zack said, running his fingers along Aerith’s panty line. “Hey, that’s what we can use one of those checks for.” 

“We need to  _ sit down  _ and look at those,” Aerith replied. “And the bedroom is no place for that.” 

Zack grinned. “That’s right.” 

With both index fingers along the band of her underwear, he yanked them down and off.  _ Ah, I think I know what’s going on now.  _ He took a deep breath and skimmed his hand up her thigh, thick and smooth. With a firmer grip, he turned his hand inward, toward her crotch, and Tifa gasped from the proximity.  _ “A-ahn…” _

Encouraged by her sound, Cloud dipped down and began kissing up her leg--dainty at first, but firm and deliberate as he reached the meat of her thigh, right up to her simple underwear. He glanced up at her from beneath his blond bangs.  _ May I?  _

Aerith gasped beside them, clapping a hand over her mouth, and Zack chuckled. “You’re awful wet, baby,” he murmured. “And warm…” 

She let out a long moan and shuddered as Zack slowly pushed a finger inside her. Tifa was watching Cloud slowly drag her underwear off her, but was distracted by Aerith pawing at her face. “I wanna kiss…” Aerith sighed, breathless and needy. “Mmn, sweetie…” 

As they locked lips, Cloud took his time peeling Tifa’s underwear off her body, dropping it off into a pile with the rest of their discarded clothes. When he looked back, Zack was coaxing Aerith’s body flat on the bed, his face right at her crotch. With a devious look, he licked at her center, making her shudder into Tifa’s mouth. Hands shuddering, doubt creeped into the back of his neck.  _ Mm, Zack’s not only good with his hands, but his mouth, too,  _ he thought, biting his lip.  _ He’s always been the better lover…sometimes I feel like I can barely keep up… _

“Cloud?” Tifa’s voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through his insecurities like butter. She shifted flat on her back, and opened her thighs to him. With her center exposed to him, dripping at the lips, her chest heaved in anticipation.  _ Ti… _

Cloud nodded slowly, lowering himself down with both hands on her thighs and swallowing hard.  _ I’ve done this before. She likes it…I’m not so bad. I’m not so bad.  _ He took a deep breath, and aligned his mouth with her clit.  _ Okay. _

With a deep breath, he licked at her, slow at first, then settled into a steady rhythm, the tang of her lingering on his tongue.  _ “Mmmn--!”  _ she exclaimed, quickly muffled by Aerith’s mouth. 

With both of their partners eating them out, Aerith and Tifa kissed and kissed--often not quite aligned, with the pleasure that was being done to them, but with passion nonetheless. Tifa cupped one hand around Aerith’s breast, thumbing her nipple to coax more noise out of her. It worked--Aerith’s moans were high-pitched and whining, staggered with gasps for air. Tifa was much more quiet, but her heavy breathing gave her away, as well as the heat wafting from her body that Cloud could feel beneath his hands. 

Time slowed to a crawl. Moments were punctuated by long moans, heavy sighs, and the twitching of thighs.  _ I could…do this for a while,  _ Cloud thought.  _ But, I wonder if she wants a change of pace.  _

As his eyes peered up, movement beside him grabbed his attention. Zack lifted his head up, chin dripping, and his hand disappeared behind Aerith’s thigh. “How’re you ladies doing?” he asked, not bothering to wipe his mouth. 

“Mmn,  _ ah,  _ I’m…” Aerith whimpered, then pushed Zack’s chest with her foot. “Why’d you…stop? I was getting close.”

“Were you?” he grinned, then pushed two fingers inside her. “What if I do a little of  _ this?”  _

_ “Aaaah--!”  _ Aerith arched her back, as well as her hips, before flopping back and tossing her head to the side.  _ “Mmm,  _ God…” 

Tifa was mesmerised by Aerith’s flailing, eyes wide, and she idly began to touch herself, grabbing at her breasts and rubbing a nipple with her fingertip. Cloud took the opportunity to lick at her more fiercely, introducing a finger inside her as well. She clapped a hand over her mouth, glancing down at Cloud with heavy lidded eyes, and began to squirm.  _ Do you like that?  _ Cloud thought, keeping her eyes on her.  _ Does it feel good? I bet… _

Her eyes fluttered close, and she spread her legs wider, her hips beginning to move in rhythm.  _ She doesn’t make as much noise when she’s close, or when she comes…at least when she’s with me. I think it takes a lot of goading.  _ Cloud picked up his pace with his tongue, even as his neck finally started to ache.  _ Usually we’re close, so I don’t mind it…I can hear her sighs-- _

Suddenly, one of Tifa’s hands came crashing down over Cloud’s head, pressing his face down against her crotch as she squirmed.  _ “Ahh, ahh, aah…”  _ she whined, high and breathy, her face as red as a cherry. “Oh,  _ oh my God…!”  _

The pleasure was fleeting, and she relaxed within seconds, collapsing in a heap, still with her hand on Cloud’s head. Slowly, he pulled his messy fingers out of her and rose up, immediately wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He smirked at her, and she returned it, dragging her hand around to cup his cheek.  _ That was nice…wasn’t it? Ah, Tifa…  _ Her lips were full and swollen from all of the kissing, cheeks flush, and some strands of hair stuck to her face.  _ You’re beautiful… _

_ “Hnn, nnn, nnn, aaaah…”  _

Meanwhile, beside them, Aerith continued to fidget and writhe beneath Zack’s touch. He fingered her with purpose, three inside, with his tongue still dedicated to her clit. Cloud swore he could hear him growling as he ate her, ate her, pushing more and more. Aerith’s head hit the back of the bed, and she arched back, warbling reaching a fever pitch. “Oh,  _ oh, oh, I’m gonna…I’m--”  _

She gasped loud, and her eyes flew open.  _ “AaaAAH!”  _ Her body slid forward, jamming her hips right into Zack’s face as she pulled his hair with both hands, wailing.  _ “AaaAH, FUCK--! Haaah,  _ ah…” 

Tifa and Cloud stared with wide eyes as she hunched over Zack, relaxing as she stroked his hair and kissed his head.  _ Holy shit,  _ Cloud thought, climbing into Tifa’s lap to lay on her chest.  _ I don’t know how I forget that she’s that…explosive. I mean, I’ve only seen her come a handful of times, usually when her, Zack, and I are all doing stuff together.  _

_ Come to think of it, it’s rare that we’re all in bed together like this… _

_ …but it is a special occasion.  _

“Aerith,” Zack said, muffled between her thighs. “Can I come up now? Kinda…hard to breathe down here.” 

“Mmm…” she replied in a daze, and opened herself up so he could sit back up. Now is when he wiped his mouth, although he was drenched enough that he was looking over the side of the bed for a t-shirt. Aerith flopped back on the bed, a lazy smile on her face.  _ “Ohh,  _ baby…that was  _ great…”  _

“Sounded like it,” Tifa remarked, reaching out to push her bangs out of her face. 

Zack wiped his mouth and face with a t-shirt on the ground, cleaning off his hand last. “Sure did,” he said. Cloud glanced over him--while not as rock solid as earlier, he was still somewhat hard.  _ Hard for him to hide it,  _ Cloud thought, forcing his eyes back up.  _ He’s tall, so he’s…naturally endowed.  _

Tifa pecked Cloud’s cheek, and it managed to swing his attention. “Hey,” she whispered. “That felt…really nice.”

Cloud replied by touching his forehead to hers. “Good,” he murmured.

“You’ve never…done that thing with your fingers before.”

“Well…” Cloud bit his lip. “I, ah…saw Zack doing it, so…”

Tifa snickered, offering a quick kiss to his lips again. “He is pretty good, I’ll give him that. I think he’s just had more practice, though.”

“Oh,  _ shit,”  _ Zack cursed. He rummaged through the dresser drawer. “We only have one condom.” 

“What? Just one?” Aerith tried to get up to look herself, but when her legs refused to move after two attempts, she resorted to just turning her head. “I swear to God we just bought some.” 

“I dunno, the rest are wrappers.” Zack sighed and tossed the singular condom onto the bed, wrapped in bright pink foil. “Man…” 

“Well, it  _ is  _ your wedding night,” Tifa said. “You guys can go do that, and--”

“But I wanted  _ all  _ of us to have fun!” Aerith said with a pout. “We don’t all have sex together that often…”

“Well, sure,” Tifa replied. “But no one has to stick it in anyone to have fun. I mean, look at what we just did!” 

“Right,” Cloud agreed. “I mean, I don’t even have to--”

Zack snapped his fingers before he could finish. “I’ve got it.” He yanked open the nightstand once again and pulled out a clear bottle of lube, shaking it. “Dude, we can make a  _ train.”  _

“Hmm…” Aerith finally pushed herself up, finger to her lips as she looked between all of them. “Like…me on the bottom, then you, then…?” 

“Cloud gets behind me,” Zack continued, “then Tifa gets behind Cloud. Boom.” 

For a moment, Aerith nodded, but her face soon clouded with doubt. “Hon, he should really wear something,” she sighed. “For the mess, and…just in case.” 

“Just this  _ once?”  _ Zack pleaded. “We wrap it every other time…”

_ Almost every other time,  _ Cloud thought, but did not say. As Aerith studied Cloud, he desperately tried to keep a neutral face.  _ He’s pretty good about it, for real, but there have been a couple times, like tonight, when there hasn’t been anything, and we’re too worked up to bother.  _

Aerith squinted between the two of them. “Uh-huh,” she said, crossing her legs. “I bet he isn’t as  _ insistent  _ as I am.” 

Cloud sighed and bowed his head.  _ She can see right through anything and anyone… _

As he avoided eye contact, he felt a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been tested, right?” Aerith asked quietly. 

Her voice was gentle, and it caught him off-guard. “Oh, uh…yeah, actually,” he replied. “Back when Dr. Crescent did bloodwork for all of us that time…”

“And everything checked out?” 

“Yeah. I mean, I’m still loaded with mako, but--”

“No STD’s?”

“Right.” 

Aerith sighed, but still lifted his chin up with one finger. “Okay,” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “This time, it’s fine.  _ But.”  _

She stood up on her knees over to Zack, and smacked him on the cheek. “You rascal,” she scolded. “Wrap it! All the time!”

“All the time,” Zack repeated, rubbing his face. 

She pointed a finger right at his nose and pouted. “I don’t care if Cloud can’t get pregnant.  _ Wrap it.”  _

“Okay, okay!” He waved his hands. “We’ll buy  _ two  _ family packs next time!”

“Good!” She knelt up and kissed him on the mouth. 

Tifa opened her mouth a couple times before speaking. “Gee, Zack,” she commented, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t realize you wanted to…to, uh…”

She ran out of steam, but Aerith picked up the slack with a giggle. “Yeah, he just loves getting railed now,” she said, sticking her tongue out. “Good job, Cloud.”

Cloud’s eyes grew huge, and his face grew pink. “Uh, I…ah--”

Zack twisted his back to chuckle at him, and reached out to muss his hair. “She’s teasin’ you, babe,” he said. Then, he addressed Tifa. “Really, though, it’s not bad. You should try it.”

“I don’t think so,” Tifa said flatly. 

He snickered, then looked down at himself. “Ah, shit. I’m gonna have to get hard again.” He tossed the bottle of lube between two hands, then over to Tifa. “Keep that handy.” 

With his hands free, he took both of Cloud’s hands in his, lacing their fingers together, and pulled him in for a long kiss, chests touching. It became open-mouthed immediately, and Cloud relished in the small moans Zack made against his tongue.  _ “Ahh…baby…”  _

“Like I said, can’t keep your hands off him,” Aerith remarked behind them. 

_ “Mmmmhmhm…”  _ Zack only chuckled into his mouth, and pushed to kiss him harder. As he bent down, he relinquished Cloud’s hands in order to wrap his arms around his back, one hand gripping his ass. He broke the kiss to murmur into his ear. “Wouldn’t want to~.” 

_ “Aah…”  _ Cloud’s knees wobbled, and he tried to steady himself on Zack’s body, and kissed at where he could get.  _ God, every time he uses that voice, I just fucking melt. I want to hear him moan… _

Zack steadied Cloud away from him, even as he weaved, and stroked himself a couple times. “Yeah,” he remarked, glancing down. “I think I’m ready now.” 

He smirked and bit his lip, cocking his head, and slipped his hand around Cloud’s cock, giving it a couple strokes. The pressure made Cloud’s eyes flutter. “So are you, by the feel of it,” Zack said. He leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “Well, lemme get ready…”

As Zack unwrapped the condom and Aerith laid back down on the bed, Tifa rolled the bottle of lube between both hands. “Um, so…what am I supposed to do, again?” she asked. 

“You’re gonna finger Cloud,” Aerith said matter-of-factly. “Unless you wanna use the strap-on?” 

She blinked. “O-oh.” Tifa stared at the bottle, pausing in her motion. “Uh…” 

As she hesitated, Aerith reached beside her and blindly rummaged in the nightstand, until she pulled out a mess of straps attached to a bright pink dildo. “This!” she exclaimed. “It stays on pretty good. You just have to pay attention if you’re really lubed up, ‘cause you’re not going to feel if you fall out.” 

Tifa nodded slowly. “R-right.” 

“Dude, I’d use it,” Zack said, adjusting the condom on his cock. “It feels a lot smoother than just fingers, and stays lubed up better than anything else. No pressure, though.” 

He bent over and teased his cock against Aerith, still wet from earlier. “If you guys don’t mind, I wanna…get started,” he said, voice dropping. 

Aerith giggled. “Impatient as always,” she commented, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Well, c’mon in…

“…o- _ oooohh…” _

Her exalted sigh was enough to send shivers down even Cloud’s back, but he kept his head enough to grab the strap-on out from her outstretched hand. He slid off the bed and walked to the other side, untangling it as he went. As soon as he met her eyes, he cocked his head. “Ti?” 

“Hm?” she replied, looking it over. “Oh, God, I hope that’s not as complicated as it looks…”

_ “Hnn,  _ ah, you j-just… _ mmn,”  _ Aerith tried to instruct, even as Zack pushed into her. “Th-there’s legholes, ssssstep… _ aahn,  _ into them…” 

“Are you going to be okay?” Cloud asked her.

She nodded, taking the strap-on from his hands and examining it. The pink dildo was currently abandoned on the bed, leaving only the straps for her to scrutinize. “It’s…gonna have to be adjusted. I-I’m bigger than Aerith is…”

Cloud leaned to place a gentle kiss on the side of her neck, catching a whiff of her soft, brown hair as well.  _ That’s not a bad thing.  _ Then, he reached for the adjustment buckles, making them as wide as they could go. “Here, you have to…looks like it goes over your waist, too…”

“But I’ve got to get the legs on first,” Tifa said, furrowing her brow.

“I’ll hold it out, hon…”

Cloud squatted and held it open for her, and she stepped through the loop for the waist, then the straps for the waist, one at a time. Cloud pulled it up, until the patch designated for the dildo hung right at her crotch. “Okay, hold it?” he asked. 

He tightened the straps, squeezing her thighs and her soft belly just enough to keep it steady. An impulse seized him, and he kissed the insides of her sides before rising. “How’s that? Is it okay?” 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Tifa replied, running her hands over the straps. “Ah…pass me the dildo, I guess--”

“Hey, Tifa,” Zack said, glancing back with a grin. “Make sure you don’t put it on backwards.”

Her glare was like daggers.  _ “Zack Fair.”  _

“Kidding! I’m kidding, please…”

“She’ll go right for the balls, babe,” Aerith teased.  _ “Ha-aaaah…!”  _

_ “Don’t even say that.”  _

Cloud couldn’t help but grin, shaking his head as he knelt back on the bed, grabbing the lube bottle as he went. His hard-on had diminished, but as he situated behind Zack, watching his ass as he pounded into Aerith, his arousal seeped back into him. It was further emphasized when he squirted lube into his hand and smeared it on his cock, cold at first, but warming quickly and making him harder.  _ Ah…  _ “H-hey…” 

Zack paused in his thrusting. “You ready?”

“Are  _ you?”  _ Cloud asked.

He sighed, and Cloud saw his rear relax. “Uh-huh. Go on…”

Cloud spread Zack’s ass gently, just enough to see where he was going, and pressed his cock against it.  _ Slow, slower is better.  _ He eased the tip in, and even that was enough to make Zack gasp. “O- _ ohh, shit…”  _ He swallowed hard, and Cloud could see his fingers twitch on either side of Aerith. “K-keep goin’…”

He did as he was told, and pushed in just a little more.  _ “Mmn,  _ fuck,  _ fuck,”  _ Zack continued to moan. _ God, you’re so  _ hot, Cloud mused, holding onto Zack’s hips to keep his entrance steady. He breathed out of his nose hard, and pushed in as far as he could go. 

“That’s…that’s it,” Cloud muttered. “I’m…all the way in.” 

“Great,” Zack grunted.  _ “Fuck…”  _

“You like that, don’t you babe?” Aerith said. “Hoo, I just realized…coordinating movement is going to be  _ tricky.”  _

“We’ll manage,” Zack said. 

Cloud felt him clench around him, and resisted the urge to thrust. He glanced back, where Tifa was covering the strap-on dildo in lube. “All set?” he asked her. 

“Mmhm,” she replied. There was an odd look on her face as she stroked the strap-on, just like it was a part of herself--a little mesmerized, lips parted, eyes unfocused.  _ She seemed a little hesitant at first,  _ Cloud thought,  _ but now…seems like she’s into it. Like,  _ really  _ into it. Mmm… _

Cloud bent forward a bit, pushing Zack forward in turn, and relaxed himself.  _ That dildo doesn’t look as big as Zack. It’s shaped differently--curved, with no real “head” to speak of. Like it’s specifically for anal play-- _

His thoughts were cut off as the tip pushed into his asshole.  _ “Ooh…”  _ he moaned, doubling over more. Tifa wasn’t as gradual for him as he was for Zack, but its slickness made the entrance much easier.  _ Ah, still…this is…this is good… _

She leaned right over his back, breasts pressed right against him, and whispered into his ear. “How’s that?” she asked.

“G-good,” he managed to reply. “Just… _ aah,  _ pass me the lube, I…w-wanna keep it close.” 

“Thanks,” Zack replied. “You’ll need it more for me…” 

“Now, if y’all go  _ slow,”  _ Aerith instructed. “We can make this train work.” 

In true form, Zack was the one to thrust first, and although he was slow to start, Cloud was behind on the uptake. In response, he pushed too fast, making Zack cry out, and the fullness from his own behind vanished.  _ “Gaaah,  _ shit, be careful…” he said.

“Crap, I fell out,” Tifa sighed. “Hang on…”

“I  _ told  _ you,” Aerith huffed. “Tifa should be the one controlling the pace, since she’s at the back…”

Cloud gasped as Tifa entered him, and he gripped Zack’s hips harder.  _ “Aaah--!”  _ He swallowed hard. “Hh’okay, let’s…I’m good.” 

“You sure?” Tifa asked.

“Yup,” Cloud replied firmly. “Let’s go.” 

He continued to hold onto Zack to keep him still for the time being, until he felt the push from Tifa. Then, he undulated into him, and Zack followed suit, down into Aerith. It was a slow, uneven pace, but everything stayed in place, and the air of anticipation dissipated with each thrust.  _ A year ago, I barely knew anything about two people having sex, at least, not first-hand,  _ Cloud thought. He closed his eyes as Zack tightened around him.  _ And here I am, part of four… _

_ “Aah,  _ God damn,  _ damn,”  _ Zack muttered. “Feels… _ mmn,  _ it’s good,  _ oooh…”  _

“Mm, come kiss me…” Aerith coaxed. “Come in deeper,  _ aaaah…” _

Tifa pushed forward with more gusto, stroking over Cloud’s hips and ass, and it rippled through the entire chain, coaxing a faster pace altogether. To keep proximity, Cloud’s thrusts into Zack had to be kept short, without as much movement as he’d like, but the tightness was more than enough compensation.  _ “Mmn…”  _ he sighed, tilting his head up to the ceiling.  _ This all feels great, her behind me, me in him…I’m so hard, I’m so hot… _

Behind him, Tifa kept pressed tight against him, dictating his pace more than her thrusting into him. She stroked her hands down his chest, occasionally skating as far up as his neck, and as far low as his hips.  _ “Aah,  _ T-Tifa…” Cloud breathed.  _ “Mmmn…” _

“Do…you like that?” she whispered, a shyness to her voice as she paused. “…pretty boy?” 

A surge fled through him like nothing before, and his head jerked forward.  _ Pretty… “Aaah…” Pretty, pretty… _

_ (soft and pretty with a soft body that she can touch) _

_ “Mmn…” _

_ (that she’s touching touching right now)  _

Cloud stroked Zack’s hips, picking up his pace with Tifa so close to him, and he began to whine. “Fuck, oh  _ God,”  _ Zack moaned, panting. “I’m… _ aaahn,  _ I’m…”

“Close?” Aerith finished for him, breathless as well. “Go on, honey,  _ pound me like you mean it.”  _

_ “Nnnnaaah…!”  _

_ Easy for you to say,  _ Cloud thought as Zack jerked forward once again.  _ But, weren’t you saying earlier that the one in back should be more in control? I don’t wanna fall out…but he is…God, he’s really tight on me, so maybe I won’t… _

“Fuck,  _ fuck--!”  _ Zack’s body began to shake.  _ “Nnn… _ baby…A-Aerith,  _ Cloud, I…I--!”  _

The pang of desire hit Cloud like a freight train, surging an urgency that heated him to his core. “C’mon…” he muttered, thrusting deeper and harder.  _ “C’moooon…” _

_ “Ah, aaaAAH!”  _ At last, Zack’s entire body tensed, and his voice soared into falsetto as he came.  _ “AAAaaaahh… _ ah, hoo…God…” 

He relaxed suddenly, which was change enough from Cloud’s end to keep him going, his own body shuddering.  _ C’mon, c’mon, it’s just a little bit…I’m right there, I’m so close, just give me a little…just a little more… _

Heat soared through his thighs. For a split second, blue marred his vision, but it was quickly overshadowed by the orgasm taking him by force.  _ “Hhhah!”  _ he cried, throwing his head back and shuddering. Tifa hugged him around his middle, as if to contain him, until he collapsed against Zack’s back, tacky with sweat. “Ah…”

From beneath Zack, Aerith raised both hands in the air. “We did it!” she exclaimed. “We all fucked together!” 

Zack snorted with laughter. “We suuuuure did, babe.” He kissed her cheek. “I love you, baby.” Then, he clumsily reached back for Cloud, barely skimming his hand over his thigh. “Love you too…”

Cloud kissed Zack’s back. “Love you.” 

He willed his legs to move, and gradually pulled out of him, making him shudder, then leaned back into Tifa. “Love you…”

Tifa pulled the strap-on out of him as well, and kissed the back of his neck. “Love you too,” she said. “That was…pretty fun, actually…”

“Isn’t it?” Aerith agreed. Zack rolled off her onto his back, the condom still on his dick, and she linked her arm with his. “I love the power behind it. You should try it on your own, just with Cloud, to really get some movement. Or, you can try it on me! I don’t mind a little butt-play…”

“You have so much energy,” Zack sighed, his other arm over his face. “I’m gonna go to sleep…” 

“No, you’re  _ not,”  _ Aerith insisted. “You’ve got some serious cleaning up to do, and now that you rolled all over, we’re gonna have to wash these sheets.” 

Weakly, Zack blew a raspberry, and Cloud flopped down next to him, careful to hold his cock so that he didn’t ruin the sheets further. As soon as he felt his presence, he lifted his arm away from his face and patted his thigh. “Ah, babe…” 

“I think we  _ all  _ need to shower,” Tifa remarked, spooning next to Cloud. “But unlike here, we can’t all fit in the shower, even if we tried.”

“Baby, do you have enough room?” Aerith poked her head up. “I can scoot over…”

“I’m okay,” she said. “I’ve got Cloud to cushion me.”

Cloud smirked, then turned to kiss her head. “Hey,” he asked. “Could we just…lay here? For just a bit, before…ah, before we get cleaned up, y’know…” 

“Sure, hon,” Zack replied.

“Of course!” Aerith said. “What’s a wild night like this without a little afterglow…”

“Mmm…” Tifa wrapped her thigh around Cloud’s hips, solidifying her position. 

Quiet settled around the four, naked and spooning each other in the now tiny, full-sized bed.  _ This is…better than I ever could have dreamed,  _ Cloud thought, staring up at the popcorn ceiling.  _ To be honest, I didn’t think…I could ever really find love. Not really. But… _

_ …I love them… _

_ …and I’m happy.  _

On the other edge of the bed, Aerith poked Zack. “Hey,” she hissed. “Don’t fall asleep, puppy.” 

“Nn? I’m not…” He yawned in the middle of his sentence. “I’m not sleepin’…”

Cloud closed his eyes and smiled to himself.  _ In some ways…I feel like I got married today, too. We all did, sort of…just a commitment to each other. For all of us.  _

_ (“We’re getting there…”) _

_ Yeah. We are.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaw! Sexy and fun, just how it's supposed to be. And I got this done before going to a convention this weekend, pretty sweet!
> 
> The last two chapters of this fic are most likely (99% sure) going to be posted together as one big update, so there might be a little space between now and the next update. I promise it'll be worth the wait! See you then!


	86. Montage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“Home is where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there._  
>  I come home, she lifted up her wings,  
> I guess that this must be the place.”
> 
>  
> 
> [“This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”, Talking Heads, _Remain In Light_](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/162096904596/moviesandnaps-this-must-be-the-place-talking)

_(“So…you’re really going to do it, aren’t you?”_

_“What?”_

_“You’re really going to join SOLDIER.”_

_Tifa and Cloud sat on a bench in the center of Nibelheim, both holding cigarettes, the smoke from them drifting to the sky. “Yeah,” Cloud replied with a sigh. “That’s…what I was always gonna do.”_

_“Really…?” Tifa took a drag, her mouth turning down. “Was it…?”_

_Cloud leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Damn it, Ti, it’s not like I can back out of it now. I leave for BASIC tomorrow--”_

_“You don’t_ have _to go.”_

 _“Why_ not?” _Cloud shook his head and stared down at his shoes. “It already took me three tries to get in, and it’s not like I’m any good at anything else--”_

_“Don’t say that.”_

_“Have you got any better ideas?”_

_Tifa said nothing. As he straightened back up to lean back against the bench, she had to flinch her hand back so he wouldn’t squish it. He stared at the cigarette in his hand, flicked the ash off, then took a long drag. She radiated anxiety and exasperation, nearly leveled to his own, and he winced to himself. “Look, I…”_

_“Sorry,” she replied quietly. “I just…get worried. That’s all.” She stood up and flicked her cigarette to the ground. “I’ll take you over tomorrow, then.”_

_“Th-they’re sending a caravan to pick us up, so you don’t have to…”_

_“Well, when you’re getting shipped off to Junon, or Midgar…I’m gonna be the one to take you.”_

_Cloud looked up at her. “You will?”_

_She nodded slowly. “I will. I promise.”_

_“…Thank you.”)_

Cloud stirred awake, stretching his neck on the back of the couch. _Haven’t thought about that in a long time,_ he thought groggily. As he stretched his back and thighs, he realized that he was alone in the couch. _Ah? I thought…what time is it?_

Gradually, his other senses came into focus as he opened his eyes. The sound of the shower running, a sizzling noise from the kitchen, and rustling from the bedroom filled his ears. He poked his head over the couch cushion to see Tifa at the stove, spatula in her hand, idly stirring something in a pan. In an oversized t-shirt and long hair tied in a ponytail, he cocked his head and smirked. _Good morning._

The bedroom door flew open, and Zack emerged, mostly dressed--he had a shirt and jeans on, but they were open and his belt was only half on. Hat in his hand, he caught Cloud’s eye immediately and rushed over to kiss him on the head. “Morning, sleepy,” he said. “Wake up, we’ve gotta get goin’.”

“Huh?” Cloud asked. He reached out for him, but Zack had already whirled around and walked away into the kitchen, mashing his hat backwards on his head. _Going…? Going where…_

“You remember, to the fair!” Zack bounced behind Tifa and inhaled deep. “Mmm, that smells good. Is it almost ready?”

“Sit down, God,” Tifa huffed, elbowing back. She just missed his stomach as Zack darted out of the way, chuckling as he went. “It’ll be ready when it’s ready…”

 _Fair…oh, that’s right._ Cloud yawned and managed to shuffle himself off the couch, stretching his arms high into the air as he went. _There’s a carnival this year set up just outside the city to celebrate the Edge development being finished…_

“Hey, do you think there’ll be a rollercoaster?” Zack asked. He had seated himself at the table, but was bouncing his leg beneath it. “Dude, I’ve never been on one, but I hear they’re _sick.”_

“It’s a _fair,_ not an _amusement park,”_ Tifa sighed. She used the spatula to dish out the eggs she had made off the pan, right next to another plate filled with already toasted bread. She brought them out to the table and set them in front of him.

“Sweet, all for me!” he exclaimed.

“No! Get your own plate, jackass!”

Hair wrapped in a towel, Aerith emerged from the bathroom, fresh and steamy from the shower. “Ooh, is our brunch ready? Just gimme a sec…”

She disappeared into the bedroom, while Cloud grabbed plates from the cupboard and took a seat beside Zack. “Yeah, fairs are more like…carnival games, like shooting bottles, mock fishing, ferris wheels…”

“Oooh, gotcha.” Zack shoveled half of the eggs Tifa put out onto his plate, and immediately reached for toast as well. “Hey, Tifa, do we have any jam?

She bent down to look into the refrigerator. “Uh, I think--” She paused as she took a double-take at his plate. “Hey! There are _four_ of us, y’know!”

“I’m hungry!” Zack insisted, arms wide. “I thought you were gonna make more!”

“Well, _I’m_ not,” she replied. She grabbed a jar of grape jelly from the fridge and slammed it smartly on the table with a raised eyebrow. “But _you_ can.”

Zack groaned, just as Aerith returned to the kitchen in a flowing, pink dress. She walked to Tifa to peck her cheek, than addressed him at the table with a pout. “Aw, what’s wrong, baby?”

“Hon, could you make some more eggs?” Zack pleaded, chin in his hands.

Aerith’s green eyes flicked from the table to him. “Did you take half of those…?”

“Maaaaybe…”

“Then make ‘em yourself.” She pointed with one finger in a swirling, circle motion. “And give your boyfriend some off your plate.”

Zack rolled his eyes. “Okay…” Still, he poked a fork into one of the cooked eggs and slid it onto Cloud’s currently empty plate. “I’m still gonna eat these first--here, have some toast too.”

Cloud nodded as food was divvied up for him, still groggy. _It’s still hitting me that…we’re all together now. I knew it before, sure, but with the wedding last week and everything, it just feels…more real._ I _wasn’t getting married, not technically, but…_

He lifted his hand up and stared at the gold and silver braided band on it, then glanced around the table. He caught sight of Zack’s, Aerith’s, then Tifa’s, all in varying states of display, all on the ring finger of their left hands. _These rings are a promise._

“I’m so excited!” Aerith said, bouncing up and down in her seat. “I don’t know if I’ve _ever_ been to a fair. They’ve only had parades here in town…”

Tifa sat close beside her, brushing shoulders. “It’s pretty fun. Kinda cheesy…but it’s supposed to be a nice day today. There were a couple outside of Nibelheim, but I dunno what they’ll do for, like, a _city…”_

“Are you _sure_ there won’t be any rollercoasters?” Zack asked again, pointing his fork over at her.

“No! Well, okay,” Tifa corrected herself, hands splayed out. “There is this ride that…looks like a big boat? And it swings back and forth, except it nearly tips upside down--”

“Aw, _dude!”_

“Yeah. They have rides like that.”

“Woo!” Aeirth yipped. “That sounds like fun!”

Cloud stared down at his plate and pulled apart his eggs. “I dunno…I feel like I’d get sick…”

“Not the kind for thrill rides, huh?” Zack wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Not even if I were there?”

Even as Cloud leaned into him, he shook his head. “I-I mean, I don’t wanna get sick on you…”

“Well, I guess…” Zack kissed his cheek, then got himself up with a grunt and wandered over to the stove. “So, am I just making eggs for me? ‘Cause I’m gonna scramble them if so…”

“I’ll have some scrambled eggs too, babe,” Aerith said. She took a bite herself, then patted Tifa’s thigh. “Oh, are we grabbing Marlene on the way over?”

“No, Barret told me it was okay to take the day off completely,” Tifa replied. “Dunno if he has something planned, or what. So, it’ll just be the four of us.”

“Cool.” Aerith winked at her, then leaned against her to nuzzle her shoulder. “We’ll make a day of it!”

She winked at Cloud, who smiled quietly back. _Yeah. A day of it indeed, us four…_

* * *

 

At 7th Heaven, Marlene bounced onto the barstool beside Vincent. “Hi Uncle Vinny!” she greeted cheerfully, then gasped. “Hey! Where’s your coat?”

Vincent shifted in his seat, smoothing out his simple, pale blue button down, in high contrast to the shades of black he usually wore. “Wash,” he replied, eyes flicking up to Barret at the bar.

Barret picked up an empty plate off the bar and proceeded to wipe the counter clean beneath it. “It’s about time you got that thing dry cleaned,” he muttered. “It’s smelled like mothballs since the day I met you…”

Vincent shook his head, but Marlene took no notice of the conversation, standing on the bar stool in her pink jelly sandals. “I’m gonna fix your hair,” she stated, pulling Vincent’s long, dark mane around his shoulder. She carefully tugged the hair tie out of it, with a delicacy in contrast to her energetic nature, and slipped it around her wrist. As soon as she started combing her fingers through it, however, she whipped her head around. “Oh! Daddy?”

“Hm?” Barret replied.

“There’s a fair today!” she exclaimed. “Can we go to the fair? Pleeeease?”

“Well, Tifa’s off today, so…” Barret tilted his head over to Vincent. “You’re gonna have to ask Vinny.”

Marlene grabbed Vincent’s hair with both fists and tugged gently. _“Pleeeeease?!”_

He reached behind him and bobbed his hand. “Maybe…later,” he compromised. “After the morning…”

 _“Yay!”_ she cheered. She bounced on the barstool, then proceeded to continue “combing” his hair. “I’m gonna go to the fair…~”

“Maybe doesn’t mean ‘yes’, hon,” Barret reminded her.

“But it doesn’t mean ‘no’, either!” She stuck her tongue out as she began to braid. “I wanna tell everyone about the fair when I go to school!”

Vincent nodded, slow enough not to disrupt her pace. “Kindergarten…right?”

“Uh-huh! We get to read stories, and have show and tell, and all kinds of stuff! I’m so excited!” Her voice lilted with excitement, punctuated by gentle giggles. “I can’t _wait!”_

Barret leaned on the counter, a smile etched on his face. “What day do you start, again?”

“September 1st!” She whipped around with one finger up, before tying up Vincent’s hair with the hair-tie from around her wrist. “Daddy, will Tifa be able to take me to school?”

“I think so,” he replied. “Said she might be moving out to that new place, Edge, sometime soon…”

Marlene gasped. “Oh, no! She’s gonna go away?”

Vincent adjusted himself on the barstool, and patted her shoulder as gently as he could with his gold hand. “She’ll…still be here,” he uttered. “She…”

His speech stammered to a stop, brow wrinkling for a moment. As Barret watched him think, realization dawned on him, and he stretched himself over the counter to pick Marlene up under her armpits. “She loves you, sweetheart,” he finished for him, grunting as he swept her up over the counter and into his arms. “Just like a big sister should.”

Marlene only beamed, then hugged Barret around the neck, nuzzling her face into him. “I love you, Daddy,” she said. She peeked behind his head at Vincent. “I love you too!”

Vincent closed his eyes and smiled, then lifted his head up to stare at the ceiling. He imagined the sky, a pale, perfect blue, beyond the roof of the bar and the metal of the plate. “What’s up?” Barret asked quietly.

He sighed heavily. “I…” Vincent started, taking his time ducking his head back down, in a rare case of making eye contact with him. “…never had…much of a family.”

Barret chuckled, deep and full. “Well, you do now.”

* * *

 

The walk to get over to where the fair was being held was shorter than Zack expected, after having to walk across town, and then beyond the plate and the city to reach it. It was like a carnival oasis in the desert, between the sparkling new development and the older, taller city. Colorful tents peaked across the carnival grounds, along with a towering ferris wheel and several other rides scattered throughout.

“Hey, now, this is the real deal!” Zack exclaimed, his arms around both Cloud and Aerith on either side. “How much were tickets again?”

Cloud pointed at the signboard set up right beside the entrance gate. “There, looks like…it’s 500 gil to get in, 1000 if you want an unlimited ride pass…”

“Not bad.” Zack relinquished Cloud off his arm and reached back into his wallet. “I can cover all of us for rides if we--”

But Cloud took a few quick steps to get ahead of him, wallet already out, and headed right to the vendor at the gate. “Could I get…four ride passes?” he asked, fishing through his money.

“Uh-huh.” The vendor behind the small counter tossed his cigarette behind him and reached for the roll of bright orange bracelet tape. With a sigh, he spun off enough for four, then finally glanced up at the group. “That’ll be four--”

 _“Hey,”_ Aerith said, pointing with her arm around Zack’s waist. “It’s you! It’s Leon!”

Leon looked up from behind his brown, shaggy bangs, and blinked. “Oh. Uh…hey.” He cocked his head. “A…Alice? Annie?”

“Aerith!” she corrected gleefully, then pulled Tifa to her side. “And Tifa! And that’s Cloud--”

“And Zack,” he finished, looking up at Zack. “You’re…in that band with Sephiroth Cetra.”

Zack put his hands on his hips. “Sure am.” _And you’re the kid at the record store. Hey, didn’t Loire say he had a kid who worked around here? Called him Squall, but then…_

_(“Sweetie, we should go tell Leon that his dad says hi.”)_

Leon beckoned him over, and wrapped the paper bracelet around his wrist. “Cid’s been saying that if you guys have another demo tape, to bring it over…you guys are good.”

“Thanks, kid.” Zack shook his wrist to jostle the bracelet, just as Tifa stepped up to get her own. “I’ll ask Seph to see if we can record something and toss it your way.”

“Do you think he’ll want to?” Tifa asked, craning her neck back. “I mean, with me there now…”

Zack patted her back, even as she hugged her arms as soon as her bracelet was on. “Dude’s still serious about playing, and you’ve come a long way,” he said with a wink. “We can get him onto something.”

She sighed with a nod. “Okay. Thanks…”

“So what are you doing here? Volunteering?” Aerith asked Leon, jamming her small wrist in his face.

He backed off to adjust, then sighed. “Just some extra cash…my mom’s supposed to stop sending me money soon…”

“Oh! Hey!” Aerith exclaimed, pointing at him barely as he was done fastening the bracelet. “You should call your dad every once in a while!”

“H…huh?” He cocked his head, perplexed. “How…uh…”

“Sorry…” Cloud apologized, last in line for his wristband. “There was a 1st-class SOLDIER stationed in Gongaga, who said--”

 _“Oh,”_ he interrupted, head down. “R-right. Dad. I’ll, uh…sure.”

With that, he scratched the back of his head and gestured with one hand. “You…you guys are all set. Have fun, or whatever…”

Cloud cocked his head. “Hm? I need to pay--”

“I got it,” Tifa said proudly, linking her arm with his. “Let’s go.”

 _“All_ of us?”

“Yup. Let’s _go.”_

Zack chuckled to himself as they strode through the gate, into the traffic of people coming and going. “God, I love my girlfriend,” Aerith sighed, hugging him from the side. “Isn’t she great?”

“She’s something,” he remarked. _Pretty clever…she must have put down gil while he wasn’t paying attention. Cute._

He attempted to reach into his pocket for his pager, but Aerith smacked his hand away. “Hey! What’re you doing! No working!”

“I’m not, I’m not!” Zack exclaimed. “Look, if I don’t tell Seph _now,_ I’m gonna forget and-- _give that back!”_

Aerith whipped the pager out of his belt, wiggled it in front of him, then dropped it into her purse on her other shoulder. “No working!” she scolded again, this time with a smile, then stood on her toes to kiss his nose. “Today, _your_ job is to show me where the cotton candy is.”

“Aww, all right,” he replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder again. “I _guess_ that’s okay.”

In their brief, light quarrel, he lost sight of Cloud and Tifa. He cupped his hand around his mouth, and while not using his full volume, used his commanding voice. _“Strife!”_

He watched for the stutter of a puff of blond hair, and was relieved to find him only a few feet away, surveying a snack line with Tifa at his side. “Zack…” he groaned, sighing deeply. “D-don’t do that…”

“I’m sorry, baby,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. “Here, I’ll make it up to you…what do you want?”

* * *

 

In the high-rise apartments above Sector 4, Sephiroth wandered around his apartment, guitar in hand, idly playing riffs and lines. _I must keep in practice,_ he thought, his focus dedicated to the strings on his guitar, and nothing else. _Everything must be kept in perfect order, so everything can run smoothly…_

_Smoothly…unlike these past few weeks, few months. Slowly, but surely, things are settling back into a routine. Without Angeal. I do not think I can last much longer in training lesser SOLDIER and standards, but Cloud is still not yet ready to take on the responsibility. And Genesis…_

As if on command, he heard a knocking on his door. “Unlocked,” he muttered.

Genesis walked in, not with the lazy swagger he’d become used to, but with a steady gait. Hands in his pockets, he studied Sephiroth’s guitar while he played. “Sounds good,” he remarked.

“I know,” Sephiroth replied, standing taller as he came closer. Instinctively, his nose wrinkled. _That’s just incense. And not just covering up the smell of weed. Hm._ “What are you doing here?”

“Heard you playing. Wanted to hear more.”

“Is that all?” Sephiroth asked, his brow furrowing. “What, you’re not going to drag me into your apartment and smoke today?”

“I don’t _have_ to drag you. You tend to come on your own, y’know.” Genesis snickered and ran a finger under his nose. “Besides, next week I get the vaccine. Doctor lady said I had to get all the fuckin’ THC outta my system beforehand, just in case…”

“Vaccine.” He flicked his bangs out of his face. “The vaccine…”

“Uh-huh. Dunno how much good it’ll do, at this point, but…” He shrugged and slapped his hands against his thigh. “I don’t have much left to lose...”

He trailed off. _After losing your best friend? I would say so._ Sephiroth slowly cocked his head. _And yet…_

_(what about me?)_

A breeze blew through the open window, and the curtain had enough gust behind it to knock off a thin picture frame off the windowsill. “Shit,” Sephiroth cursed. He took his guitar off his shoulder, rested it against his amp, and picked up the frame. _Ah, this is…_

It was a picture taken against the backdrop of a desert--Angeal was laughing on the far left side of the frame, with Genesis looking smug in the middle, and Sephiroth glaring at him. “Christ,” Genesis muttered, peering over to look at it. “That was Wutai, wasn’t it? Shit…”

“Yes.” _Back before everything happened. Zack was still a 2nd…or had just become one. And this one was being an asshole, like usual._ Sephiroth paid more attention to Angeal’s laughing face, preserved in the glossy photo paper behind the clear plastic frame. _He’s managing without you. We all are._

Genesis took yet another step closer, but stopped trying to meet his eyes. “Hey, listen, Seph…”

Sephiroth set the picture back where it came from. “What?” The question was an impulse, but it still came out softer than he expected from his mouth.

“Even if this thing, the vaccine…works at all, I’ve got the same shit that Ange has. I ain’t…I’m not gonna last too much longer.” His lip curled in disgust. “Those fuckers…they wanted to get rid of us, but they wanted us to fuckin’ suffer, too…”

“Gen,” Sephiroth said, with a warning tone.

Genesis continued as if he said nothing. "You know how it goes. _There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess…"_

_"Genesis."_

“So…so…” He took a deep breath, fists clenched beside him. Then, at last, he looked right at him. “I don’t wanna keep fucking around.”

Sephiroth blinked. “What do you mean?” _I ask that, but…_

They continued to stare at each other, time stretched over the seconds that passed. Sephiroth’s amp hummed behind them, unaware of the space it took up in the silence. _“Keep an eye on him” was what he said, what he asked of me,_ Sephiroth thought. _I was doing it anyway…_

_Do I want to do…more than just that?_

Genesis eyes flickered from his own eyes down to his lips, and Sephiroth found himself bending forward. _You’re an insolent bastard, a lazy stoner, and an utter mess. And yet, somehow, somehow, somehow…_

_No matter how annoyed I get, things are not as bad when you are around._

As if on cue, the two of them closed the gap between them, and mashed their lips together in a fever pitch.

* * *

 

“God, there’s so much to do!” Aerith marveled, taking a bite of her cone of cotton candy. “Mm, this is so good, try some baby.”

She picked off a piece and fed it into Tifa’s mouth, making her lick her fingers in the process. “Mmf--!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth after. “I-I know what cotton candy tastes like…”

“Yeah, but this is totally different cotton candy!” she chirped. She held the cone filled to the brim with cloud fluffy cotton candy in one hand, while sticking her other in Tifa’s back pocket. “It’s a different color.”

“Whatever you say…”

Zack and Cloud trailed right behind them, hand in hand. “You sure you don’t want anything?” Zack asked him, squeezing his hand. “Not even a hot dog, or…”

Cloud shook his head, gaze low and ahead. “Maybe…later.”

Zack kept him close as they wound through the main lane through the crowded carnival. _I think the crowds are wigging him out,_ Zack thought. _I wonder if we can find some air…_

Despite being a unit, Aerith and Tifa moved effortlessly through the crowd, past the the stands, boasting more food, colorful prizes, and flashing lights. The clusters of booths spread out as they reached closer to the rides, and the sun shone down on them unfiltered. Cloud breathed deep as people dispersed around them. _There we go,_ Zack thought, smiling gently down at him. _Much better._

“C’mon Rude, just one more--!”

The last booth in line was a shooting gallery--a bebe gun against glass bottles stationed at varying heights. There, Rude had the toy gun cocked against his shoulder, while Rude, Elena, and Cissnei watched with baited breath. They were all in casual wear--Zack swore he had never seen Elena outside of her suit, but she was in shorts and a t-shirt like the rest of them. “Hey, guys!” Zack called.

He spoke just as Rude fired, sending his aim off kilter and hitting the back of the wall. He cursed to himself, then turned around. “God damn it, Fair…”

“Dude!” Reno exclaimed. “He was gonna win me that huge chocobo up there! The big red one!” He pointed wildly at the top of the tent, where an entourage of fat chocobos hung, all of them in varying colors and huge size.

“You can’t win it yourself?” Zack asked.

“Well, _yeah,”_ Reno said, then pointed to Cloud. “I mean, you’d do the same shit for this kid, wouldn’t you?” He grinned. “Or maybe your new wife?”

“A-ah, right.” _Turks know everything!_ Zack felt his face teem with warmth as Aerith and Tifa circled around them. “Anyway, you guys are off duty, huh?”

“Yeah, thank _God,”_ Rude muttered. “First time in a while.”

Elena crossed her arms. “Still can’t get Tseng out of the office, though. Incredible…”

“I’m tellin’ you what, that’s gonna be _you_ someday,” Reno said, pointing at her. “Dude, if Ciss wasn’t there when we were heading out--”

“Hey, what’d I say about calling me that?” Cissnei asked, offering the vendor running the booth some gil and picking up the gun herself. She winked at Zack before surveying the group. “How’s everything been? Congratulations on your wedding.”

“Thank you!” Aerith said. “Sorry there weren’t any invites, we kinda rushed it, no thanks to _you.”_

She poked Zack’s side, and he squirmed way, right into Cloud. “Sorry! I was excited!”

Cissnei snorted as she closed one eye to aim down the barrel of the gun. “Like that’s new.”

With alarming precision, she fired at the top row of bottles, destroying all of them in three shots. The group gasped, and the girls clapped for her, producing a rare, smug look on her face. Despite the gun being tethered to the booth with a string, she still spun it around once before resting it back down. “And that’s not even my weapon of choice,” she remarked, then pointed to the top. “The red one, please.”

“All _right!”_ Reno exclaimed, jumping. “Thanks a lot, girl!”

“It’s not for you,” she said. She took the stuffed chocobo in both arms, then immediately handed it over to Elena. “We can take that back to the car if you need to.”

“Might…be a good idea,” Elena replied, her face completely obscured.

Reno rolled his eyes, then fished through his pockets to slam money on the counter. “Fuck’s sake, let me give it a go…” he grumbled, grabbing the gun.

Cissnei ignored him with a shake of her head, then took a step closer to Zack. “How’s everything been?”

The weight her voice held made Zack hold his breath. _You mean, how’s everything been now that Angeal’s not around._ “It’s…it’s okay. I’m all right.” He shrugged his shoulders. The girls wandered around him to watch Reno shoot, leaving him and Cloud alone with her. “Y’know, I’ve got…everyone around, so…I’m making it.”

Cissnei nodded. “I see,” she said, then glanced up at the sky. “You know, I’ve been around here longer than you, but…not quite as long as him. He always was friendly, asked how I was doing when I was getting started.” She bit her lip and cocked her head. “He’s easy to miss.”

When Zack nodded in reply, his head had a hard time coming back up. “Yeah.” _Yeah, you’re damn right, he is…really easy._ He found himself sniffling. “Miss him everyday…”

“He’s proud of you, y’know.” Her eyes flicked down to Cloud. “You too.”

She glanced behind her, where the group whooped and hollered. “There! Take that!” Reno hollered, then jammed his hand upward. “If the red one’s gone, gimme the black one. _Yo!_ We’re heading back to drop these off!”

“Okay,” she called back. “Take care.”

With a thin smile, she spun around, red-gold hair bouncing against her neck, and rushed to Elena’s side, arm at the small of her back. The Turks headed out in a line before disappearing into the crowd, while Aerith and Tifa mingled back next to them. “We’ve got to find a different game,” Aerith said. “I don’t have a good eye for shooting.”

“Me neither,” Tifa said. She glanced up at Zack and Cloud. “You guys cool?”

“Huh? Yeah,” Zack replied, taking a deep breath. _Yup, I’m good. I swear it…_ Cloud squeezed his hand, and he squeezed it back. _Ange…_

Aerith looked beyond them, then bounced on her toes. _“Ooh!_ There, there! There’s a thingy! You hit it as hard as you can! C’mon, c’mon!”

Without warning, she dragged Tifa behind her, and Zack let himself follow at her heels, trying to feed off her giddy energy. _I’m okay._

* * *

 

Shinra HQ was expected to be quiet on a Sunday, but Dr. Lucrecia Crescent was still in her office, a glass of red wine on her desk, the eerie blue light flickering off her computer onto her face. She took a sip and hit the down arrow key repeatedly through the list it displayed. _Tomorrow is the first batch of official vaccines,_ she thought. _Test rounds on HIV positive and negative 2nd and 3rd-class SOLDIER alike are complete. No issues…_

_First in line is Genesis Rhapsodos, the last survivor of Hojo’s genetic and mako hybrid trials in ‘87…after surviving the last decade with 98% pure mako injections to bolster his immune system, this should help wean him off needing that. It won’t cure him, not even with the additives, but it will slow the process. It should, anyway…  
_

She glanced beside her to a picture frame on her desk, and picked it up. It was old and sunbleached, and the frame was equally worn. It was a picture of a much younger Hojo in a suit, and herself in a wedding dress. He had a stern look on his face, while she was barely smiling. _Nearly thirty long years. I used to be so impressed, so_ proud, _to be with the man who invented the “miracle” drug known as “mako”. Thinking back now…it’s hard to say how I survived._

She flipped over the frame, unlatching the clips that held the back in place. Immediately noticeable was a smaller print, that she picked out with her index finger. A small note was scrawled on the back: “S, 9/8/70”. Flipping it over was a faded picture of an infant’s face, a mess of dark hair on its head. Its eyes were nearly shut, but if she looked carefully, a peculiar shade of green was barely picked up on the film. Her lips parted as she stared at it. _You…were the only good thing to come from him. He only thought of you, and me by extension, as an “experiment”. He thought you were a failure…_

She brought the picture to her lips. _I am so glad you’re safe…_

A small knock on her door shook her shoulders. “Y-yes?” she answered.

“It’s just me.” Tseng entered, poking his head through the door before opening the door fully. “What are you doing here on a Sunday?”

She quickly slipped the photograph underneath a notepad on her desk. “I could ask the same of you,” Lucrecia said. “I wanted to make sure everything was in order for this week…”

“Right, the vaccines.” Tseng peered over her shoulder at the computer briefly. “They’re ready?”

“Yes, everything is in order.” She adjusted her glasses on her face with a nod. “At long last…”

“Hard to believe that was right under our nose,” he commented, hands in his suit pockets. “Cetra has always been a stellar SOLDIER, but to think that he had an immunity to HIV and AIDS…?”

“I-I know, it’s…incredible.” She struggled to keep her voice even. “A-after so many years--”

“Surprised Hojo didn’t tear him apart.” He met her eyes. “Or, maybe that’s a good thing.”

She sighed through her nose, gaze unwavering. _A very good thing. He doesn’t…deserve to know he succeeded._ “He would have…done terrible things to him,” she shuddered. “There will be no more monsters…” _No more incidents. No more overdoses._

_(“Please, ma’am…L-Lucrecia, I just…” Zack swallowed hard, voice shaking. “I-I don’t wanna hurt you, j-just...let me take him. I d-don’t trust him to st-tay here.”)_

_I don’t want to see that fear in anyone else’s eyes, ever again…_

“Finally.” Tseng glanced out the window, the sunshine creeping in through the half-slat blinds. “It’s a relief to see someone…well-adjusted at the head of the science sector. I’m grateful.”

It showed in his eyes, and Lucrecia felt the weight of it wash over her shoulders. She allowed herself to lean back in her chair. “I can…only do my best,” she replied.

“It’s more than enough,” Tseng said. “Why don’t you take off for the day?”

“Why don’t you?”

He chuckled. “Maybe I will. My whole team is off at the fair, anyway. Even though I never go to those sorts of things, they never stop asking…”

Lucrecia smiled. “Maybe you could surprise them.”

He glanced at her, then nodded. “Maybe.” With that, he stepped back toward the door. “Don’t work too hard.”

Tseng walked out, leaving the door open just a crack. _Maybe I should leave. I spend more time here than I do at home. Before, I had a reason to avoid my own home, but now…I could make it more comfortable._

She fished under the notepad to take the picture she had hidden back out, leaving it face up on her desk. The picture frame was still on her lap, and she pulled out the other photo. The glossy paper slipped between her fingers, revealing two pictures still. She flipped over the picture of herself and Hojo one last time, before crushing it with one hand and tossing it in the trash. The back of the remaining photo also had a date: 7/13/68. She placed the baby picture in the corner of glass, followed by the other, and fitted the back onto the frame. _Will I ever be truly comfortable? I have made many terrible mistakes in my lifetime…_

_But, I am trying to do my best to make up for it._

Lucrecia placed the frame back on her desk. The photo in it now was a picture of a handsome young man with dark hair and eyes, in a fitted, but dated version of the Turks uniform. She stood beside him, with a younger smile herself, in a new lab coat and company badge. They were standing close together, barely close enough to touch. _I will do my best._

She took a sip of wine, then pressed the power button on her computer, the screen flickering to dark.

* * *

 

Aerith dragged the group over to a tall, vertical tower, at least ten feet high, with a bell at the top of it. Beside it was a mallet with a long handle, tethered to the tower. “‘Strongman’, huh?” Zack said, eyeing the top of it. “So, you hit the thing as hard as you can, to try and get that other thingy to hit the bell?”

“This game was _made_ for you, baby!” Aerith exclaimed. She pushed at the small of his back to usher him over to it. As he staggered forward, she reached back for Tifa, yanking her by the arm. “You’ve gotta try too!”

“What?!” she exclaimed. Even as there was doubt in her voice, she still studied the tower with more than standard curiosity. “I mean, you _know_ I’m gonna lose…”

“Hey, don’t be so down on yourself! Remember that time we arm wrestled?” Zack snickered and fished a couple gil pieces from his pocket, absently handing them to the vendor in the folding chair. “You had me goin’ for a sec, there--”

“Young man,” the vendor croaked, clearing his throat. His sagging chin and thinning, white hair gave away his age. “C’mere. Let me see your eyes, son.”

He winced silently before turning back around to him. Cloud covered his mouth. _Yeah, you’re SOLDIER, Zack. You’re stronger than ten people combined, whether you use it or not._ He exchanged a look with Tifa, who only raised her eyebrows in response. _It’d be no problem at all…_

“You’re one of Shinra’s boys, huh? I know those blue eyes.” the vendor said, yellowing teeth showing. “Well, I can only let you get one prize outta this, then. Fair’s fair. Unless you want the weight.”

Zack cocked his head. “The weight?”

The vendor pointed behind him, where a metal puck lay right at the foot of the chair. It was in the same shape of the one settled at the base of the tower, but unlike that one, it looked like it was made of pure cast iron. “Gotta give you SOLDIER a run for your money, ain’t that right?”

“That’s right,” Aerith remarked, a snide lilt in her voice. As soon as Cloud looked over to her, she winked and scooted right to his side. “So, who’s going to win us a prize? Cloud, which one do you want?”

“Ah…” Many of the soft, colorful toys resembled the ones at all of the other booths, but a row caught his eye. “They have moogles…” he muttered to her.

“Ooh, they do!” she squeaked. “They’re cute. Okay, guys, who’s first?”

Tifa sighed, raising her chest, and nodded. “Me. I’ll go.”

She picked up the mallet with one hand and steadied it in front of her. “Look at you!” the vendor laughed, slapping his knee. “You oughta hold it with both hands, miss--especially if you’re competing with that lad there.”

“I know,” she replied, focusing on the disk that she had to hit. _She’s so focused,_ Cloud thought. _I wonder how high she can hit it--_

With a deep breath, she swung back the hammer, grabbing it with both hands, and threw her entire body into the weight of her swing. It hit the disk with a rattle, and the puck on the lever shot up into the air, hammering the bell at the top of the tower with a loud ring. Aerith yipped and immediately began clapping and hollering. _“Yay!_ You did it!”

Tifa beamed back at Aerith and Cloud, face flush and pleased. Cloud nodded back at her. _That’s…damn impressive._ He chuckled to himself. _My strong partner, strong girlfriend…_

Meanwhile, Zack adjusted his hat firmly on his head and yanked the hammer from her hands. “Not bad, not bad at all,” he said. He twirled the hammer in one hand. “But watch this--”

One twirl, two, then three, and with little followthrough, he slammed it down onto the disk. The puck flew up once again and rammed against the bell without Zack even breaking a sweat. “Oh, you _show-off,”_ Tifa said, rolling her eyes. “Uh-huh…”

Zack winked back at the vendor, tossing him another couple gil pieces. “I just inherited a sword from my buddy that’s as tall as I am, half as wide.” He gestured to the weight. “Say, why don’t you put that weight thing on there, see how we do?”

“Ho _ho,_ I see how it is!” The vendor got up with a grunt and grabbed the weight in both hands, struggling as he fussed with attaching it to the tower.

Tifa squared off against Zack. “We’re making this another contest, huh?” she said, head cocked. “I’m pretty strong, y’know.”

“I know! That’s why I told him to put the weight on!” Zack replied, bending down just enough to get in her face. “I wanna see what you’ve _really_ got. And I wanna break a sweat.”

“Good _God._ You’re terrible!”

Beside Cloud, Aerith giggled into his shoulder. “They’re like kids,” she remarked to him. “Was she like this growing up?”

“N-not that I knew,” he replied. “I mean, I always knew she was strong, and tough, but like…well, y’know me. I ain’t that competitive…”

“No,” she agreed. “Zack can light a fire in anyone, though…”

Cloud nodded. _He sure can. Whether it’s competition, or admiration, or love…especially love._

“All set?” Zack said, grabbing the hammer once again. He tossed it between both hands, then offered it to Tifa. “What do you say, ladies first?”

Tifa grabbed it from him with a cross look, only prompting him to chuckle as he took a step back. With the same level of focus, she studied the disc to hit, before giving the same amount of weight and force as she slammed the hammer down. This time, the weight went up about a quarter up the tower, then dropped back down. She shook her head and tossed the hammer to the ground. “Damn it…” she muttered.

“Aw, that’s okay!” Aerith assured. “Let’s see how this puppy does. Use both arms, honey.”

Zack was about to perform the same trick as before, but her voice stopped him mid-swing. “Oh, all right,” he said, and readied it with two hands. _He holds it the same as he holds his sword,_ Cloud mused. _He has the same stance that Angeal had. He’ll have to, now that he has his sword…_

 _“Hup!”_ With a grunt, Zack slammed down the hammer, making the entire machine rattle. Up went the puck, soaring high, but an inch away from the bell, before it shot back down. “Oh, come _on!”_ he shouted. “Lemme give another go!”

“Sure thing,” the vendor said, crossing his arms with a chuckle. “Ain’t no one in line. You gonna get your prizes for your folks, here?”

“Sure, anything they want,” Zack said, waving his hand in dismissal as he glared at the still bell at the top of the tower. “This thing is _mine.”_

“Hey, let me try again first,” Tifa said, tapping his shoulder. “Let me see if I can get any higher.”

Reluctantly, he gave up the hammer over to Tifa, folding his arms with a pout. _Even when he’s frustrated, he’s cute,_ Cloud couldn’t help but think. _God, I’ve got it bad, haven’t I? I always have._

“Well, I’m getting the pink moogle,” Aerith said, pointing from the vendor to the booth of stuffed toys. “What do you want, hon?”

Cloud shook himself from his thoughts. “Ah, the white moogle. I-it doesn't have to be the biggest one…”

“It’ll go with your pajamas,” Aerith teased, poking his side.

Cloud’s head shrunk into his shoulders, while his bashfulness caught Zack’s eye. He grinned and relaxed his posture. “That’s from me to you, babe,” he said, smooth as ever.

Tifa was mid-swing, but she stopped herself in a jump. “Really?” she said. “What if _I_ wanted to win that for him?”

“You didn’t call it!” Zack retorted. “I said something first, so--”

“Oh, so that’s how you’re going to be?” Tifa readied to swing the hammer again. “Well, _this_ is for him!”

She jumped as she swung the hammer, and it made remarkable progress up the tower, but still only made it just above halfway. “Ho! Look at that!” Zack exclaimed, shielding one hand over his eyes. “You still didn’t make it, though.”

“So- _rry_ I’m not a meathead like you!” Tifa snapped, sticking her tongue out.

Zack looked offended for only a moment while he snagged the hammer back. “Join SOLDIER then, and we can get you caught up.”

“No way!”

“Yeah way!”

_“No way!”_

“Yeah-huh! _Rrrah!”_ With a fierce holler, Zack slammed the hammer down on the disk. This time, the puck went flying up and reached the bell, making a small _ting,_ but not the resonate ring like it did without the weight. “Hah! Take _that!”_

Tifa’s eyes were wide, but her voice didn’t reveal that she was impressed. “Yeah, well, you _barely_ hit it.”

“Girl! You could barely get it halfway!”

She was grinning now, arms crossed and on her toes. “It was _over_ halfway,” she said. “Besides, Cloud likes me for more than just my strength.”

“Oh, _sure,”_ Zack puffed out his chest, and Cloud swore he was posing. “Just because you’re more _curvy_ doesn’t mean he doesn’t think I’m hot.”

“Please, you’re _both_ pretty,” Aerith remarked, stifling her giggling behind her hand.

They whirled around to her. “Yeah!” they said in unison, but Zack followed it up. “We know! We just--”

“Okay, you know what the real test is?” Aerith said, pointing her finger down and twirling it in a circle. “It’s the ass. Go on, spin around.”

“Aw, _c’mon!”_ Zack complained, but still turned around with his hands on his hips. “Tifa’s gonna win ‘cause of those booty shorts she’s got on!”

 _“They’re not booty shorts!”_ Tifa insisted. Despite growing red in the face, she still spun around on Aerith’s command, scowling at Zack. “Just because I can’t find a pair of shorts that fit my ass _and_ keep my thighs covered--”

Cloud couldn’t hold it in any longer--he burst into laughter, brighter and louder than he had let go in some time. _This is so silly…!_ he thought vaguely, hugging his sides. _But they’re so cute, so…_

Zack and Tifa’s bickering ceased nearly immediately as they watched Cloud laugh, as he staggered in place.  Zack’s posture relaxed, head cocked, while his expression softened to a dopey smile. “Hey…”

Aerith rested a hand on Cloud’s back, rubbing it gently. “Are you okay?” she asked, still beaming.

All he could do was nod, gasping for air as he glanced between Tifa and Zack. Tifa also was sporting a gentle smile, despite the pink still in her cheeks. “Y-you guys…!” he managed to stutter. “You’re…whew…”

“I know, they’re just like kids,” Aerith remarked, winking at both of them. “But they love you…!”

Cloud tried to cover his face with one hand as it bloomed red. _Ah…_

As the group continued to watch Cloud recover, a teenager’s voice rose above the ambient noise. “Hey, are you guys done already?”

In a ragged black t-shirt, Kadaj tapped his foot, with Yazoo and Loz behind him. “Oh, it’s you,” he remarked, just as soon as Zack glanced over. “C’mon, I wanna try the strength thing!”

“You’re like a wet noodle,” Loz stated matter of factly. “You could probably barely lift the hammer.”

 _“What?!”_ Spit flew from his mouth as he whirled on his siblings, Yazoo taking a step back. “I’ll fuckin’ show you!”

The group had huddled together, close enough so that Aerith could put her arms around both Cloud and Tifa, with Zack opposite her. “I think that’s our cue to leave,” she muttered. “I say we get our moogles and go…”

* * *

 

The day pressed on, and the setting sun found Zack carrying Aerith on his shoulders, a giant, pink moogle plush perched on his head. “You had to pick the biggest one, huh?” he said, adjusting her legs in his arms.

“Uh-huh!” she chirped. “You _did_ hit the bell twice, and even if that old man wasn’t gonna give you multiple prizes, I was gonna get the _biggest_ one.”

Zack snickered to himself. _Sure sounds familiar. Like that time when we went out to that arcade and earned enough tickets for the giant chocobo…_

_(“Oh! Oh, my God!” Aerith bounced as the machine poured out tickets, pooling on the fluorescent colored carpet. “Zack, we’re rich!”_

_As soon as he plugged in his initials into the scoreboard, he grabbed Aerith by her cheeks and kissed her on the mouth. “All for you, babe,” he said with a grin. “What are we gonna go get?”_

_“The biggest thing ever!” she exclaimed, hands in the air. “I want one of those_ huge _stuffed animals! It’ll be so comfy to sleep with…”_

_“Better than sleeping with me~?”_

_“Oh, you--!”)_

The memory shined as bright as the sun on his face. _Although, things are just a little bit different now._ He glanced beside him, where Cloud and Tifa were walking hand in hand, the former with a smaller, but still sizable moogle under his opposite arm. “How’re you doing?” he asked him.

“Hm? Good. Great, actually…” He smiled enough to show his teeth. “Today’s been fun.”

Tifa took an extra step forward to catch his eye, smiling as well. “Good, I’m glad,” she said. “I thought that maybe, with all the people…”

“Me too. I’m fine, though…” He stared up at the sky. “I’m…really happy I get to be with you guys.”

“Mmm, me too,” Tifa replied.

“Me three!” Aerith said, squeezing around Zack with her legs.

“Me four,” Zack agreed, last, but certainly not least. As they exited past the gates of the fair, back to the desert road that led to the city, he hummed to himself. _“Hmmm mmm hmm and me, look into the future…and we stare at the beautiful women…”_

Aerith started chiming in. _“She’s lookin’ at you, man, there’s gotta be somebody for me.”_ She bounced the moogle plush on his head a couple times. “Hey, let me down.”

“As you wish.”

Zack squatted so Aerith could slip off his shoulders. As soon as she was down, she darted around him, stuffing the moogle into his arms, then rushed right in front of Tifa as she slowed down. “Hey!”

“A-ah?” Tifa staggered backwards, but Aerith caught her with her arms around her shoulders, and kissed her deeply. She let go of Cloud’s hand in surprise, and as soon as she did, Aerith hopped up to wrap her legs around her hips, still mid-kiss. _“Mmmf--!”_

Aerith had to break the kiss with a laugh, touching her forehead against hers. “I love you,” she said, kissing her nose. “Ooh, pretty girl, I love you so much--!”

“I love you too,” Tifa replied, her surprise melting into a genuine smile.

In the meantime, Zack wandered over to Cloud, an arm around his shoulder. “Does it get any better than this?” he sighed.

Cloud wormed closer, then shifted in front of him with a shy smirk. “Maybe,” he replied, then tugged down on Zack’s shirt. He brought him down into a simple, soft kiss, one that Zack made last as long as he could. _You’re still full of surprises, Cloud…_

“Hey, guys…” When Zack finally broke from Cloud’s lips, Aerith and Tifa were right there beside them, arms linked. “How come I never see you kissing me like that?” she asked.

Zack stuck his tongue out. “‘Cause your eyes are closed,” he replied, and bent down to kiss her--just as sweet, just as soft. He felt her chuckle against his lips, a gentle vibration that caused him to grin through the whole thing. “Sunflower.”

“Sunflower,” she repeated.

They fell into a line--Tifa, Aerith, Zack, and Cloud, all walking back to Midgar in the orange glow of sunset. _God, I’m happy, I’m so happy,_ Zack thought, staring up at the sky. _I love them, I love them both, I love them all. Even though there’s been so many ups and downs, so much…happening, it all comes out in the end, right?_

 _“Embrace your dreams”, that’s what he always used to say, wasn’t it? Hell, I didn’t even know that_ this, _this right here, was gonna be my dream. But, now I’m living it._

“So, what do you guys wanna do for dinner?” Aerith asked. “I’m in the mood for some real food, not just cotton candy.”

“Burgers, maybe?” Tifa suggested. “I’ve been craving one…”

“I dunno if we have the stuff at the house right now…”

“There’s always Dumbapplebee’s,” Cloud said. “I mean, we’re already out.”

“Sure,” Aerith said. “Zack?”

Still blinking up at the sky, he brought himself back down to earth, glancing down at both of his partners--Aerith with her curious, bright green eyes, bushy hair tied back in the pink bow he gave to her; Cloud, his face looking less tired than usual, cyan eyes shining in the setting sun. “Ah…” Zack started, then chuckled. “It’s all good, whatever you guys want.”

“Oh, yeah?” Aerith bumped his hip, shuffling the whole party out of sync. “What’s up, babe? You’ve got your head in the clouds.”

“Yeah, well…” Zack’s face ached with the force of his smile, but he couldn’t push it back. Nor did he want to. “I’m just…here, with all of you?

“I’m living my dream.”

* * *

 

 _“Out of all those kinds of people, you have a face with a view._  
_I’m just an animal looking for a home, and share the same place for a minute or two._  
_And you love me ‘til my heart stops, love me ‘til I’m dead._ _  
_ Eyes that light up, eyes look through you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a chapter, huh? I tried to catch up with everyone here, to tie up any loose ends I had going on with the more important cast members. Seph and Gen finally got together, in some form, even if Genesis couldn't even explicitly ask for it. Got a little more clarification about Seph, mako, and Hojo through Lucrecia…a little bit of everything! God, I knew that Talking Heads song was going to be the end chapter song for like a year--even though I _thought_ I had the order of everything down, it ended up coming out all mixed up. That's fine, I think it works!
> 
> But wait! There's more! The epilogue is coming right up!


	87. Epilogue: Five Years Later

2002.

In a condo on the eastern side of Edge, Aerith lounged on the couch, a photo album splayed before her. _Is it odd that I miss that ragged, old couch we had?_ she thought. She adjusted herself back, holding her very pregnant stomach as she did so. _I think this one still needs to be broken in. Or just needs a recliner…or maybe it’s just because I’m due in two weeks._

_Funny how I miss that hole in the ground under the plate…_

The lock to the front door clicked, and a young boy with shaggy, brown hair slipped through it, with Tifa not far behind. She swept her shoulder length hair away from her face as she slipped off her shoes. “Hey,” she greeted.

“Hi, sweetie.” Aerith tilted her head back against the back of the couch, and Tifa came around to kiss her quickly on the mouth. The boy wandered around the couch, sliding his backpack off right in front of the coffee table. “Hi, Denzel. How was school?”

“Good,” he replied, blue eyes downcast at the floor.

Aerith smirked. _Kids._ “How was Sephiroth’s?”

He nodded. “Good. He showed me some guitar stuff again.”

From the kitchen, Tifa called out. “And guess what, he didn’t look totally sour when I went to pick him up.” She chuckled. “Honestly, I can’t believe we can get him to babysit.”

“Aerith?” Denzel asked, hands behind his back. “When will I get to come home by myself?”

“Middle school!” Tifa answered. “That’s what your dad and I agreed on.”

Aerith didn’t miss the little eye roll and sigh, as best as Denzel tried to hide it. _He’s a good kid, but when you’re ten years old with four parents, you can’t resist trying to pick out who’s the good cop and who’s the bad cop._ “Sorry, pumpkin. Next school year. Them’s the breaks,” she said with a little wink. “Wanna sit?”

She patted the couch cushion beside her, and Denzel hopped up, snuggling close. He stared at her round belly. “Um…how’s the baby?” he asked, in a hushed voice.

“She’s feisty,” she replied, patting it. “She’s been kicking all afternoon. I swear, she’s gonna pop out any day now…”

Denzel snorted with a small laugh, then leaned his head on her shoulder. _Such a quiet boy,_ she thought, reaching forward with some effort to grab the photo album again. _Has been the entire time we’ve had him. He really takes after Cloud in that way--and for all that stuttering about how he didn’t want to be a dad, him and Tifa sure adopted pretty quickly._

_Then once Zack and I got used to the idea of having a little one around the house, we wanted one of our own…_

She wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Are you excited to have a baby sister?” she asked.

Denzel shrugged. “Guess so,” he mumbled in reply. “I’ve had to look after babies before…”

“Well, you don’t have to worry too much about that,” she said. “I’m gonna be home for a while, and there are _four_ grown-ups around to help. All you’ve got to do is be a good big brother.”

“How do I do that?”

Aerith found she didn’t have a concrete answer. _None of us had any siblings growing up. I guess just…do your best?_ “You’ll know,” she answered.

Denzel squinted off to the side, not completely convinced, but let it slide to put a hand on the photo album to keep it steady. “When are these pictures from?” he asked.

“Oh, there’s a little bit of everything in here. Some of these are from Zack’s friend.” She scanned over the current page until she found a picture right in the center. “Here we go. There’s Sephiroth, right in the middle…”

“Has he always had silver hair?” Denzel asked. “I’m too afraid to ask him…”

Aerith snickered. _He hasn’t lost that intimidating edge, has he?_ “Yeah, as long as we’ve known him. No idea where it comes from either, none of his brothers have it.” She pointed through the group photo, all of them standing in front of a drum kit. “And there’s Zack, and his friend Angeal.”

“Angeal?”

“Oh, right, you never got to meet him, did you?” Aerith leaned her head back. “Angeal was a really good friend of Zack’s; he was his mentor going through SOLDIER, and helped us out a lot--”

“Where is he now?”

Aerith bit her lip. “He passed away, due to AIDS complications.” _No use sugar-coating it._ “It’s been…what, five years now?”

“Almost five, yeah,” Tifa said from the kitchen. She stepped into the doorway and leaned against the frame. “Feels like a while.”

“And yet not long at all.” Aerith shook her head. “Time’s weird like that…”

Denzel had moved on, squinting at the picture. “That’s…Genesis?” he questioned, pointing to the reddish haired man leaning next to Sephiroth.

“Oh, yup, that’s him,” Aerith confirmed. “He’s the same as he ever was.”

“He comes over sometimes,” Denzel said, non-committal.

“I bet.” _Most of the time, anytime I see Sephiroth, Genesis is with him. I’ve never heard them mention it, but if they weren’t a couple before, they_ definitely _are now._ “You haven’t taken anything from him, have you? Any food?”

“N…no?”

 _“Good.”_ She kissed the top of his soft, brown hair and gave it a small scratch.

Denzel ignored this as well, eyes wandering to a different picture. “Hey, is that Mom on the drums?” he asked, then spoke louder. “Mom, you used to play drums?”

“Yeah! In that same band,” she replied. With a smirk, she used her hip to bounce herself off the doorframe. “I only played for a year or so, just filling in. Now one of Sephiroth’s brothers is drumming.”

Denzel was wide eyed, and his face spread into a toothy grin. “Whoa, that’s cool!”

Tifa smirked down at the floor, although when she raised her head, her expression was tinged with pride. “Not too bad, especially on short notice at the time,” she said. “Although that band might as well be called ‘The Cetras’ now.”

“I know it,” Aerith agreed. “With…what’s his name, Kadaj playing guitar in there, Zack said he was done playing with them full time.” She ran her fingers over Zack’s smiling face in the photograph. “He did it so he’d have more time with the baby, whenever he gets home…”

“He said he’d be home soon, right?” Denzel asked, nuzzling closer to Aerith. “I miss him.”

“I miss him too, sweetie.” _It’s been six months he’s been deployed now, out beyond Cosmo Canyon. He didn’t even think he’d be gone this long, but he promised he’d be home before the baby was born, and he doesn’t have much time._

The door handle twisted again, and Aerith’s heart rose in her throat, if only for a second. “Oh, that’s probably Cloud,” Tifa said amidst the clattering of dishes. “I’ll start dinner…”

“Do you want help, hon?” Aerith asked.

“No, it’s okay. You’re carrying a kid, sit down as much as you can.”

The door swung open, and Cloud came through, wearing a black company jacket with “STRIFE” embroidered on the breast. “Hi, hon,” Aerith said, reaching out for him. “How was work?”

As he shuffled off his jacket, Cloud took her outstretched hand and squeezed it, lacing their fingers together briefly before letting go. “Good. Busy,” he replied.

Denzel launched himself off the couch and dashed over to him. Cloud bent down and caught him just as he reached his legs, and lifted him in the air with a chuckle. “Hey there,” he said, smiling gently before kissing his cheek.

“Dad…!” Denzel squirmed to stay in his father’s arms, but as he did so, Cloud’s grip faltered, and he resorted to one more kiss before setting him back on the ground. _There’s so much love in his eyes when Cloud looks at Dezzie,_ Aerith thought with a soft smile. _Between both of them…Tifa always said that it was more of Denzel picking out Cloud than the other way around._

“I swear, you’ve grown an inch since this morning,” Cloud remarked. “You’re gonna be taller than me someday…”

Denzel tailed him as Cloud wandered to the kitchen in order to catch Tifa in the doorway. “Do you think I’ll be as tall as Zack?” he asked, a new energy in his voice.

Cloud and Tifa kissed in the doorway, then chuckled looking down at him. “Zack’s an _exception,”_ Tifa remarked. “He’s too tall for his own good most of the time.”

“But if I’m tall, I’ll have a better chance of making SOLDIER, 1st-class!” Denzel swung his arms as if he were wielding a sword. “Just like you guys…right?”

Aerith held her breath as Cloud and Tifa exchanged a look, arms around one another. _It was inevitable--with two dad’s the highest rank in SOLDIER, and with him getting a brief tour of the headquarters…the seed got planted. We haven’t told him the story, about how Cloud got sick…or what lead to Angeal dying. He’s only ten, and that’s a scary story even when you’re an adult._ She sighed and flipped to the next page of the photo album, still in her lap. _He should know, but…_

“Maybe someday,” Cloud said gently, patting his head. “Not right now, though…”

“Hey, Dezzie,” Aerith called. “I’ve got more pictures if you wanna see.”

He whipped his head around, then as Cloud and Tifa continued to hold each other in the doorway, toddled back over to the couch, climbing back into his former perch. _Get his mind off that whole SOLDIER thing, for a bit anyway._ “These are some taken from our first apartment,” she said. She pointed to a picture of Zack playing guitar on the ragged couch, the surroundings looking somehow more messy than she had ever remembered. “The really small place in Sector 5.”

“Wasn’t that by the church?” Denzel asked. “I think you guys took me by there once…”

“Probably.” Her eyes wandered to a picture of Zack carrying Cloud in his arms, the pink in Cloud’s cheeks showing through in the stark light projected from the flash of the camera. Then, to another of Tifa and Cloud lounging on the couch. “We moved out not too long after we had you. Needed more space, among other things…”

“I’m not gonna have to share a room with the baby, am I?” Denzel asked suddenly, although after the words were out of his mouth, he stared at the floor guiltily. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay, sweetie, you won’t have to.” She leaned over to kiss his head, although it felt like an enormous effort. “That’s what the extra room’s for--it’s the baby’s room.”

Despite his apology, the sigh of relief was palpable throughout his small body, and Aerith couldn’t help but giggle. _I’m sure he had to deal with a_ lot _of crying babies in that cramped orphanage. He’ll have to live through one more…but this one will have a lot more attention. With four parents…_ “Oh, Cloud?” Aerith called to the kitchen. “Anything from Zack…?”

He poked out from the kitchen, and shook his head. “Nope, nothing,” he sighed.

“Well, he needs to hurry up,” she replied, patting her stomach. “Rosie’s not going to wait forever. Last time he called he said he would be on his way…”

“I haven’t heard anything over pager,” Cloud said, staring at the floor. “So…”

 _Poor Cloud._ Aerith cocked her head, her bangs falling to the side. _It’s hard for him, too, being away this long. Plus, he gets to work with Sephiroth and Genesis all by himself, without a buffer. He doesn’t have Zack’s energetic personality, but I can see how worn out he is every time he comes home._ “He’ll be home soon,” Aerith offered. “I know it…”

Cloud nodded, and offered a weak smile before disappearing back into the kitchen. Denzel watched him for a moment longer, before turning back to the photo album, scanning over all the pictures. “Oh!” he exclaimed, pointing to a picture near the bottom. “That’s Marlene…?”

“Mmhm! That’s the 7th Heaven crew.” The picture was a simple one, of Barret, Marlene, Vincent, Tifa, and Aerith all sitting around the bar. Everyone was looking cheery, even Vincent in his standard trenchcoat. “That was before they remodeled. It’s a lot brighter in there now.”

“Mmm.”

“Do you still walk home with Marlene some days afterschool?”

Denzel fidgeted. “Yeah, sometimes. She always wants to go to the arcade to play games, though, so not all the time…”

Aerith chuckled. “I know, she’s got a lot of energy, huh? I bet…”

Her sentence trailed off as she heard the door click. _Is that…? Oh God, please. Please let it be him._ The entire room filled with silent, electric energy, as even Tifa wandered back into the doorway of the kitchen, spatula in hand. _Zack…? Zack…_

At last, the door opened, and there he was--with a five o’clock shadow, and still in half his uniform and company jacket, covered in dirt, but smiling all the same. “Hey--!” he said. “I made it!”

A huge smile spread across Aerith’s face, and she slammed the photo album shut. “Sunflower--!” she exclaimed, scooting up off the couch. “Oh, damn, Dezzie, help me up--”

Denzel was quick, taking her by the arms and hoisting her off the couch as she rose to her feet. Zack met her halfway, bending down and throwing his arms around her in a tight squeeze. “Oh, baby, baby, I missed you,” he said into her long, bushy hair, kissing it a hundred times. He stroked his hands around her back, then cupped her face and kissed her, hard and earnest.

Aerith had to gasp to catch her breath when they broke. “I missed you _more,”_ she sighed, with a giggle. “Oh, honey…”

Zack dropped to his knees and kissed her belly. “I came home just in time, huh?” he said into her pregnant stomach. “Rosie Angelica…”

He didn’t linger, for Denzel was right at his side, and he stretched his arms out to grab him in a hug. “Hey, kiddo! I missed you too!” he exclaimed.

He rose to his feet to lift him in the air, and Denzel giggled wildly, slinging his arms around his shoulders. “Zack--!” he laughed. “You’re back!”

“Sure am!” He adjusted Denzel into one arm while reaching into his jacket pocket. “I got you a little something, too!” He pulled out a leather necklace chain, which had a deep, blue rock charm fastened to it. The rock gem was covered in gold flecks. “This is supposed to be part of a meteorite that crashed in that area a thousand years ago…”

“Whoa! Cool!” Denzel studied it in awe, then immediately put it around his neck. “Thanks--!”

Tifa had strolled out from the kitchen, and upon seeing her, Zack gave Denzel a final kiss on the cheek before setting him down. “Hey, you!” he greeted, opening his arm. “You been holding down the fort?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said with a grin. They hugged, and kissed each other’s cheeks, and they lingered in each other’s space for a moment. “It’s mostly been business as usual, you know…”

“That’s good in its own way,” Zack replied. “Where’s Cloud?”

When Cloud emerged from the kitchen in a frantic rush, there was water dripping from his chin, as if he just washed his face. “A-ah…” he stammered, then lunged ahead, knocking the wind out of Zack as he hugged him tight around his chest. “Y-you’re home…”

Zack gently rested his arms around his back, burying his face into his spiked blond hair. “Aw, babe,” he murmured, nuzzling him. “I missed you, too…”

 _Hoo, I hope he isn’t crying,_ Aerith thought, even as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. Behind them, Denzel eagerly showed Tifa his necklace. “Mom, look at this!” he said.

“Wow, that is pretty,” she replied, keeping one eye on Cloud and Zack.

After a solid thirty seconds, Cloud managed to let Zack go enough to see him, and Aerith was relieved to see that even though his eyes were brimming with tears, he was smiling broad and big. _That’s the biggest smile I’ve seen out of him in a while, besides the quiet smiles with Tifa._ “I’m so glad you’re home…” he uttered, staring straight up at Zack.

“Wow, Seph and Gen really must’ve given you a hard time, huh?” Zack quipped, ruffling his hair.

Cloud couldn’t help but laugh, and the other three gathered around them. Immediately, Zack stretched his arms wide to incorporate everyone into a huddled circle. “Yeah, yeah, bring it in…”

Arms all around each other, Aerith found herself sniffling. “Okay, first, you need to shower. And shave,” she said. “And then, we can go out and celebrate…”

“Baby, I’ve already got dinner cooking,” Tifa lamented. She shot her head up for a moment. “God, I hope it isn’t burning…”

“It’s okay, we’ll go out tomorrow,” Zack said. He scratched Aerith’s back. “Besides, _too_ much excitement, and your water’s gonna break early.”

 _“God!”_ Tifa groaned. _Ooh, I haven’t heard that tinge of exasperation in a long time,_ Aerith mused with a smirk. _Some things never change…_

“What a homecoming present, huh? Imagine…” Aerith laughed and scooted over to kiss Zack’s cheek. “Oh, we’re a happy family again! It’s been so long…”

“Six months…” Cloud added.

Denzel, who had been quiet, squished in the middle of the four, lifted his head up with a bright look in his blue eyes. “I’m glad you’re home,” he said, measuring each word. “I’m glad…u-um, for you guys…”

Tifa bent down to kiss his head. “We love you too, Denzel.”

As Denzel beamed, cheeks flush with praise, Aerith mimicked it, tightening the circle with Tifa and Zack at either side. _Some things change as the years go on, but I hope this big family, full of love, only keeps on growing…_

_…for the rest of our days._

* * *

 

 _“Never before and never since, I promise,_  
_Will the whole world be as warm as this,_  
_And as you feel it, you’ll know it’s true that you are blessed and lucky._ _  
_ It’s true that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you.”

[ “These Are Days”, 10,000 Maniacs, _Our Time In Eden_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TFYl4TjDY0)

_...fin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's where I reveal my biggest secret: I haven't actually, physically played Final Fantasy 7. I've watched Advent Children, and all of Crisis Core, and done a pretty hefty amount of research. (Don't worry, it's in my library!)
> 
> At the beginning of March 2016, right off the heels of my last big work, _Jumper_ , I knew I wanted to write this, and started doing plot and web work pretty immediately. While I knew that this wouldn't be the next big thing, with the polyship factor and AU, it still has garnered more of a following than I expected. I'm so grateful! This has been an enormous undertaking, and I'm blessed to have such constant support!
> 
> Thank you so much to all of the dedicated readers and commenters--there's been a regular crew here for quite some time, and I notice you every time, even if I don't always reply! Shoutout to those who've been following the metablog for my silliness and extra works, you're all the best!
> 
> I did a celebratory radio stream over three days, featuring all the music in the fic and extra works. [You can access the archive here.](http://thinkaboutmeff7au.tumblr.com/post/162947146431/streampodcast-archive)
> 
> So, what's next? Once I'm done posting backlog, all of the extra log and flash pieces done on the meta blog will be uploaded here in their own works, so if you haven't been aware or keeping up with those, now you can! (It's a lot of 1sts stuff, with some mushy poly things too. And NSFW!) There also might be more short works coming up in those areas too, dealing with this good future I've set up. 
> 
> What's next for me? I've got a couple things cooking on the back burner, especially if you're into Tales of. But, another day brings another adventure…so for now, rest easy heroes. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next fic!


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